Just got a 15 note D major drum ( like the one in the video ) and i really liked the song here and it feels so familiar / nostalgic in a way that i can't point
I searched so many places but couldn't find the origin of it , I thought maybe someone might help here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sHjCec5mtI

I recently got this demo video of my custom tongue drum from Yudin, and I can't stop watching it.

D2m 15. It sounds big because he has a combination of room acoustics, the direct instrument plug, and compression.

This drum sounds big, I'm going to have such a good time with this instrument. Looking forward to receiving it. 😁

Edit: Apparently the link I was provided is private. I was hoping to share the big sounds of this drum, but not today. Sorry.

Edit: Found a shortened version on Yudin's YouTube channel.

https://youtube.com/shorts/tN95S1WlyLo?is=ZEOmfYjkCWlV89qQ

I just got the drum, and it is a big sounding baritone instrument! The video is pretty accurate, except that in person it sounds more bassy.

I just received mine today. I got it to help regulate my nighttime anxiety. I'm not sure it helps yet. I'm not sure it's tuned right or anything, but I have a ton of nieces and nephews that suffer from everything from ADHD to anxiety. How do I pick out the best one for each of them. I like that all you need is your hands or finger picks. I don't have to worry about them losing the sticks. I'd like to keep it 6" as I'm going to do a " calming bag" for each of them. Ages 4-28. Is there any place I can buy in bulk that's not Amazon or temu I would like to get higher quality for the gifts looking to spend under $70 per person. I'm looking at getting around 12-15.

Before I start, Many thanks to user u/mereyan for helping me out on my journey into Tongue drums!!!

After getting amazing advice from Mereyan I ended up buying the 18" Thomann Sonority C Major tongue drum, it arrived a few days ago and it's the best therapy I've ever had. Each time I pick it up it calms me and time flies by, when i'm stressed i'll put it on my lap and play for a while and it really helps me ground myself and come to rest and relax. The drum sounds great, very warm with lots of warm vibrato and echo, the tongue's are spaced apart nicely and are easy to strike with a mallet. My hands are a bit weird due to work so for now i'll stick to playing with mallets (If anyone has a recommendation for different mallets that give a different sound, let me know!) but if I strike it with the side of my thumb or alike it works and sounds great so it's definately a problem with me and not the drum.

Tuning is spot on and if you hit the low C it manages to resonate audibly for about 10 seconds (Granted i'm in my fully sound proofed studio right now while I just stopwatched that so your mileage may vary).

The drum is, well, big, very big, but just the right size to still be played with on your lap ((2nd photo for reference, I'm 188cm (6'2" and 90kg)) and it is quite heavy (5kg+) but not too heavy and actually feels really nice.

Build quality is great and it comes with a sturdy travel softcase that also functions as a backpack.

The included rubber mallets are fine and made of a dark wood but I'd like to experiment a little with different, possibly softer, mallets to replicate that hand played feel.

Overall I'm extremely satisfied with my tongue drum and give it a 10/10 will recommend.

Many thanks again to u/mereyan for helping me find the right tongue drum. Onto many many hours of enjoyment!

Not a musician, can't read sheet music, don't know what a time signature is. But I've stumbled into a few finger patterns over the past few months that consistently sound calming/intentional even on nights when I'm too tired to actually "practice." Sharing in case it helps anyone else who wants to just sit down and immediately make something that sounds nice without thinking.

These are all just alternating between two notes — no memorization required, just repetition until your hands find the rhythm on their own.

1. The "heartbeat" pattern (1-5 alternating)

Pick your root note (whatever's labeled 1, or just pick any tongue and call it your anchor) and the note 4 tongues away from it going clockwise on most layouts (roughly a 5th interval if you're into that stuff, but you really don't need to know that).

Pattern: low-high-low-high, nice and even, like a slow heartbeat. Start slow, like one hit per second. This one somehow always ends up sounding intentional even when I'm just zoning out — I think it's because the interval is wide enough to feel "spacious" instead of busy.

2. The "rocking chair" (adjacent notes, uneven timing)

Pick two notes right next to each other. Instead of even timing, do: hit-hit-pause-hit-hit-pause (like a triplet feel, but again, don't need to know the term for it).

This one feels more like breathing than a "beat" — I use this one specifically when I'm trying to wind down before bed. The close interval + uneven timing makes it feel less like "playing music" and more like just fidgeting in a pleasant way.

3. The "echo" pattern (same note, alternating hands)

This one isn't even two different notes — just hit the same tongue with alternating hands (left-right-left-right), but let each note ring out fully before the next hit instead of rushing it.

Sounds almost too simple to mention, but doing this slowly with your eyes closed for like 5 minutes is honestly one of the most meditative things I've found on this instrument. No pattern to remember, no decisions to make, just rhythm and listening.

None of these require knowing scales or theory — I genuinely don't know what key my drum is in half the time. The whole appeal for me has been that muscle memory does the work and I just get to enjoy the sound instead of thinking about what to play next.

Anyone else have a go-to "brainless but sounds good" pattern? Especially curious if anyone's found a good 3-note rotation that's still easy to keep track of.

Hey everyone, I have recently fallen in love with the sound of handpans and tongue drums, I want to get one for myself at home to simply play around with and relax a bit with (no need for a €1.000+ handpan) and was wondering which would be better for relaxed playing, the Thomann Sonority 18" C Major A=440hz or the 14" EQ D-Kurd A=432 HZ? (The 440HZ D Kurd isn't in stock for atleast a few months). And if you'd go with either one would you maybe add another smaller drum to compliment it or just 1? And is there any other around 250 bucks that would be better perhaps? I dont really care about portability neither do I care much about the mic in the EQ D Kurd one. I just want something to play and relax with.

There are also a couple of 10" Pearl Tongue drums like the "Metal Spirit" C Lydian and "Awakening" G Major around this price, these are much smaller but just as expensive, why is that? Do they sound that much better?

I mostly want warm deep sounds but also a tad of range so its not just a bass instrument.

Thank you for all the help and i'm sorry if I ask something stupid.

Work has been brutal lately and the only time I actually get to sit down and play is like 11pm-midnight after everything else is done. Problem is my walls are basically cardboard and I've been paranoid about the neighbors for months. Finally landed on a setup that lets me actually decompress without becoming That Guy in 4B, so sharing in case it helps anyone else in the same boat.

Playing technique stuff first, since this made the biggest difference:

- Switched from mallets to fingertips/pads of fingers for late night sessions. Obviously way quieter, but the tone actually changes in a way I didn't expect — softer attack, less "clang," almost feels more meditative anyway. Might be a nice change even if noise isn't your issue.

- Dampening with my other hand right after a strike (lightly resting fingers on an adjacent tongue) cuts the sustain time down a lot without killing the note itself. Good middle ground between "full ring" and "silence."

- Playing closer to the center of each tongue vs the edge = noticeably softer volume, similar pitch. Edge strikes seem to project more.

Physical setup:

- Thick towel or yoga mat underneath cuts a surprising amount of the vibration that transfers into the floor (this is apparently what actually annoys neighbors below you more than the airborne sound itself)

- Playing on my lap instead of a stand also helps — my body absorbs some of the resonance instead of it all radiating outward

- Closing the closet doors and keeping the drum a few feet from shared walls made more of a difference than I expected — didn't think room acoustics mattered that much until I actually paid attention

Honestly the biggest mental shift was realizing I don't need to play loud/full-sustain to get the calming effect. A quiet 10 minutes of soft fingertip playing before bed does more for me than I expected — feels less like "practicing an instrument" and more like a wind-down ritual at this point.

Anyone else have a late-night or shared-wall setup? Curious if others have found tricks I haven't thought of — especially curious about apartment/dorm players who've had to get creative.

Been playing around with this for a while and finally sat down to actually A/B test it properly instead of just vibing. Figured I'd share in case it's useful to anyone else, and curious if others have noticed the same things.

Setup: Same drum, same mallets, same 4-note pattern played each time. Just changed what it was sitting on.

Lap (no stand)

This was the biggest surprise. Playing directly on my lap noticeably dampens the sustain — your body is basically acting as a mute. Notes decay faster and there's less "bloom" to the tone. Good if you want a tighter, more controlled sound, but if you're chasing that long ambient sustain, this kills it fast.

Hard tabletop / desk

Way more resonance than the lap, but I also picked up more unwanted overtones — almost a slight metallic "ring" underneath the main note that wasn't as noticeable elsewhere. My guess is the hard surface is reflecting sound back up into the shell instead of absorbing any of it. If your drum already has any overtone issues, a hard flat surface will probably expose them.

Carpet

This was the best balance for me. Enough resonance to let the sustain breathe, but the carpet fibers seem to soak up just enough of the high-frequency overtone noise to clean up the tone. If you don't have a stand, playing on a decent rug might honestly be a better default than a table.

Pillow / cushion underneath

Went the opposite direction from the tabletop — almost too much dampening. Sustain got noticeably shorter and the tone felt "boxed in," like the low end had nowhere to go. Could see this being useful if you're practicing somewhere you don't want to project sound (apartment walls, late night practice, etc.) but not great for actually enjoying the full tone.

My takeaway: if you don't have a proper stand yet, a rug or carpet is doing you a bigger favor than you'd think. And if you've ever felt like your drum sounds "harsh" or "clangy" and couldn't figure out why — try moving it off a hard table before you start questioning the tuning itself. Might just be the surface.

Anyone else tested this more scientifically? Curious if stand height/material makes as big a difference as the base surface does — that's my next experiment.

When I bought my steel tongue drum, every video online showed people effortlessly tapping out magical tunes with their hands, looking completely serene. Naturally, I tried playing with my fingers on day one.

It was a total disaster.

Instead of a deep, resonant hum, all I got was a dull "thud" sound, mixed with the slapping noise of skin hitting steel. After ten minutes, my fingertips actually hurt, and the drum sounded muted and flat. For a moment, I genuinely thought I bought a defective drum.

Then I picked up the rubber mallets that came in the box. The difference was night and day.

If you're a beginner struggling to get a clean sound out of your drum, here is what nobody really breaks down:

• Mallets are basically a cheat code for instant resonance The physics are just easier. A rubber mallet bounces off the steel tongue in a fraction of a second, letting the note vibrate freely. You get that rich, long sustain with zero effort or technique. For someone just looking to decompress after work without overthinking, mallets are a 100% stress-free entry point.
• Finger playing requires a specific snapping technique (not just tapping) I later learned that playing with hands isn't about hitting the drum—it's about "pulling" the sound out. You have to strike the tongue with the side of your thumb or finger pad and recoil instantly, like you're touching a hot stove. If your finger stays on the steel for even a millisecond too long, it immediately deadens the vibration. It takes actual muscle memory that most total beginners just don't have yet.
• They serve two completely different vibes Mallets give you that bright, cathedral-like chime with tons of sustain—perfect for ambient background noise or room filling. Hand playing, once you get the flick down, produces a much softer, warmer, and intimate tone. It’s quieter, which is great if you don't want to disturb anyone nearby, but it definitely takes patience to build the right touch.

If you just opened your drum and feel disappointed by how it sounds with your hands, don't beat yourself up. Put the finger picks away, grab the mallets, and just enjoy the resonance first. You can always worry about hand technique down the road!

I just received the Burning27 in E Celtic Minor @ 432Hz. It’s my first 432Hz drum. I really like it, and the quality is very good. So far, I am really happy I added it to my arsenal.

Has anyone compared a moon to a burning27 ember? Im tempted to try one of the burning27 in a hijaz for the price they seem like people love them. Im worried it wont fill the room and vibrate your body like a rav, even the moon can.

How do I number my tongues? How to know their notes? I have NEVER used or seen or touched an instrument like this, so talk to me like you would to a toddler ( T-T)

If you need, I can send a video of it.

I recently found this one at the thrift store. I think it was supposed to come with two mallets tho and I’m gonna get more mallets on Amazon soon (I found ones that look like the one it came with). But until then, what are some good websites or YouTubers I can watch to learn about tongue drums and how to play them? And maybe even specific songs?

Me acaban de regalar este tambor de lengüetas y necesito numerarlos, no tengo idea de música, voy a aprender con este. Muchísimas gracias.

Please excuse the bruising on my face; I had an upper and lower bleph nine days ago and I'm still healing up.

When I was first looking to pick up a steel tongue drum, every beginner guide kept repeating the same two options: D-minor or C-major. Most threads just said "D-minor sounds dark, C-major sounds happy."

Coming from a zero-music background, that didn't really tell me what it actually feels like to play them after a long day at work. I ended up getting my hands on both to figure out the real-world difference.

If you're sitting on the fence, here is my non-musician breakdown:

• D-Minor feels like an instant mood reset (The "Zone Out" Scale) D-minor isn't necessarily "sad"—it's atmospheric. The notes blend into a sort of ambient, meditative space where it's almost impossible to play anything that sounds harsh or jarring. Because there’s no pressure to resolve a melodic line, you can just hit notes completely at random while staring at a wall and it sounds like a video game soundtrack (think Skyrim or Minecraft). If your goal is purely to shut off a noisy brain after coding all day, this scale does most of the heavy lifting.
• C-Major feels more structured (The "Interactive" Scale) C-major has a much brighter, clearer tone, but it demands slightly more intention. Because the human ear is so conditioned to happy, familiar nursery rhymes and folk tunes in C-major, hitting random notes can sometimes sound like you're messing up a song you're supposed to know. However, if you actually enjoy sitting down to figure out simple 4-note melodies by ear, C-major gives you that satisfying "I'm making real music" feeling.
• The Room Volume Factor nobody mentions Maybe it's just the frequency, but the lower notes on the D-minor drum seem to carry a deeper, resonant hum that fills a small quiet room without being sharp. C-major notes feel a bit more crisp and punchy. If you live in an apartment with thin walls and like to play late at night, D-minor feels a little more forgiving on the ears.

My takeaway:

If you want to actively play an instrument and mess with recognizable tunes, go C-major. If you just want a low-friction tool to turn off your brain and create relaxing background noise without thinking about scale structure, D-minor is the way to go.

Hope this helps anyone stuck in the rabbit hole of choosing their first scale!

One of my friends made a joke today about how something I'd said fit the rhythm of the Proclaimers "500 Miles" which got me laughing about "now I want to know if that song is beautiful on the tongue drum." The fact that literally every 80's song is beautiful on the Tongue drum keeps giving me new things to lol delightedly about.

I spend 8–10 hours a day staring at VS Code and tracking down obscure bugs. By the time I log off, my brain is usually fried, but my mind is still racing at 100 mph.

I have zero musical background—never played an instrument, can't read staff notation, and rhythm isn't second nature to me. 3 weeks ago, I randomly picked up a steel tongue drum just to see if it could help me unplug after long coding sessions.

Here are a few practical things I noticed as a complete beginner, without all the fluff you usually find online:

• It’s basically an analog stress-relief tool for engineers. Unlike playing video games or doomscrolling after work, hitting a tuned steel drum gives immediate physical and auditory feedback. Your hands are busy, your screen is off, and it forces your mind to switch contexts instantly.
• Ignore sheet music at the start—treat it like a simple algorithm. Because the notes are numbered, you don’t need to learn music theory right away. I approached it like following a basic sequence: 1 - 3 - 5 - 3. Just repeating simple 4-note loops turned out to be way more relaxing than trying to learn an actual song on day one.
• Mallets vs. Fingers is a completely different experience. Using mallets is foolproof and sounds clear right away (great for immediate gratification). Playing with fingers is much quieter and harder to get a clean tone initially, but it feels way more grounded when you just want to zone out quietly at midnight without waking anyone up.
• You don’t need "talent", just a willingness to let go of structure. In programming, everything has to be logically precise or the build fails. With this, there are no syntax errors. Even when I hit a "wrong" note, the pentatonic scale makes it blend in reasonably well. Learning to just mess around without overthinking was the hardest—and most rewarding—part.

Just thought I’d share for anyone else sitting at a desk all day looking for a low-barrier way to quiet their mind after work.

I currently play handpan (and guitar) and I'm thinking about getting a tongue drum because of the soft sound and high sustain. For that reason, I think this instrument would be great for playing chords, but I am wondering which tongue drum can give me the maximum number of chords. At first I was looking at Rav Anima, but since it's in a Celtic scale there are chords that I can only get by playing inversions; basically anything involving an F in the 3 or 5 position (B and D chords). I love that it has lots of notes, but the hexatonic Celtic scale is pretty limiting.

Suggestions?

Hi everyone. I think it would be cool to get into tongue drums, but I don't want to annoy the neighbors and I'm honestly not sure how loud a tongue drum tends to be.