A tongue drum is a percussion instrument suitable for beginners. It is also known as a steel tongue drum, steel tongue drum, tank drum or skein drum. This musical instrument consists of an oval hollow metal body. 7 to 10 tongues are cut out in a circle on the upper side of this sound body. This is where the instrument gets its name from.
Learning to play the tongue drum is easy
People of all ages can play this instrument. You don't need any previous (musical) experience. And you don't need to be able to read music to play the tongue drum. You can play melodies and harmonic rhythms on tongue drums. When you play with your fingers and hands, you have many possibilities to create sounds on the instrument. To find out more about tongue drums go to the website. Strike the tongues quickly and briefly with your fingers. Like testing if the instrument is hot like a cooker. This creates the typical meditative sound. For example, hitting the drum (lightly) with your fist creates a bass sound. And by tapping the finger bones, a percussive sound can be played. The possibilities are almost endless.
Differences in robustness
Tongue drums are more robust than handpans. This is best illustrated by the fact that the instruments do not need to be connected if used properly. Steel tongue drums are so strong that you can even play them with mallets. This is certainly not recommended for handpans. Despite careful handling, handpans can go out of tune. But this is not a big problem, as all good manufacturers offer an adjustment service for their handpans. Another difference in which steel tongue drums are less sensitive than handpans is "extreme" temperatures. The effects of heat and cold on a handpan are greater than on a tongue drum. There is therefore no risk of tongue drums going out of tune if they are heated by direct sunlight and then played.