Level 2 · The martillo

the heel–tip motion and the basic bongó pattern

The martillo is to the bongó what the basic stroke is to the uke — the steady engine everything else sits on.

What you learn

• The heel–tip (manoteo) rocking motion of one hand.
• The martillo (‘little hammer’) — the fundamental steady bongó pattern in son.
• Keeping the martillo even and relaxed at a danceable tempo.
• Placing the accent on the open tone of the hembra.
• Holding the pattern under a simple beat or recording.

Grounded in: established Afro-Cuban bongó technique — for the strokes, the martillo, and ensemble role (most modern bongó methods remain in copyright).

Note: a method-grounded technique curriculum (no score corpus for this instrument); levels are graded skills, not pieces.