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Do you need a steel-tongue drum for your training? The tongue drums for beginners are designed in a modern way with integrated technology, which makes them favorites for amateurs. This type of drum is designed in a wide range of sizes, which allows you to get the ideal option for your kid. That said, the drums have different numbers of notes which determine the sound quality of the drum. The higher the notes the better the sound quality. To add more, they provide all the learning accessories that you will need to begin the process. Some of the main accessories included are drum sticks, finger rings, learning notebooks, and much more.
So, what is this steel-tongue drum? This is a type of drum designed in a special to produce sound through its vibration. This drum is associated with the class of idiophones and is known by other names like tank drum, hank drum, or tongue drum. These drums look perfectly like the UFOs and provide an amazing sound effect. They are available in most sizes and are easy to play even for beginners.
Steel-Tongue Drum Vs. Hand pan
When comparing steel tongue and hand pan, you will realize that the steel drums are your favorite.
First, the steel tongue drums are not sensitive to either cold or heat. They can work perfectly from -10 to +45-degrees, unlike the hand pans that are very sensitive to heat and cold.
Again, the steel drums are known to be smaller and suitable for beginners though they are kind of heavier. This is because of the thick steel metal used in the construction.
More interestingly, the tongue drums are very robust and have a meditative sound. They will never get out of the tune, which isn’t the case with hand pans known for magical sounds.
Lastly, the steel tongue drums are kind of pocket-friendly, which makes them better options, to begin with. On the other hand, hand pans are expensive.
Why should You Buy a Steel-Tongue Drum?
Buying a steel tongue-drum means that you need to get awesome melodic sounds. Here are different reasons to get started with a tongue drum.
- They are great for enhancing hobbies and skills among the kids. The kids can engage in playing music to learn new ways of drumming. Through this, they will engage and enhances their skills accordingly.
- Designed for yoga meditation and mind healing. These drums are great additions to the yoga classes as they will enhance the meditation process. That said, they also bring about better healing.
- Suited for educational purposes- when you are a pro and wish to teach beginners different drumming skills, a steel-tongue drum will suit you. This type of drum has variable numbers of tones to enhance an amazing sound system.
How To Choose The Best Steel-Tongue Drum
Just like any other drum, buying a tongue drum requires you to consider a wide range of features and factors.
Construction: The build of the drum set will not only determine the longevity and also sound quality. You should, therefore, get a high-quality and durable drum that is designed from rugged and strong steel. For instance, get a drum that has been carefully fitted with nitrogen ions and covered in steel. The drum should also adopt the latest modern technology to bring about amazing performance. For the mallets, rubber mallets will serve better and longer.
Material and Design: Since they are known as steel drums, it implies that they are made from quality steel material. Due to this, consider a nice drum that is built using premium quality steel material. Besides this, you may go for drums engineered using aluminum alloy and steel combo. The drum needs to be painted using water-based and environmentally-friendly paint. Still, the paint should be fade-resistant and pollution-free. Such a kind of drum will withstand prolonged use and is safe for the user.
Number of Notes: This is another vital consideration to check out when making the order. The drums are fitted with different numbers of notes to choose from. For example, some drums have 8 notes whereas others have up to 15 notes or more. Drums with more notes are known for excellent sound quality, which is deeper and louder, unlike drums with fewer notes. Because of this, you should find the ultimate drum that comes with more notes when you wish to enjoy the amazing sound.
Size and Weight: Again, you should carefully check out the preferred drum size that will suit you or the kids. Drum sizes vary based on the brands; hence always be cautious when making the order. Some of these drums are smaller at 12-inches. These are great for kids who look forward to learning different drumming skills. Additionally, you will get bigger drums of up to 15-inches or more, which are better options for adults.
Irrespective of the drum size, make sure that it has a lightweight portable design. The lightweight drums allow the user to transport them for use whenever needed. For home, yoga, and outdoor uses, you will get them very reliable. Also, find a tongue drum that comes in a carrying bag for transportation and storage needs.
Aesthetic: The different types of aesthetic features on the drums are a consideration when shopping for tongue drums. They are available in most colors with different options having bright elegant colors. Besides this, the drums have been styled and shaped in most designs like a lotus flower allowing the users to get the preferred pick. Still, you will get drums that have an etched design or antique patinas. Lastly, there are tongue drums that have been decorated with ropes on the side for easy carriage. Generally, get the ultimate piece that will serve your purpose and taste.
Package: This is another necessity that you should have in mind when buying the products. Consider getting a unit that comes as a whole package with different accessories. For instance, it needs to provide you with finger rings, a tutorial book, drum mallets, sticker notes, and a carrying bag. Such a complete package not only makes it a breeze to learn but also transport the items.
What are the Best Steel-Tongue Drums?
For drum lovers, getting the best drum is a priority. The steel drums are excellent pieces for the amateur despite being other options. Finding the best tongue drum requires you to look for a wide range of features and factors like aesthetics, construction, the number of notes, size, and weight among others. With all these features and factors into consideration, we have selected the best tongue drums to try out.
Rakumi Steel-Tongue Drum 13 Note 12 Inch Drum for Beginners
Featuring an elegant lotus flower style, here is a fantastic tongue drum that anyone amateur will prefer. The product has a size of 12-inches and a total of 13 notes plus environmentally-friendly water-based paint. The paint is fade-resistant and pollution-free. That said, the unit comes in a wide range of colors to get a suitable color option. To add more, this product from Rakumi has a variety of natural tones. The 13 tones are excellent for most types and common tunes, making it a great selection to try out.
Still, the Rakumi steel drum is simple and easy to use thanks to the ergonomic design. Because of this, you will get it applicable for yoga meditation, music education, and mind healing just to mention a few. The steel drum is carefully engineered from the best quality steel; hence a piece that will serve you longer. Also, it comes with mallets for simple play. The accessories and the steel drum are neatly arranged in a carrying; hence simple and easy to transport and store. Its amazing natural tones require no musical background as you just require yourself and a sense of exploration. Other items included in the package include notes sticker, picks, and a music book in English.
Features:
- Premium durable steel construction
- A wider range of 13 natural tones
- Elegant lotus flower design
- 12-inches drum size with 13 notes
- Notes sticker and carrying bag
- Great selection for all amateurs
- Easily portable and convenient to use
- A widely applicable drum set for beginners
- None
Hantop Steel Tongue-Drum 13 Notes 12 Inches
In case you are interested in getting the ultimate steel drum for meditation, yoga, and musical education, Hantop Steel Drum is the ideal pick for you. This elegant drum is highly versatile; hence applicable in a wide range of fields. Besides this, the drum is crafted from a combo of high-quality steel and aluminum alloy material to guarantee prolonged use. The unit has a C-type design for a great look plus allows for simple learning. Struck the drum using the provided drumsticks for a natural delightful sound experience. Due to this, kids will find it easier to learn. Still, the tongue drum comes with a total of 13 notes, bringing out a very clear, melodic, and beautiful sound.
Hantop steel drum is easily portable plus simpler to store thanks to the carrying bag included. Also, it has been finished in a non-pollutant and fade-resistant paint to give it a great look always. This product comes with a wide range of accessories like drumsticks, note stickers, and much more. Generally, the drum is great for kids looking forward to developing their hobbies.
Features:
- High-quality steel and aluminum alloy materials built
- Ergonomic C-type steel tongue-drum
- Wide range of applications
- 12-inches large drum size
- 13 notes for melodic and beautiful sound
- Delivers a natural perfect sound system
- Easily portable and convenient to keep
- Enhanced hobbies and learning skills among kids
- Not identified
ASTEMAN Nitrogen Steel Tongue 14 Inches 14 Notes Drum for Beginners
The number of notes is a vital feature to consider when buying these products. ASTEMAN Nitrogen tongue drum for beginners has a total of 14 notes, which will suit the beginners perfectly. It brings out a bigger and louder sound. This product also has a size of 14-inches; hence a great option you never want to miss. Second, to this, the drum has a U-shaped design and is perfectly fabricated, making it suitable for your needs. It has been perfectly made using premium quality steel material, which guarantees a longer lifespan. The drum is painted in fade-resistant and environmentally safe paint for extended use and safety to the user.
It comes with a wide range of accessories like two durable drum mallets, a total of four-finger rings, a tutorial book, and a carrying bag. Because of this, the users will find it a breeze to learn plus store and transport the drum. It comes in most colors allowing you to pick the preferred color option. Also, the different sizes and styles ensure that every drum beginner gets what suits him/her. This high-quality drum has perfectly integrated the modern technology system, which greatly enhances the sound quality.
Features:
- High-quality steel material construction
- A total of 14 notes for awesome sound quality
- 14-inches large drum size
- Scope of applications
- Elegant U-shaped design with integrated modern technology
- Delivers louder and deeper sound
- Crafted to serve for years
- Guarantees faster learning for amateurs
- Kind of pricey
How Does a Steel-Tongue Drum Work?
Understanding better how a tongue steel drum works may need you to get the best drum. The drum operates easily in the following steps.
Every tongue has been perfectly tuned to a given note. Due to this, it is the duty of the tongue depending on the length, weight, and width to determine both the pitch and sound of the note.
Again, you will need to hit the tongue with a mallet, hand, or fingers to play the note. Through this, the drum will effectively amplify quality sound and eventually get released via the slit of the tongues.
The sounds are melodic and natural plus the deepest and loudness of the sound depends on the number of notes.
How Do You Tune a Steel-Tongue Drum?
Tuning a steel tongue-drum may be challenging at first for an amateur. Here are the simple steps that you need to follow to tune the drum.
Find a tuner – to begin with, you should find the best tuner. Finding a chromatic tuner is recommended since tuning without a tuner won’t allow you to get the right frequency. You can also download the tuner application on your phone device.
Select Frequency and Scale – More interestingly, pick on the right frequency that will not affect the body. As a beginner, you may stick to the default frequency of the drum or decide to enhance the tones. 440Hz is the standard frequency but you may go higher for 423Hz or 528Hz. These three are ideal for the right effect. For the scale, you might not be able to alter it in some drums; hence you will have to use the default and adjust when you get drums that allow for that.
What is a Steel-Tongue Drum Used for?
There are different uses that you can apply the tongue drum. Some of these uses include;
A Gateway Instrument: The steel-tongue drum is a nice piece you might use as a gateway instrument. This is because it provides a wider diversity plus playability; hence you can expand the playing level. Still, this drum allows you to easily relate to a wide range of musical instruments and music styles. Through this, you may end up in collaboration in form of recording or jamming the music.
Great for the Beginners: You can also use the drum for teaching and enhancing the skills of beginners. This drum has notes, which easily tune with each other and bring out the excellent sound quality. Due to this, any kind of note combination will give you a better sound effect; hence great for amateurs.
Bridge to Getting Your Voice: It is a breeze to get your voice by using a steel drum. This is because when learning the way to make chords and notes, which have been harmonized with different instruments and melodic sounds, you will get to focus on the rhythm even without knowing. The result is that you get to enhance the character and quality of your voice.
Conclusion
Generally, the steel-tongue drums are the best drums for any amateur interested in learning musical sounds. They are designed for all ages and excellent for educational learning, mind healing, and yoga meditation. We have selected some of the best tongue drums you may consider from the above reviews. Get started with any of these amazing and top-quality drums to enhance the drumming skills and get your voice.
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