Instrument; Percussion; Drum. A pair of small drums, usually held between the knees and played with the fingers. The smaller drum is called the macho and the larger drum is called the hembra. The heads usually consist of goat skin. The macho is tuned to a "c" and the hembra is tuned to an "a". (md)

a percussion musical instrument consisting of two small drums attached to each other and played while held between the knees. The bongos were developed from similar African drums. Originally, the bongo's drum heads (skins) were tacked-on, but later a system of tuneable hardware was attached. Bongos today are made of fiberglass as well as wood See complete description on the instruments page.

These drums are of Cuban origin. In Latin music they are typically played sitting down, held between the knees. In pop settings they can be seen played on a stand. Traditionally they are made of wood but can also be found in fiberglass. The small head is known as the "Macho" (male) and the large head is known as the "Hembra" (female).