What is a tongue drum - how it is made, how it works, what it sounds like

Maybe you have seen them before or someone has told you about them, but one thing is certain: tongue drums, also called steel tongue drums and hand drums , are causing a sensation.

That's why we thought we'd write an article about it, because a lot of people have asked us " What is a tongue drum ? " or mentioned it in one way or another. Everyone wants to know what it is, where it comes from and why it has become so popular.

So if you want to enter the exciting “world of the snare drum”, you shouldn’t miss this article.

We have compiled a lot of information for you that will help you find the best drum for you or for the person you want to buy it for.

To get straight to the point – tongue drums are percussion instruments , usually made of steel. They have become increasingly popular since their invention in the late 2000s because they are easy to play, produce relaxing sounds, are portable and have a unique UFO-like appearance. In other versions, the tongue drum is also made of wood. These tongue drums then resemble elongated boxes.

They are all easy to play and can be used in a variety of settings, such as a music therapy practice, during a yoga class, in a meditation session, or in a classroom.

Learning to play the tongue drum is very easy. We would like to convince you and show you how enchanting a tongue drum can sound. Here you can find the Sonodrum steel tongue drums. What is a tongue drum? Find out why it is so special and easy to use and why you should really enjoy the unique sound of the steel drum. Have fun!

What is a tongue drum

What is a tongue drum , you finally want to know , don't you think? We are talking about steel tongue drums, hank drums or tank drums. They are percussion instruments of different sizes made of metal, especially steel, which, when struck on the points/tongues cut out on their surface, emit different, interconnected tones with a harmonious, long-lasting sound that makes it possible to create enveloping and very relaxing atmospheres.

The official definition of these instruments is: A round instrument with milled tongues on the surface, made of steel, originally made from propane gas bottles.

A steel tongue drum can be made from an empty propane tank (often 10 l). The tank is turned over, the bottom cut - seven to ten tongues are cut radially into the bottom of the tank and form the upper part of the instrument. The steel tongue drum can also be made from new, unused tank bottoms. With us you will find drums made of alloyed, very high-quality steel that does not rust and has a scratch-resistant coating.

The steel tongue drum is often tuned to pentatonic scales, but can also be tuned to the diatonic scale, the chromatic scale, or any other sequence of notes chosen by the manufacturer. The instrument is played with fingers or mallets. The sound is bell-like.

Origin and history of the tongue drum

The earliest versions of what can be described in the broadest sense as a lotus drum were hollowed-out tree trunks and bamboo tubes that produced various sounds when struck by hand. Such instruments were widespread among various indigenous peoples in Africa and the South Pacific region.

They were originally used to transmit messages and were used in religious and ritual ceremonies. Later, wooden tongue drums were used for entertainment as a timekeeper and to accompany dancers.

Since the tongues were made by sawing slits, these instruments were also known as slit drums.

The modern steel tongue drum can be seen as the latest development of a whole series of percussion instruments.

The structure of this instrument essentially consists of two half shells made of sheet steel glued together, which together form a hollow sound body. Hammered depressions are incorporated into the upper half shell, which form the sound fields. These are usually struck with the hand when playing, whereby a variety of sounds can be produced by using the fingers, thumb, palm and wrist.

Various variations of the instrument, which have appeared in the portfolio of other manufacturers over the years, are usually summarized under the general term handpan.

A combination of the properties of the hand and the slit drum gave rise to the Tambiro, an invention of the Dominican musician and instrument designer Fellé Vega.

This instrument is made of metal and is based on an empty helium tank that Vega modified accordingly.

In contrast to the Hand, the sounds are not produced by means of sound fields, but by striking tongues that Vega had cut into the side of the tank.

Inspired by instruments such as the hand and the tambiro, the American Dennis Havlena created his own percussion instrument in 2007.

He chose as his base an empty 20-pound propane tank , such as those found in many households in the United States.

Havlena adopted the round shape and the circular arrangement of the tone fields from Hand, but transformed the latter into sawn-out tongues similar to those of the Tambiro.

Havlena aptly chose the name Propane Tank Drum for his instrument; later, the combination of hand and tank gave rise to the name Hank Drum.

After the publication of construction instructions, people all over the world were able to recreate Havlena's invention.

The increasing demand eventually led to the commercial production of the steel tongue drum , also called tongue drum . Today, no gas tank is used anymore, but rather a specially manufactured sound body, which makes it possible to optimize the musical properties of the instrument.

When was the first tongue drum built?

This definition and description above is correct, but we should dig a little deeper into the history and origins of the instrument, as this can cause confusion and make people think that it is a recently invented instrument, like the handpan .

And while it is true that the shape and scales we find today were inspired by the birth of the handpan at the beginning of the century, the concept is probably one of the oldest when it comes to musical instruments.

It is known that these types of basic instruments , made from logs and empty natural objects that could be struck to produce different sounds, are the precursors of the African idiophone instruments that were made there thousands of years ago.

What is new is the name and the way in which the steel tongue drum has developed .

Since this term has been applied to metal, especially since the advent of objects such as gas cylinders, it has become very widespread in our industrialized societies.

The tongue drum (tank drum, hank drum) as we know it today was developed in 2007 by Dennis Havlena, a home instrument maker from the USA.

He was inspired by the idea previously developed by Jim Doble, the Whale Drum .

It involves the use of a gas canister like those used in hot dog stands, huge canisters that produce very low frequencies by cutting off some tabs on the top, hence the name whale drum.

Since then, this instrument has undergone a fascinating development in a very short period of time.

The relatively simple construction and tuning of handpans has inspired many people to start building their own handpans, resulting in an impressive variety of shapes and designs.

Making a tongue drum

Today's wooden tongue drums usually consist of a hollow box in the shape of a cuboid .

The slots are then sawn out in the cover plate, the remaining webs of which form the tongues to be attached.

Making a steel tongue drum is a little more complicated.

These instruments are formed from alloyed sheet steel, which is often done by hand and requires a certain amount of craftsmanship.

The two half shells that form the upper and lower halves of the tongue drum are first formed from appropriately cut pieces of sheet metal. The tongues are then cut out of the upper half shell, with modern laser cutting systems enabling high precision and speed in this production step.

The two half shells are finally welded together and the weld seam is ground and polished for a flawless surface.

If the manufacturer places value on the high quality of their tongue drum, the material is subjected to heat treatment in an additional process step in order to give the steel the desired properties or to optimize them. In general, the steel tongue drum is a very robust instrument.

Last but not least, it is given a scratch- and wear-resistant surface coating, which on the one hand increases the durability of the material and on the other hand is also used to give the instrument an attractive design.

The tuning of the individual reeds is often done by hand so that each reed produces exactly the right tone and the overall sound of the instrument appears harmonious and coherent.

Classification in the systematic classification of musical instruments

The musical instruments commonly used in modern times can be divided into different categories based on the way they are played and the way they produce sound.

In terms of the way it is played , the tongue drum is classified as a percussion instrument, also called percussion.

Other categories in this classification are keyboard instruments, which include the piano, wind instruments such as the trumpet, and string instruments such as the violin and cello.

These are also called self-sounding or self-ringing instruments because they either vibrate as a whole or, as in the case of the tongue drum, contain vibrating parts (the tongues) which are made from the main material of the instrument.

In contrast to this, there are instruments where the sound is produced by vibrating strings or membranes . Thus, the violin with its strings is a chordophone and the timpani with its membrane is a membranophone.

Within the idiophones, further classification is made by subgroups.

In the case of the shaking idiophones, several moving parts are struck together by shaking, like a shaker or a rattle, while the counter-strike idiophones produce their sound by striking two sounding parts together ( for example, wooden or sound bars). In addition, there are three groups of plucked, scraped and friction idiophones.

The tongue drum, on the other hand, belongs to the percussion idiophones.

Other instruments in this group and thus direct relatives of the tongue drum are the triangle, the gong, the bell, the vibraphone, the mallet drum as well as the already mentioned hand and slit drum.

The drum has a similar structure to the tongue drum, which also has cut-out tongues, but is not made of sheet metal, but of solid cast iron.

Structure, function and different ways of playing the tongue drum

An essential component for the functioning of the tongue drum is the round cavity inside the sound body.

This focuses and amplifies the sounds that are created by the vibrations of the tongues. The number of tongues that are cut into the upper half-shell depends on the size of the instrument. A functional feature of the tongues is the fact that they are only connected to the sound body on one side and can therefore vibrate freely.

Each tongue is tuned to a defined note that sounds when struck and combines with the notes of the other tongues to create a harmonious overall sound.

Most tongue drums have an opening on the bottom, rarely on the top.

Without such an opening, the sound of the instrument would be much quieter and rather dull. There are also usually three small feet mounted on the underside to ensure that the instrument stands securely.

This makes it possible to play the tongue drum on the floor or on a table; however, it can also be held on the thighs while sitting. Two other variations arise from playing with mallets or with the hand.

A big advantage of the tongue drum is that it is easy to use, requires neither special talent nor years of practice, and it is almost impossible to do anything wrong.

Almost anyone who holds the instrument for the first time can immediately produce the relaxing sounds. This feature also makes the tongue drum very suitable for children .

If you want to learn more about how to improve your playing, we recommend our article " Learning to play the tongue drum ".

Pitch, range, tuning and sound characteristics of the tongue drum

The size of the individual tongues is crucial for the pitch, and can be changed by adjusting the length of the tongue . Since the longer the tongue, the deeper the tone becomes, it is easy to intone a tone even lower afterwards.

To do this, the length of the slots on both sides of the tongue is increased by further sawing. Raising a note, however, is much more difficult because the slots would have to be shortened. This is possible by welding the material, but it may lead to a change in the sound of the tongue drum.

Different shades of sound can also be created by the shape of the tongues , which can vary from pointed to round or with notches.

With a high-quality tongue drum, the individual tones can be heard clearly and cleanly without any unpleasant interference frequencies.

The sound is perceived as very melodic and meditative and has a relaxing and calming effect on most people.

Well-coordinated reeds on an instrument ensure that a harmonious overall sound is always produced. This can also be varied by the way you play it: when you hit it with your fingers, the sound is perceived to be a little warmer, while the mallets produce more static and slightly louder tones.

Another factor that affects the sound characteristics of a tongue drum is its tuning in major or minor.

A major tuning produces a bright, clear sound , while a minor tuning is darker, softer and a little melancholic. Another alternative is the pentatonic tuning, which is more commonly used with wooden tongue drums. Their tones do not resonate as long as with steel tongue drums and the sound is described as earthy, primal and shamanic.

Depending on the size and the space available on the upper half-shell, steel tongue drums are usually made with seven to fifteen tongues. From small and light tongue drums that can easily be carried in hand luggage to large premium tongue drums, there is something for every requirement.

Use and application of the tongue drum

Tongue drums made of steel and wood are used in many bands and orchestras, where they are seen as a supplement to percussion. In addition, these instruments are also suitable for use in music therapy and early musical education .

However, the tongue drum is probably most widely used for meditation, relaxation and wellness.

The spherical sounds can help you manage stress and are ideal for letting your thoughts flow and freeing yourself from the constraints of everyday life. You can find more information about relaxation and meditation with the tongue drum in our more detailed article.

Further questions about the tongue drum and shipping are answered on our FAQ page ; if you would like to know what customers say about our products, please take a look at our customer reviews .

The tongue drum has many advantages, such as

• easy transport, which is even better in this respect since there are even mini models.
• The pleasant sound that allows you to enjoy very atmospheric and emotional musical experiences.
• The great pleasure of being able to enjoy music, regardless of whether you have knowledge of music theory or not, because playing the tongue drum can be learned quickly.
• The opportunity to play with other people…
• And all this at a very good price-performance ratio!

Material and types of tongue drum

There are many more or less exotic models on offer, but recently there have also been multi-range models on the market that allow the tongue drum to be tuned in different ways, which, let's face it, is a great way to vary the pleasure without spending a fortune!

We also find electro-acoustic models that allow you to connect the tongue drum to an amplifier or a card and thus enjoy an infinite number of special effects to increase your creativity and easily make recordings or play in groups and be sure to be heard!

The tongues can be customized by the manufacturer by varying the length of the cuts or by adding weights, often neodymium magnets, to the tongues.

Not to forget the hand drum (although this page is not dedicated to it!), a sort of “big sister” of the tongue drum, which has no tongue but whose surface is hammered to obtain those complicated and captivating sounds.

However, there are also notable differences. The construction itself is different, and the fact that the tongues are tapped into the metal rather than milled makes the Hank Drum a very different instrument.

Also, the overall volume is remarkably low compared to the handpan, making it difficult to hear in environments such as the street or among other unamplified instruments, but it makes it very attractive to play at home without fear of interference.

3 popular tongue drums

One characteristic of tongue drums is their pitch or frequency. Standard pitches include 432 Hz, 440 Hz and 444 Hz . If you are looking for calming or grounding tones, the lowest frequency, 432 Hz, is the best. 440 Hz reflects a standard tuning for musicians and therefore this is the best choice if you are going to play your drum with other instruments. Finally, 444 Hz is the highest pitch. This pitch is uplifting and useful for releasing tension.

According to a survey by Fitforhobby, Sonodrum is the company that sells the most popular tongue drums in Germany. These include the standard version, the premium version and the smallest of the drums because of its portability. Sonodrum.com is the test winner in terms of popularity.

Tongue drum – with a gentle sound for relaxation

To create a certain feeling or ambience, you have to consider what scale you are playing.

The instruments/tongue drums are available in the following common scales:

• diatonic,
• pentatonic,
• chromatic,
• C major
• E minor
• or D major.

The most commonly purchased scales are C and D major, which you will also find at Sonodrum. There are some general rules for judging scales:

1. Minor or sharp scales, on the other hand, are considered darker, sadder or more thoughtful.
2. Major scales are generally considered happy and upbeat. A C major scale, for example, is very happy.
3. A C sharp scale, for example, is considered very melancholic.

Tongue drums are equally suitable for young and old

As already mentioned, it is very easy to use the tongue drum. You do not need any previous musical knowledge or a particular talent. Therefore, the tongue drum is suitable for everyone - beginners, semi-professionals, professionals, young and old. Even small children can produce wonderful sounds on the instrument and older people can overcome their loneliness or stress with the relaxing sounds.

If you need advice in finding your tongue drum, do not hesitate to contact us without obligation and we will help you find out what you need.

What is a tongue drum? We hope we have finally answered the question and whetted your appetite for a tongue drum – give it a try and you won't be disappointed!