Bongo drums are a type of percussion instrument most often played by using the hands. They are two single-headed, open-ended drums connected to each other. The pair consists of a larger and smaller size drum and creates a more high-pitched sound as compared to the conga drums. The player places the bongos behind the knees with the larger drum on the right. The sound produced comes from striking the edge of the drumheads with his finger or palms. They fall into the category of membranophones, which means they produce their sound by vibration of a stretched membrane.

Bongos require tuning. Players need to tune them down when not playing and up when playing again. Not doing so may cause the heads to contract and split as weather conditions change. When tightening always move a quarter turn at a time. Move the lugs clockwise to tighten and counter-clockwise to loosen. Watch for evenness of the lugs. You can do this by turning the bongos upside down on a flat surface to check if one for more of the lugs are even. Always be careful when tightening. You never want to over-tighten as this can cause bongos heads to break.

When caring for the heads it is important not to let them become dry. If the bongos head feel really dry, use about a quarter-size portion of oil, like almond oil or any lotion that contain lanolin, into the palms of your hands. Rub your hands together and rub the oil or lotion into the drumheads. You can repeat this as often as necessary when head feel dry. The leather should always feel supple and not brittle. Some bongo drums have plastic heads. While the plastic head require less maintenance, they don't deliver quite the same rich, warm sound of the original heads.

It is important for your instrument to have a case or bags to store them because this helps prevent dents, scratches and broken heads. Never set anything on the drum to avoid spilling unwanted substances on or puncturing the heads. Always keep bongos from extreme hot or cold or moving them from one extreme to the other. Use 100 percent cotton rags when cleaning the drums to avoid scratching the coating or shell. Spray cleaning solution directly on rag not on drums. Take care when traveling with your instrument as dropping them may cause damage to the shell or the heads.