How can you describe an instrument as “so simple that anyone can play it,” as some tongue drums are described?
The common pentatonic scale used on steel tongue drums makes this possible!
But playing a tongue drum is also possible for advanced players. The pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave.
A scale is a series of tones that differ in pitch according to a specific pattern.
In the pentatonic scale, each note within the octave fits together well, and you can play them in any order to create a pleasing melody.
In other words, there are no bad or wrong notes or chords that you can produce. Each note fits seamlessly into the harmony, making it a very easy instrument to pick up and play even without any knowledge of music theory or experience playing an instrument.
But what if you've already gained experience and want to adapt your techniques to playing the tongue drum for advanced players ? We can help you figure that out.
It is important to know that tongue drums can also be played in different scales. The most popular scales for tongue drums, in addition to the pentatonic scale, are: the diatonic scale, the chromatic scale, minor or major scales of all notes, or akebono. Tongue drums tuned to the diatonic scale have a scale that includes five whole steps and two half steps (semitones) in each octave. A chromatic scale is a twelve-tone scale with twelve pitches.
The Akebono scale is a scale used in traditional Japanese music and is most similar to the diatonic scale.
Although these scales include more notes, the instrument does not always become more complicated or difficult to play.
They offer the drum a wider range of new tone combinations that can be exploited by someone who is already experienced and wants to progress further to perfect their playing.
Read on to learn about playing the lotus drum for advanced players !
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Playing the tongue drum for advanced players – challenging techniques and rhythms
Generally, the manufacturer indicates which scale the drum is tuned to.
These tunings are usually static - however, if you have some understanding of music theory and can operate a chromatic electronic tuner, you also have the option of purchasing a tunable tongue drum .
With tunable tongue drums, the player can change the scale of the instrument.
This is often done by adding weights, usually neodymium magnets , under the tongues.
With a tunable tongue drum or even a double-sided tongue drum, you have a wider range of tones to play with and create your own melodies.
Some tongue drums are also associated with a specific pitch, that is, the degree of highness or lowness of a note. When a tongue drum has a specific pitch, it is usually manufactured to have a frequency of 432 Hz, also known as the Verdi pitch. The 432 Hz frequency is considered to be the vibrational frequency of the universe.
Tongue drums with this pitch are usually tuned to the C major scale . Other common pitches found on tongue drums are 440 Hz and 444 Hz . These pitches can have different meanings for the musician.
Various manufacturers and artisans produce tongue drums in any scale or pitch. However, many of these manufacturers and artisans are happy to work with their customers to tune the drums to the musician's preference.
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Playing the tongue drum for advanced players - exercises for advanced players
With tunable steel tongue drums you always have a scale that suits your mood and desired technique, no matter when and how you want to play.
Once you are familiar with your tongue drum , you can start practicing technical and advanced playing.
Here are some exercises that may be helpful for advanced tongue drumming :
- Try muting the notes with your finger after playing them to create new sounds.
- Play with a racket and your hands at the same time.
- To muffle or shorten all notes, try stuffing the drum with something soft. Once the notes don't sound so long, you can incorporate faster melodies and pieces of music into your repertoire.
- Copy drum patterns and sheet music from the Internet.
- Experiment with different mallets. Alternate between pure wooden mallets and rubber or felt mallets. If you can't buy a rubber mallet, you can make your own by attaching rubber bands to the end of a wooden mallet. (Our models always come with a pair of rubber mallets.)
- Watch YouTube tutorials on how to play certain songs and imitate them.
Playing the tongue drum for advanced players – Use the slap/tak for better rhythm
Now that you know how to produce shorter notes to create faster melodies, here are some tips:
- Some people use a so-called slap/tak to create the desired rhythm. This action places a lot of emphasis on the areas between the tongues. To do this, you can hit one of the upper parts of the tongues. A slap is much quieter than a normal tap on the tongues with the fingers. It is therefore used more for rhythmic accentuation.
- It is best to use your ring finger, your index finger or your closed hand.
- Create new strumming patterns and chords where you strum left, left, right, left, left, or vice versa.
- Once you know all the parts of the instrument and how they sound when you hit them, you will also notice how different the slap can sound on different parts of the tongue drum. This makes playing the tongue drum even more interesting for advanced players !
- Gradually expand the rhythms you want to use to develop accents and melodies. The slap/tak will help you to keep creating new things.
Playing the tongue drum for advanced players - Handpan compositions with slap/tak, chords and arpeggios
The handpan sounds louder than the steel tongue drum , it is also larger and the variety of sounds is richer than that of the tongue drum.
Nevertheless, you should continue to develop and adopt these techniques when playing the tongue drum for advanced players .
Don't stick to the guidelines you find everywhere.
Experiment with chords , arpeggios and slap/tak techniques as often as you can to perfect your playing.
Ultimately, you have to like what comes out, not others - that is the most important thing when playing this musical instrument.
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Playing the tongue drum for advanced players – tongue drum workshops for creative stimulation
Workshops are a great way to make music with other people, especially if they are die-hard musicians. So if you want to practice with other musicians, you can join tongue drum workshops and practice with suitable partners.
You can find tongue drum workshops as video conferences with other musicians on the net, or you can find out about a MasterClass in your area. You can also find dates on the internet. Remember that there are workshops for all levels, so if you want to improve your level, you should look for a date for tongue drumming for advanced players .
Playing the tongue drum for advanced players - Conclusion
Aside from the musical aspect and jamming with other musicians, the sounds of the tongue drum have a therapeutic function - they are extremely relaxing. Especially if you suffer from stress in your daily life, this new instrument will give you the balance you need for your body and mind. We hope that the article about playing the tongue drum for advanced players can help you to relax even better when you can try out new melodies and rhythms with our tips. Have fun!
