Retuning a tongue drum - quick guide
Steel tongue drums are solid instruments that produce sounds through the vibrations inside them. Therefore, these drums belong to the idiophone family. In simple terms, you hit the metal sheet with milled tongues, which causes the drum to vibrate and produce different sounds depending on the tongue. But what if you want to retune the tongue drum ?
A great feature of steel tongue drums is that some of them come with an adjustable scale, allowing you to change the key and scale to suit your mood.
How to tune a steel tongue drum? - Adjustable tuning tongue drums use a simple magnet system. By moving the magnets on the tongues up or down, you can either raise or lower the pitch. This way, you can choose the key and tune to any scale you want to play.
It's different with other pre-tuned tongue drums that only have one scale, like the one you find at Sonodrum. So how can you retune this tongue drum ? Is it even necessary?
Find out everything about retuning tongue drums , how to tune each drum and how you can prevent a drum that was tuned before delivery from going out of tune over time. We are experts in the field and you will definitely find a lot of information in this article. Enjoy reading!
How often should you care for your tongue drum?
If you buy a handpan or tongue drum , you should also find a suitable "transportation" for it. A hard and soft shell bag - or a case - are suitable for this. As the name suggests, your instrument is better protected from impacts in a hard shell case than in a bag, especially when it comes to large handpans. For tongue drums, the carrying bag that is included in our sets is sufficient. You should consider how often you will transport your instrument and what "conditions" it will be exposed to.
Almost all handpans and tongue drums need to be cared for regularly to protect them from rust. Most manufacturers recommend handpan oil, coconut oil or even car wax. You are welcome to ask us individually which care product is best for your lotus drum . As a rule, you should rub the top and bottom of your instrument every 2-4 weeks with a care product and a microfiber cloth.
Step-by-step instructions to properly care for your handpan
Caring for a handpan or steel tongue drum is very simple, but requires consistent and regular attention. To prolong the life of the instrument, it should be wiped down immediately after each use (especially with the nitrided models). Cleaning products and microfiber cloths are available specifically for the care of these instruments (handpan, steel tongue drum, tongue drum, steel drums ) with which you can clean them and protect them from corrosion.
- Stainless steel handpan : A cleaning wax made from natural beeswax and organic rapeseed oil works wonders. It is advisable to wax your handpan regularly to obtain a thin protective layer and preserve the shine of the instrument. This way you can keep the handpan looking impeccable for many years.
- Stainless steel tongue drum : Made of stainless steel sheet, it does not show any signs of corrosion. Whether played by hand or with mallets, regular care is still important to avoid dirt build-up, maintain the shine and ensure good tactile contact. Use a microfiber cloth and a suitable oil to clean and maintain your Sonodrum monthly.
- Painted or Chrome-Plated Steel : Steel tongue drums usually have a painted or chrome-plated finish. They are made of mild steel, so they are more susceptible to corrosion. Special care must be taken to ensure that the paint or coating does not wear off over time. To keep these instruments in good condition, regular maintenance is important. Simply clean the drum with a slightly damp cloth, then dry it and polish it with another soft, clean cloth.
Tongue drum made of nitrided steel
Nitrided mild steel tongue drums are more susceptible to corrosion than other tongue drums. Regular care of this drum is essential to ensure long-lasting protection against rust and oxidation . Therefore, it must be treated regularly with a natural wax, oil or other suitable care product for this instrument. Find the appropriate handpan care and corrosion protection in a specialist shop.
Retuning the tongue drum may also be necessary more often than with a steel tongue drum made of alloyed steel with a high-quality coating, such as those found at Sonodrum.
Rust has formed, what can you do?
If your handpan starts to rust, don't panic! Rust will not affect the sound of the handpan unless it gets incredibly rusty (in which case you would have to leave it out by the sea for many years).
Depending on the manufacturer, material, treatment and where you live, you will need at least a soft, clean, dry cloth and perhaps some of the following:
- alcohol
- Sponge with scouring pad
- Polishing cloth for rust removal
- Care products/ protective oil
Step 1: Clean the tongue
As always, wipe down the handpan with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. Alcohol is optional – a generous amount on a cloth and a thorough cleaning of all surfaces, inside and out.
Step 2 (optional): Scrubbing the tongue
If you have a rust spot or a stubborn stain on the drum, wet the dark side of the sponge with a tiny splash of water and gently scrub the rust. Remember, this can also remove the surface coating of the tongue drum, so be careful and use the sponge wisely!
Step 3 (optional): Tongue drum rust removal
For slightly larger rust spots, the Wonder Cloth does exactly what it says - it works wonders! Rub the area very gently in a circular motion. This will remove the rust, but it will also remove the layer of oxidation on the pan. As the Wonder Cloth removes this layer, the drum may be left with a plain surface with no color where the cloth was used. However, it is important to remove the rust as it tends to spread once it has started.
Step 4: Clean the tongue again
Once you have completed either step 2 or 3 above, repeat step 1 to remove any residue.
Step 5 (optional): Protect the tongue drum
Sprinkle a few drops of organic oil or an oil specially developed for handpans onto your instrument and work it into all surfaces with a second soft cloth. Leave it to work for a few minutes.
Step 6: Wipe the tongue drum
If you use oil, wipe off the excess with a third dry, soft cloth and enjoy your almost new tongue drum like before!
Retuning a stainless steel tongue drum
In general, there are several ways to tune tongue drums . You can manually adjust the reeds using a thin instrument by bending them up and down. Some people even recommend warming the metal to affect the sound.
How is the sound field of a tongue drum tuned?
This way you can retune your tongue drum if it should ever be necessary or if you want a different pitch.
- Get a tuner
Do not attempt to tune the drum without a tuner, as it is almost impossible to get the frequency and pitch of each tongue correct if you do not have a reference. You can buy any chromatic tuner from a music store or simply download a tuning app for your smartphone. Some tuners even allow you to select a scale and tune any note within that scale without having to manually select the notes. However, the manual method is considered more accurate, as tongue drum tuning is not as standardized as guitars and violins, for example.
- Select frequency and scale
Did you know that frequencies can affect your body and even help you recover? But at the same time, they can also harm you! That's why precision and choosing the right frequency and scale are so important. You can either stick with the standard scale of your drum and focus on perfecting the notes, or try changing the entire scale and trying a new frequency.
- Votes with a "knife"
Some musicians suggest doing the tongue drum retuning with a knife or something similar. The idea is to hook the tongues through the notch to bend them up a little and bring the frequency back to the starting point. You have to be very careful and bend each tongue in small increments and then check the frequency after each bend with a tuner. This way you can also adjust the frequencies and achieve different pitches for each tongue. This way you can also adjust the frequencies and achieve different pitches for each tongue.
How much does it cost to tune a tongue drum?
If you would rather leave the tongue drum retuning to a professional, which is understandable if you are new to the field, then you have to expect to pay between 50 and 200 euros. This depends very much on the size of the drum and the degree or extent to which the tongue drum needs to be retuned .
Tips to consider before buying a tongue drum
Just like a piano or a guitar, all handpans need to be retuned sooner or later. The question is: how often does a handpan need to be retuned? That depends essentially on the "stress" the handpan is exposed to. The biggest stress is direct sunlight, but of course also how hard you play.
Tongue drums purchased from Sonodrum are already tuned. You don't have to worry about retuning the tongue drum . This often saves you time and unnecessary costs.
Tongue drums made of high-quality alloy steel with a high-quality coating (Sonodrum drums) generally do not need as much attention to prevent rust. While they are not completely rust-proof, they are extremely rust-resistant. There are also other different alloys of stainless steel, and some are more rust-resistant than others.
It is therefore important to pay particular attention to the appropriate scale and to choose a tongue drum that is easy to care for and does not rust quickly. Then you do not need to worry about retuning the tongue drum !
