Collection: Hand drum

Learning a musical instrument has many benefits - it can improve your memory, boost your confidence or expand your social circle. But which musical instrument can you start with if you have no previous knowledge of music theory? How about a hand drum , a handpan, a tongue drum or a kalimba? Are there differences between these instruments or are they perhaps the same? It will be interesting!

Einstein once said, "I cannot imagine life without making music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music... I get most of the joy in life from music." And as it turns out, Einstein was right again: many studies show a link between musical training and academic success, both in children and adults. Learning or playing an instrument stimulates the brain and improves functions such as memory and abstract thinking, which are essential for math and science.

Music brings calmness . It has a unique effect on our emotions and has even been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure. Slow classical music is often the most soothing. Listening to music can have a hugely relaxing effect on our mind and body, especially slow, calm and meditative music. This type of music can have a positive effect on our physiological functions by slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure and reducing the levels of stress hormones. Be it a handpan, a tongue drum or a kalimba , you can achieve an instant decrease in your stress levels by playing these instruments.

Today we will tell you what a hand drum is, what benefits it has and how to play it. Have fun!

What is a hand drum

Hand drums are one of a long list of percussion instruments. They are simple drums played with the hand rather than with a stick or mallet. Hand drums are represented by many types of instruments, from bongos and congas to tambourines and tablas. They form the backbone of many worldwide musical sounds, predominantly African, Indian and Latin American music. They consist, like all drums, of a skin stretched over a hollow shell. Hand drums are usually cylindrical in shape and may have skins covered on one or both sides. Perhaps the most well-known hand drum is the tambourine. It is simply a hand drum with jingles .

Hand drums can be played in a variety of styles, at a variety of tempos and with a variety of melodies. They can be played by one person or several people while sitting or standing. A hand drum set can consist of up to a dozen drums and resemble a standard standing drum kit used in rock and roll music . Many hand drum instruments come in sets of different sizes and pitches, such as the congas and tamblas.

The handpan also belongs to the category of hand drums . A hand drum instrument is, like the drum kit, a very rhythmic instrument.

Like the tambourine ( hand drum with jingles ), many other hand drums are made of wood. The most common drum skins in history were made from stretched animal hides and can still be seen on authentic hand drums today. More recently, the skins have also been made from polyester and plastic. The drum shells are often made from durable woods such as oak or ash. They are among the oldest instruments in the world and have their origins in the cradle of civilization: the Middle East. In ancient times they flourished in India, reached the Roman Empire and became an important resonator in many Islamic cultures.

The daf, the tar, the tonbak and the doumbek are among the most important oriental hand drums from the early days. In the 21st century, tablas still play a central role in Indian music, and much of the most popular Latin American dance music - salsa, merengue and Latin jazz - owes its success to the hand drum . Handpan is the common name for a new generation of musical instruments that belong to the steelpan family and are played with the hand. You can order them fromSonodrum .

Buying a hand drum - what should you pay attention to?

Playing hand drum instruments with your hands is an exciting thing. Unlike other drums that are played with drumsticks, it is an active, full-body experience. If you want to buy your own hand drum but aren't sure what to look for, here are the best tips for choosing a hand drum instrument , such as the hand drum with jingles or even a handpan:

materials

• An important tip for choosing a hand drum is the material. The skin can be specifically suited to different needs. Some drums are designed for players with smaller, more sensitive hands, while others are suitable for a variety of hand types. When choosing the material, you should decide between natural and synthetic skins. Natural materials such as rawhide or cowhide are beautiful to look at and produce warmer, richer, and more authentic tones. However, they are susceptible to environmental and climate changes and may be less suitable for people who plan to play their hand drums exclusively outdoors. Synthetic materials are less dependent on weather and temperature, but produce sharper, less natural sounds.

Condition

• You should also check the condition of the sound box and the head . If either is in poor condition, it can affect the appearance, overall longevity, and sound of the instrument. Look for noticeable cracks on the drum body. Dents and cracks - even if they look unsightly - usually do not affect the sound of the drum. You may see color changes on the handpan that have nothing to do with the sound! Also, check the dryness of the batter head. If it is completely dry, tuning will be difficult, if not impossible. Check the surface of the head for any indentations or bends to make sure it is perfectly even.

Suitability for your personal needs

• In addition to the look and construction of the hand drum, you should make sure that the instrument actually meets your personal expectations. Drums that are housed or played outdoors need to be sturdier and made of durable materials. With an indoor hand drum, you can be less picky, as most materials can withstand indoor conditions well. If you plan on moving your hand drum from one place to another frequently, you should buy a hand drum that is lightweight and easy to transport. A tongue drum is simply ideal in this case. Here at Sonodrum, we sell a wide range of authentic, masterfully handcrafted drums.

The right sound

• Last but not least, the ideal sound is important and depends largely on personal preference. To find the right type of drum for your needs, consider the size, shape and material of the instrument. Each of these characteristics can have a significant impact on the sound of the instrument. If you have the opportunity, try out the drum or watch/listen to videos before buying. Evaluate the sound and feel when playing.

Hand drum test - how good is our hand drum

A look at the reviews of the kalimba, tongue drum and handpan instruments in our Sonodrum shop is enough to check the quality and the test that Sonodrum has clearly passed in Germany. Julia E., for example, wrote: "A great instrument. I wasn't expecting that at all. I already have a Sonodrum tongue drum, but the Sonodrum Kalimba is also really great and very easy to play."

Since you are playing hand drum instruments that are handmade from high-quality materials, they will last you a long time!

Differences between a hand drum and a tongue drum

Let’s now look at some aspects of the hand drum/handpan and the tongue drum:

Steel tongue drums

Steel tongue drums are generally smaller but heavier than hand drums. They are made of thick steel and have a much longer reverberation than, for example, a handpan. They have a meditative sound but are less suitable for fast, percussive playing.

• Disadvantages compared to the hand drum

• Heavier in weight
• Less noisy
• The variety of tones is less

Steel hand drum (handpan)

Hand drums can be played much louder than tongue drums. Handpans have a magical appeal for many people that captivates them. That is why they are particularly popular for combating stress. The sound of the hand drum makes you forget your surroundings and all your worries.

• Disadvantages compared to the tongue drum
• Sensitive, can easily go out of tune
• More expensive than tongue drums
• Sensitive to heat (sun!)
• They need to be retuned approximately every 1 to 6 years
• Handpans that are not made of stainless steel can rust.

Advantages of the hand drum

Drumming is a great workout for your brain and can actually make you smarter because you're reaching your entire brain when you drum. Research shows that physically transmitting rhythmic energy to the brain synchronizes the left and right hemispheres of the brain. So when the logical left hemisphere and the intuitive right hemisphere of your brain start pulsing together, your inner guidance system - or intuition - becomes stronger.

Drumming can have a positive effect on health and help with many illnesses: fatigue, stress and anxiety, and can help against asthma, high blood pressure, chronic pain, mental illness, arthritis, addiction and even cancer.

Below are some advantages of the hand drum:

• Leads to deep relaxation → In one study, blood samples from participants who took part in a one-hour drumming session showed a reduction in stress hormones.
• Makes you happy → Join a drum circle or take a cardio drumming class and you'll see how happy it makes you. Drumming releases enkephalins, endorphins and alpha waves in the brain, which are associated with general well-being and positive energy.
• It releases negative feelings → The act of drumming can be a form of self-expression. You can literally drum out your feelings. Negative emotions, when held in the body, can create energy blockages. The physical stimulation of the drum beat can help to release these blockages.
• Helps Control Chronic Pain → Drumming can certainly serve as a distraction from pain. It also promotes the production of endorphins and opiates, the body's morphine-like painkillers.
• Put yourself in the present moment → When you drum, you align your awareness with the flow of life. When you flow with the rhythm of life, you cannot be trapped in your past or worry about your future.

Product tips hand drum:

Types of Handpans and Hand Drums: The handpan is a musical instrument made of two metal half-shells glued together to form a resonating cavity. All handpans are made by shaping an uncut sheet of steel and then adjusting the internal tensions of individual areas of the sheet to make them vibrate in a similar way to the skin of a drum.

1. Tongue drum - a hollow container with tongue-shaped notches cut into it. When the tongues are struck with a mallet, they produce a bell-like sound. Tongue drums, also called tank or hank drums, are typically made of steel, although their predecessors were also made of wood. Although many tongue drum makers refer to their instruments as both handpans and hank drums, they are actually neither. There are no handpans in which the steel is cut into tongues. Although both handpans and tongue drums are made of steel in a bowl-like shape and sometimes have similar note layouts, they have little else in common.
   
   
   
2. Electric handpan - an electronic percussion instrument designed to imitate the sounds produced by handpans. Electric handpans are not actually handpans, but electronic programs that allow the user to experiment and practice with pre-recorded sound combinations and scales.
   
   
3. Kalimba - this is an instrument from Black Africa. Like the tongue drum, the glockenspiel, the xylophone and the vibraphone, the kalimba belongs to the group of idiophones (devices whose sounds are created by the material of the instrument).

The kalimba was originally used in folk music and had bamboo sticks, which were later replaced by metal sticks. Today, this instrument can be found in a wide variety of applications. It is not only used in "conventional music", but is also used in music therapy and early childhood music education. Due to its specific sound, it is also often used in popular music.

How do you play a hand drum?

A hand drum instrument can be played lightly with the fingers, quickly with a "thumb throw," loudly with a clap of the palm or fist, or in a variety of ways using a combination of fingers, palms, knuckles, and wrists. As with a regular drum kit, the ability to produce beats depends on the size and timbre of the drum, the drummer, and the way the drum skins are struck.

Sonodrum hand drum, soothing sounds - easy to play

Another important piece of information you should know about hand drums: There are two ways to count the notes on a handpan or tongue drum. One counts the “ding” (the central note), the other does not. So it is either 8 notes or 7 + 1 (“+ 1” stands for the “ding”).

In general, the more notes a tongue drum, handpan or kalimba has, the more likely you are to make mistakes. With many notes, there is an increased risk of

• that the mood is not perfect,
• that the highest notes do not have much resonance,
• that not all notes have the same fullness, or
• that there is interference (crosstalk) between the notes.

The more tones there are, the more settings and parameters you have to master.

If you want to focus on the quality of the sound and the overall balance of your handpan, tongue drum and kalimba, you should also be aware of the disadvantages. The fewer notes there are to play, the fewer the harmonic possibilities. For example, your options when writing compositions are limited. You might get the feeling that you are playing more or less the same thing and you are going in circles, so you get bored with the scale more quickly. In any case, you will always hear calming, meditative sounds, no matter how many notes your hand drum has.

Conclusion Hand drum

Hand drums have been around for thousands of years and are not going anywhere anytime soon. They are fun to play, encourage creativity and support social participation.

In addition, playing the hand drum is not tied to a specific age. Adults and children can enhance their lives through drumming. How? Drumming is associated with numerous health benefits, as we explained in detail in the article.

Weigh up the pros and cons and look for the right balance between price and quality for you. This applies to all hand drums and especially to the tongue drum and the handpan. Listen to various videos on YouTube so that you can choose the instrument that has the best sound according to your taste.

Our personal opinion on tongue drums: For a first purchase, we recommend an instrument with at least 8 tones (7 tongues) and a maximum of 10 tongues, because in our opinion these instruments offer the best balance between possible uses and sound quality.

Luckily, you can't play any wrong notes on the hand drum , so just start playing!

Hand Drum FAQs

What else do you call a hand drum?

Before you buy any hand drum, you should consider which drum is right for you. Some of the most common hand drums are tambourines (hand drums with jingles), djembes, congas and bongos. Newer hand drums are sold under the names tongue drum, handpan and kalimba.

What does a hand drum look like?

In the Western musical tradition, the most common form is a cylinder drum, although bowl-shaped shells are also used, for example for timpani. Other types include frame (tar, bodhrán), truncated cone (bongo drums, ashiko), goblet (“djembe”) and composite truncated cone (talking drum).

How much does a hand drum cost?

That depends a lot on which hand drum you want to buy. There are tambourines that cost less than €10 and handpans that cost over €3,000.

How do you play a hand drum?

In most cases, the hand drum is struck with the hand, fingers or the palm of the hand. You can also use various mallets with rubber or foam heads.

What hand drums are there?

There are about 100 different hand drums. Here are some of the most popular:

1. bongos,
2. Conga
3. Drum
4. Hank
5. Tongue drum
6. Tambourine
7. Handpan
8. Lollipop Drum
9. Kalimba
10. Taiko

How do you hold a hand drum?

This depends a lot on the size of the hand drum. Usually you hold it in your hand, in your lap, or it is attached to a special structure and you play it while standing.