Tongue Drums **PICS**

[Ken Salisbury]

Because of health issues I have pretty much stopped making large stuff and am always looking for other small items to make. My 26 yr old GS brought a friend over a couple weeks ago who had a tongue drum which he purchased off of E-Bay for what I believed to be a rather expensive price (over $200). My GS wanted me to make one for him.

We did some searching on the internet in an attempt to find information as to do's/don't's, how to tune them, etc. My GS then comunicated via e-mail and telephone with a couple of folks making them and we gave the first one a shot finishing it this weekend.

While having a yard sale Saturday, my GS was doing some playing and tweeking the toning of the box and a neighbor from over a block away came down to see what the druming was about. It is amazing the sound that eminates from such a small (15" x 7" x 5") wooden box. Drum sticks are rubber "super balls" on the end of dowel sticks.

We found lots of pattern variations on the web and plan on making some more using various patterns, some very simple, some kinda complex. Some examples of other folks' drums we plan on using modifications of can be seen here on my web site (http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/tonguedrums.htm)

There apparently is quite a difference in sound with various species of wood used for the top, shape/size of the tongues, open spaces in design, etc. We are in the experimenting stage, but QUITE pleased with the first one



Any information, hints, tricks, etc when making these would be appreciated to keep us from reinventing the wheel. :)


This is the first attempt. Made from spalted Beech and Poplar:


http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/thumbdrums/drum1a.jpg

http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/thumbdrums/drum1.jpg




Here is a pic of two more tops we made one curly cherry, one poplar:
(lighter is shown for size reference)

http://www.oldrebelworkshop.com/thumbdrums/drumtops.jpg

[John Hart]

Oh Ken...That is such a great idea!! My kids attend a school that is always looking for different instruments like these. A while back, I made a Xylophone and also experimented with different wood to check out the different tones and such. My findings were that I preferred the sound of padauk. I'd like to continue to watch your progress. How much do you intend on selling these for?

[Doug Shepard]

VERY cool!
If you're looking to make some other small stuff that you can hit, you might want to check out making sets of temple blocks. Here's a few examples:
http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textt/Templeblocks.html
http://www.blackswamp.com/wp/tblocks.html
http://www.vaughncraft.com/index.php?id=18

This site has a few interesting things too:
http://www.rhythmweb.com/homemade/index.html

[Tom Mullane]

That is too cool Ken... I would love to make one for my daughter...
I am assuming you cut the tongues on a scrollsaw.. but I am wondering what size blade you used and what the kerf on the cuts is... I would assume that contributes greatly to the sound...
Could you elaborate more on the box design also...
Thanks...

[Ken Salisbury]

That is too cool Ken... I would love to make one for my daughter...
I am assuming you cut the tongues on a scrollsaw.. but I am wondering what size blade you used and what the kerf on the cuts is... I would assume that contributes greatly to the sound...
Could you elaborate more on the box design also...
Thanks...

I originally cut the pattern on my scroll saw, however I found it necessary to go over it with a jig saw after it was assembled to clean out and widen the kerfs. As a matter of fact since an "el cheapo" Skil jig saw was all I had available I went and bought a new Bosch JS (hidden gloat). As far as the design goes, since it ain't mine, I can't comment. I will learn more as we proceed with some others.

[Ken Salisbury]

My findings were that I preferred the sound of padauk. I'd like to continue to watch your progress. How much do you intend on selling these for?

Padauk also seems to be a favorite of some of the people my GS talked with about these. As far as prices, all I can say is we need to test the waters.

[Terry Quiram]

Ken

I was always going to make one of those for my boys. Now they have grown and are not interested. I got the idea from Mother Earth News. They called it a "Bonker Box".

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1979_July_August/Homegrown_Music___and_Musical_Instruments__The_Hom egrown__Bonker_Box_

Terry

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ken,

That is really neat! I have never seen anything like that.

[Mark Singer]

Ken.

Excellent !!! Great for gifts and very much fun!!

[Lee DeRaud]

Ken

I was always going to make one of those for my boys. Now they have grown and are not interested. I got the idea from Mother Earth News. They called it a "Bonker Box".
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1979_July_August/Homegrown_Music___and_Musical_Instruments__The_Hom egrown__Bonker_Box_
That article is calling for 3/4" thickness on the top. Is that right? It sounds way too thick to get any decent resonance. (I would have expected something closer to 1/4".)

[Ken Salisbury]

That article is calling for 3/4" thickness on the top. Is that right? It sounds way too thick to get any decent resonance. (I would have expected something closer to 1/4".)

All of our research to date indicates 3/4" lumber for the tops. Some are using ½" for the sides and bottoms. A few we found had ¼" bottoms. The one shown that we made is 3/4" thick all around.

[Ken Salisbury]

How much do you intend on selling these for?

Here is one I found on the internet using the same pattern as our first one. The wood used is a little nicer but check the price ($329.00) http://www.africantreasures.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=TONGUE7

There is a whole bunch of audio clips for various tongue drums on this web page. Click the links listed on the far right side of the page:

http://www.africantreasures.com/drums/tongue-drums.asp

[Alan Tolchinsky]

for me though) Thanks for posting this unusual project.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

http://larkinthemorning.com/search.asp?t=ss&ss=tongue+drum&x=19&y=13

[John Hart]

This looks to be a very interesting project. When I look at these links, I don't really see justification for the price other than "what the market will bear"...But then, I thought, "I bet there's a price associated with the tuning". I wonder if you need to cut the tongues to precise tonal qualities and have a cool design and beautiful wood.

Ken...this is really cool!!

[Ken Salisbury]

This looks to be a very interesting project. When I look at these links, I don't really see justification for the price other than "what the market will bear"...But then, I thought, "I bet there's a price associated with the tuning". I wonder if you need to cut the tongues to precise tonal qualities and have a cool design and beautiful wood.

Ken...this is really cool!!

Your are correct in that there is effort required to "tune" the tongues and the overall box itself. I am continuing to research this. It is mostly a trial and error process. Things like additional holes in the basic box and routing some material from the bottom side of tongues, etc is done for finite tuning. Since I am absolutely "tone deaf" it is a difficult task for me. (The only musical instrument I have learned to play is an FM radio) :D Luckily I have my GS to help with that.

I am sure we will learn more as we make more units and continue experimenting.

[Tom Mullane]

I originally cut the pattern on my scroll saw, however I found it necessary to go over it with a jig saw after it was assembled to clean out and widen the kerfs. As a matter of fact since an "el cheapo" Skil jig saw was all I had available I went and bought a new Bosch JS (hidden gloat). As far as the design goes, since it ain't mine, I can't comment. I will learn more as we proceed with some others.

Ken, If you are looking to get a wider kerf with your initial cutting, try using a #5 or maybe larger spiral scroll saw blade... I have used them with great success on some of the larger slab cuttings I do... there is a bit of a learning curve because they tend to want to follow the grain.. but not as bad as a lot of people made it out to be...
I get mine from http://www.mikesworkshop.com/blades.htm
In fact if you send me your snail mail address I can send you a couple to play with.. I have more than I am going to use for a while...
Seems that the scroll saw is taking a back seat to the lathe.. LOL

[Ken Salisbury]

Thanks Tom -- I am using my Bosch Jig Saw - not my scroll saw though

[Pete Simmons]

http://creativemastermind.com/tongue_drums


Check these out.

[Dean Vermeire]

Hi Ken,
Do you have any drawings or patterns for the tongues (keys) that you can share? Are any of them tuned to any particular scale?

Thanks!

[Cary Swoveland]

Lots more at youtube.com. Search on "tongue drum".

Cary

[Nancy Laird]

Dean and Cary,

This thread is more than two years old. Ken's not been around much lately.

Nancy (58 days)

[Dennis Peacock]

Hi Ken,
Do you have any drawings or patterns for the tongues (keys) that you can share? Are any of them tuned to any particular scale?

Thanks!

Dean,
you can get some good info here. (http://www.tonguedrum.com/)
I may try my hand at making one to see how I do with it. :D

Also.....
Some Info I found

*************

If you look up resources on making wooden xylophones you'll understand what's going on a bit better - details differ, but there's a close
relationship.

The width doesn't have much effect, but the thickness and length do. Removing wood from the tip of the tongue makes the pitch higher, from the base of the tongue makes it lower. If you want to get a close to a particular tuning before tuning the
thickness, you can calculate the lengths. Every 3% increase in length makes the tone lower by one semitone. So to get a pentatonic scale, you make six bars by multiplying the length of the longest by the following percentages: 94, 87, 82, 77, 71. Alternatively you can
work out how long the middle *pair* of bars will be, halve it, and multiply that by these percentages: 84, 89, 97, 103, 109, 119.
Then build the three pairs as 84&119, 89&109, 97&103, and tune it by removing wood from underneath.
For a vibrating string it's about 6%.

*************

If you REALLY want lots of info on just this type of thing? The get this book: "Musical Instrument Design: Practical Information for Instrument Making" :D

[Dean Vermeire]

Wow, Dennis. Good info!
The tongues with the big round things on the ends threw me off. They add mass and width, but they probably don't really do much for altering the pitch. They may really just be mostly decorative. That helps.
I do understand the ratios of tones (e.g. double the frequency and you get an octive higher), so I was working from that perspective.

Time to make some sawdust! :)

[Ken Genovese]

Ken,
That is one fun looking project. So how did you tune the fingers?
Thanks,
Ken