Being a newly created instrument, steel tongue drums already have multiple names. Tongue drums, hank drums, buta drums, hand drums… Yep, it’s all about the same notion. These are charming percussion instruments crafted from propane cylindrical containers. Getting the gist of these honeys is not too challenging.
They are compact and boast a cute saucer-like shape. They produce soothing sounds and are widely used in meditation melodies, music therapy, and yoga. – https://musiccritic.com/
Talent or Practice?
Steel tongue drums are a cakewalk to master. You don’t have to flaunt any unique talents to get to grips with them. You can play this instrument using your hands, mallets, or sticks. Whether you’re an experienced drummer or just a beginner musician, mastering the art of playing this type of drums is something you won’t have to spend years on. Just enjoy practicing, and you will succeed.
Hands or Additional Accessories?
Here are some insights on ways of playing steel tongue drums:
- utilizing sticks or mallets results in a richer, flashier sound;
- using your hands is more challenging. But it allows you to be more creative in the process;
- some musicians use rubber finger picks to play these drums, which prevents hand fatigue and allows them to play in a diverse, free way;
- you can place the instrument in your lap when playing it. That way, you get to feel the instrument and its sounds on a deeper level. Alternatively, you can rest the instrument on any flat surface.
Some More Beginner Hacks
If you’ve just purchased this type of drum, you need to invest some time in getting used to it, as well as getting comfy handling it. Follow these tips and routines to make the best of your experience:
- focus on playing the entire scale by beginning with the lowest note and proceeding to the highest one. Repeat when you’re done;
- play all notes in a cyclic manner; start with any note you choose;
- work up your own unique patterns of notes;
- enjoy experimenting with multiple tunes and sounds;
- come up with two notes complimenting each other, play them simultaneously to create a chord. Repeat this chord and create another one;
- try various levels of force: first be gentle, then go harder.
Remember that if you’re just a beginner steel tongue drum player, experimentation should always be the driving force of your practice. Take pleasure in it; make some creative noise; let your new music tool get under your skin and teach you how to play it via lots of training.
Practice makes perfect, that’s a given. Over time, you will succeed and even learn to generate your own musical pieces. If you have anything to add on the topic of these drums, you’re welcome to make the most of the comments box below. Have you tried playing them? Was it relatively easy to learn or not? Any additional tips for your fellow-musicians? Your two cents are highly appreciated.