One question comes up again and again with musical instruments: "Do I need to be musical?"
With a steel tongue drum, not really.
You can pick one up, tap a tongue with the mallet and get a good sound almost immediately. You don't need to read music, take lessons or spend weeks making noises that sound nothing like music. The tuning does a lot of the work for you.
That's what makes these drums so enjoyable. They're proper musical instruments, but they're unusually forgiving.
This guide explains what a steel tongue drum is, why it's difficult to make it sound bad, which size to choose and how to start playing if you've never picked up an instrument before.
The short version
- A steel tongue drum is a hollow steel instrument with tongues cut into the top, each producing a particular note.
- The notes are carefully selected within the drum's scale, so they work well together. Many are tuned to pentatonic scales.
- Small drums tend to sound brighter and are easier to carry. Medium drums have a lower, warmer sound.
- Start with the mallets if you're completely new, then try your fingers for a softer sound.
- Play it on your lap or a cushion rather than directly on a hard table.
You'll find all our drums in our drums collection.
What is a steel tongue drum?
A steel tongue drum is a hollow steel body with a series of tongues cut into the top. Each tongue is shaped and tuned to produce a particular note.
Strike one with a mallet and the metal vibrates. The body of the drum resonates with it, giving you a clear, rounded note that continues for a few seconds before fading.
The sound sits somewhere between a bell, a harp and a wind chime. It's soft enough for quiet playing but has enough resonance to fill a room.
Tongue drum, tank drum, happy drum: what's the difference?
You'll see a few different names for these instruments, which can make shopping for one slightly confusing.
Steel tongue drum and tongue drum are the most straightforward names.
Tank drum comes from an early style of tongue drum made by cutting tongues into metal propane tanks. The name has stuck, even though modern instruments are manufactured specifically as musical instruments.
Happy drum is another name you'll come across. It's often used quite loosely for this type of instrument.
In most cases, you're looking at the same basic idea: a steel body with tuned tongues.
Is a tongue drum the same as a handpan?
No, although the two are sometimes compared because they have a similarly mellow, resonant sound.
A handpan is made from two shaped steel shells, with notes formed into the surface. They're generally played with the hands and are individually tuned by specialist makers.
Handpans can cost many hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Steel tongue drums are much more affordable and are considerably easier to pick up and play without previous experience.
If you've been curious about handpans but don't want to spend that much, a tongue drum is a very sensible place to start.
Why is it so difficult to play a wrong note?
This is where the tuning matters.
Many steel tongue drums use a pentatonic scale. A pentatonic scale uses five notes within each octave, with the particular notes chosen to work comfortably together.
It's the same basic reason that playing around on the black keys of a piano tends to sound surprisingly good. There are fewer combinations that create an obvious clash.
A tongue drum takes that idea further by giving you a limited set of notes that already belong to the same scale. You don't have a huge keyboard in front of you with dozens of notes to choose from.
So you can move from tongue to tongue, repeat a little pattern, play with both hands or simply tap around and see what happens. You're much less likely to hit the kind of jarring note combination that makes a beginner stop and think, I definitely don't know what I'm doing.
That's a big part of the appeal.
You can concentrate on the sound rather than worrying about whether you're playing correctly. It's also why we include tongue drums in our guide to spiritual gifts for him. They're easy to enjoy without needing someone to already be a musician.
How to choose a steel tongue drum
For most people, the first decision is small or medium.
Small or medium?
Small drums have a brighter, higher sound and are easier to carry around. Our small drums measure 14cm across and weigh around 670g, so they're easy to take on holiday, into the garden or to a workshop.
Medium drums are 16cm across and weigh about 780g. They're tuned to a lower register, giving you a warmer, deeper sound.
If you're buying one for travel or for a child, we'd lean towards a small drum.
For sitting down in the evening, meditation or yoga, we particularly like the sound of the medium size. The lower notes have a little more weight to them.
It really comes down to the sound you prefer and where you're going to use it.
Our small steel tongue drums
All three of our small drums are £38.99 to £46.99 and share the same size and general sound. The main difference is the design.
The Small Steel Tongue Drum in Atlas (£38.99) has a vintage map design and makes a nice choice if you prefer something understated.
The Small Steel Tongue Drum in Om Mandala (£46.99) has a detailed mandala around the Om symbol.
The Small Steel Tongue Drum in Multi Coloured (£46.99) has a bright patterned finish while keeping the clear, gentle sound you'd expect from the smaller drum. Each one comes with mallets and a protective carry bag.
If you're choosing between these, we'd pick the one you most want to look at. You're going to see it every time you play it, and the basic playing experience is much the same.
Our medium steel tongue drums
Our medium drum is £47.49 and has the lower tuning.
The Medium Steel Tongue Drum in Atlas (£47.49) carries the map design over to the larger size, with the warmer tone the extra depth gives it.
Above those sit the Large Steel Tongue Drum in Marble (£73.99) at 17cm, and the Om Mandala Engraved drum (£92.99), 16cm across with the pattern cut into the steel rather than printed on it.
How to play a steel tongue drum
You don't need much technique to begin with.
Start with the mallets
Mallets are the easiest way to get a clear, ringing note.
Hold one fairly loosely, rather than gripping it tightly. Think about the way you'd hold a pencil. Let the mallet bounce off the tongue instead of pushing it down into the metal.
A light tap is usually enough.
If you leave the mallet sitting against the tongue after striking it, you'll stop the vibration and shorten the note. Let it bounce away and the note can ring properly.
Then try your fingers
Once you've had a play with the mallets, try your fingertips.
Finger playing gives you a quieter, softer sound, which is particularly nice in the evening. You have a little more control over how gently you play, too.
Your fingertips may feel slightly tender when you first start. That's normal if you're not used to it, and it should settle as you get used to playing.
Don't put it straight on a hard table
This catches a lot of people out.
Put a steel tongue drum directly on a hard table and the table can dampen the vibration of the body. The result is a noticeably duller sound.
Try it on your lap instead. A cushion, folded blanket or the carry bag also works.
It really does make a difference.
Your first ten minutes
Don't worry about learning a song straight away. Spend a few minutes getting used to the instrument.
Try this:
- Pick three tongues that are close together.
- Play them slowly, allowing each note to ring before playing the next.
- After a while, replace one of them with another tongue.
- Try playing two notes together and listen to how they sound.
- Close your eyes and move around the drum without worrying about what you're playing.
You'll probably find yourself falling into little patterns without deliberately trying to compose anything.
The main thing is to slow down. A tongue drum has a lovely resonance, and playing too quickly can mean you're covering up one note with the next.
Learning songs
When you want to move beyond experimenting, you'll find tongue drum music written using numbers.
Each tongue is assigned a number, and a song is written as a sequence of those numbers. You don't have to read conventional sheet music.
There are plenty of number-based songs available online, from simple nursery rhymes to familiar film themes.
It's a nice next step once you've got used to where the notes are.
Where should you play a tongue drum?
They're small enough to take almost anywhere.
Indoors, you'll notice that the room affects the sound. A room with carpets, curtains and soft furnishings will give you a warmer, more muted sound. Hard walls and floors let the notes bounce around for longer.
Outside is worth trying too. A garden, campsite or quiet outdoor space gives the notes plenty of room to travel.
And compared with most conventional instruments, a tongue drum is fairly neighbour-friendly, particularly if you're playing with your fingers rather than striking hard with mallets.
Using a tongue drum for meditation and relaxation
A lot of people buy these drums specifically because they want something they can play without having to think too hard about it.
That's where the tuning is useful.
You're not trying to remember chords or get your fingering right. You can play slowly, listen to the note, wait for it to fade and then play another.
Some people use a tongue drum for ten minutes at the end of the working day. Others play before meditation or yoga. It's also an easy instrument to let children experiment with because there isn't the same pressure to "play properly".
If you're putting together a small sound-healing or meditation space, it works nicely alongside other instruments.
The Mini Singing Bowl Gift Set in Red (£29.49) comes from Nepal with a cushion and wooden stick. Dragon Design Tingsha Cymbals (£20.99) are a pair of brass cymbals with a clear tone and are often used at the beginning or end of a meditation session.
For something with more presence, the Medium Gong in Stand (£223.99) is 35cm across and comes with a black albasia wood stand and mallet.
You can also read our guide to choosing a singing bowl if you want to add another instrument, or browse the full sound healing range and singing bowls and tingsha bells.
If you enjoy incense while you play, Satya Champa (£1.50) or Tribal Soul Frankincense (£1.50) are simple additions. Our guide to incense sticks versus cones explains how the different types burn.
Other drums worth knowing about
If you love the idea of drumming, a hand drum is another lovely option, especially if you want something more rhythmic and hands-on.
The Hamsa Shamanic Frame Drum (£53.49) is a 30cm frame drum supplied with two beaters and has an earthy sound that works well for meditation, sound work and drumming circles.
The Medium Pro Djembe in Soul Sound (£34.99) has a deeper voice and rope tuning. It's a more traditional choice if you enjoy the physical experience of drumming.
You'll find more instruments in our drums, decorative instruments and ukuleles and folk instruments collections.
Caring for your steel tongue drum
They're fairly sturdy instruments, but they're still made of metal and the finish benefits from a little care.
- Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth after playing, particularly if you've been using your fingers.
- Keep it dry. Don't leave it outside overnight or in a damp shed.
- Use the carry bag if your drum came with one.
- Stick to mallets or your fingers. Don't experiment with metal objects or other hard materials that could damage the tongues or finish.
Is a steel tongue drum a good gift?
It's one of the easier musical instruments to give as a present because the recipient doesn't need to already be musical.
It works for someone interested in meditation or yoga, someone who wants an easy way to switch off after work, a child who's curious about making music, or an adult who's always wanted to try an instrument but never got around to it.
You can find more ideas in our spiritual gifts for him, spiritual gifts for her and full gifts collection.
Ready-made sound bundles
The first drum (£41.99)
The Small Steel Tongue Drum in Atlas (£38.99), Tribal Soul Frankincense (£1.50) and Satya Champa (£1.50).
A simple starting point if you're buying your first drum and want a little incense to go with it. The total is over £40, so delivery is free.
The sound corner (£69.98)
The Medium Steel Tongue Drum in Atlas (£47.49), Dragon Design Tingsha Cymbals (£20.99) and Tribal Soul Frankincense (£1.50).
This gives you the deeper sound of the medium drum, bells for starting and finishing a session, and a little incense for the room.
The evening wind-down (£76.48)
The Small Steel Tongue Drum in Multi Coloured (£46.99) and Mini Singing Bowl Gift Set in Red (£29.49).
Two simple instruments that don't require much preparation. Pick them up, play for ten minutes and put them away again.
Steel tongue drum FAQs
Do you need musical experience to play a steel tongue drum?
No. Many steel tongue drums are tuned to pentatonic scales or other carefully selected note arrangements, making them very forgiving for beginners. You can start experimenting without knowing how to read music.
What's the difference between a steel tongue drum and a handpan?
A handpan is made from two shaped steel shells and is generally played with the hands. It is also usually hand-tuned and much more expensive. A steel tongue drum has cut and tuned tongues in its steel body and can be played with mallets or fingers.
Should I get a small or medium tongue drum?
Small drums have a brighter, higher sound and are easier to carry. Medium drums are lower and warmer. If you're buying mainly for travel, small is convenient. If you want a deeper sound for sitting and relaxing, medium is worth considering.
Why does my steel tongue drum sound dull?
Check what you're playing it on. A hard table can dampen the vibration of the drum. Try your lap, a cushion or a folded blanket instead.
Can you play a steel tongue drum with your hands?
Yes. Your fingertips produce a softer, quieter sound than mallets. You may notice some tenderness when you first start playing, but this should improve as your fingers get used to it.
Are steel tongue drums good for meditation?
Many people use them as part of meditation or relaxation because they're simple to play and don't require constant concentration on technique. Playing slowly and allowing the notes to ring can make for a very easy way to settle into a quiet session.
