Spoken word performances allow poets to express their emotions in an artistic fashion. Using eloquent passages and poems, a spoken word piece can include musical instruments to enhance the performance. Although any instrument could be used for a spoken word piece, there are several instruments that are widely used in performances.
Conga
The conga drum is a tall single headed drum that is often played in pairs. Modern versions of the drum have a wooden or fiberglass shell and a drum head. The conga is played using the fingers and palms of the hand. Depending on how the drum is struck, the conga can make a variety of noises, including open, muffled, slap and deep bass notes. Using the screw-and-lug tension system, conga drums can be tuned to different notes to match with other harmonic instruments. Sonya Renee is a popular spoken word artists that utilizes conga drum percussion as a part of the full instrumentals that often accompany her spoken word pieces.
Bongo
Bongo drums are a pair of percussion drums that are attached to each other. The drums are much smaller than Conga drums, and can be held in a lap. The two drums are different in size. The smaller drum is called the female (or hembra), while the larger drum is called the male (macho). Due to its smaller size, the bongo drums produce higher pitched notes than the conga drums. Like the conga, the bongo drums are played by striking the head of the drum with the fingers and palms of the hand. John de Kadt is a multi-instrumentalist and spoken-word artist who regularly uses the bongo drums along with many other percussion instruments. He combines his spoken word piece with live bongo playing to further entertain the audience.
Double Bass
The double bass is the lowest pitched stringed instrument created. Although the double bass is typically used in orchestra music, it has also been used in other genres such as jazz, blues and rock. The double bass player (called the bassist) has to stand or hit on a high stool in order to play the rather large instrument. Outside of classical music, the double bass is played by plucking the strings with fingers (in pizzicato style). Alison Welles is a world-renowned jazz poet that received the Poets Society Award (in 1996) and the Jazz Award (in 1995). She uses the double bass as a part of full musical compositions that back her spoken word and poetry pieces.
Use in Spoken Word
In spoken word poetry, each of the instruments can be played in an improvisational style. Working in collaboration with the poet will allow the instrument player to understand how much musical accompaniment is desired. Bongo and conga drums can be played in a sporadic, loose manner with emphasis on the most emotional portions of the spoken word piece. The double bass can play a soft pattern in the background, or play an improvisational piece that accents the spoken word piece.
