Tongue Drum

Steel tongue drums are a tuned musical instrument that produce a stunning ringing tone when you strike the tongue with a mallet. They sound like a little gentle gong. The quality of the tone is dependent on the size of the drum and the type of steel that the tongue drum is made from. They make the perfect instrument for relaxation, music therapy, sound healing and also for musicians and beginners alike to play songs on.

Are tongue drums easy to play?

Absolutely. Depending on the tuning and the skill level of the person with the drum, most playing done on the tongue drum is just free play, hitting any notes you like to create a pleasing and relaxing tone to help you unwind and meditate. While it is possible to play many songs on a steel drum instrument, they are the perfect instrument for a beginner (child or adult) to play from day 1 with instant enjoyment.

If your steel drum of choice is tuned to the key of C Major, it most likely has numbers on each tongue and it's as simple as playing by numbers. Drums tuned in minor keys are usually used for meditation and free play and can be played instantly like these. There are a limited number of popular songs that can be played on the minor drums.

What's the difference between a tongue drum and a handpan drum?

While some people think the term tongue drum and handpan drum are interchangeable, they are a different instrument and they are played differently. They look similar, but they have a completely different sound.

A steel tongue drum has pieces cut out of the drum in the shape of a tongue. It's the size and shape of these tongues that determine the pitch of the note. The larger the tongue, the lower the pitch. By comparison, a handpan drum has nothing cut out, but a mallet is used to create indents at various sizes to create the pitch of each note.

While either instrument can be played with a mallet or the hands, for most instruments, the tongue drums give a better sound with a mallet and the handpan drums give a cleaner and purer sound when played with the fingers.

What size do your steel tongue drums come in?

We start off with a mini tongue drum that can be held in the palm of one hand and struck with a small mallet with the other hand. They are tuned to the pentatonic scale which simply means you can't hit a wrong note. Use them for free play or use your ear to learn how to play Amazing Grace and a few other well known tunes that only use the notes of the pentatonic scale.

For a budget friendly entry level steel tongue drum that can be held in one hand and played with the other, we have a 6 inch tongue drum in 2 different tunings. The pentatonic tongue drum in the 6 inch is for free play and instant fun. The 11 note 6 inch drum is tuned to the key of C Major and you can learn to play lots of different songs on it.

Step up to our 12 inch tongue drums made in 2 different grades of steel. Each of the 12 inch steel tongue drums are tuned the same, but they are laid out differently. The same music can be played on each of them, but with a difference in the quality of the tone. The weight and size of them makes them better suited to sit on your lap or on a surface to play.

What are your tongue drums made from?

When you buy a tongue drum from us, you will get to hear a recording of it that we made ourselves along with information on what type of steel your tongue drum is made from. We think the best steel tongue drum for you is the one you like the sound of the best. As a rule, the more expensive they are, the clearer and more mellow the tone.

The owner of our store is a professional musician and we have road tested and recorded each instrument so you know exactly what you're getting. We road tested and rejected multiple brands and cheap tongue drums either because the quality of the metal was poor, they were not tuned well or they just sounded too bright and harsh with too many overtones ringing to really hear the purity of the note you're playing.

What is the best tongue drum for beginners?

The learning curve is easy for all of these instruments. Buy the drum today that you want to play 12 months from now and spend the time learning. You can free play instantly with any of the drums, and they are a great musical instrument for people of all ages and skills.

What is the best tongue drum if you want to just hit one for the sounds for relaxation, meditation, entertainment?

If you have no intention of learning specific songs on the tongue drum, our mini drums or the 6 inch pentatonic drums are a great starting point. At the high end of the range, the 9 note premium drums in D Minor are heavenly.

What is the best steel tongue drum to learn songs?

Choose one that's tuned to the key of C Major. The pentatonic drums have notes missing from the major scale to allow everything to sound great, but the flip side is that you'll be missing notes for most songs you want to learn. We have C major drums in both the 6 inch and the 12 inch sizes.