Tongue drum question

[Ed Hilton]

Since the latest discussion seems to have been in 2005, I thought I would start a new one. I plan to make a drum for my grandaughter, and I downloaded one of the patterns from here. But one detail that I did not see mentioned is the need for a sound hole. Does the sound improve if there is a hole in one of the sides of the box? I have no musical talents so I don't know the answer.

[Robert E Lee]

Ed, Wood magazine issue 172 October 2006 has plans for a tongue drum and it doesn’t have any holds in it. I am going to make a couple of them as was wondering why there wasn’t a sound hole and am guessing the sound comes out the top as there is a couple of small holes in the top.
Good luck
Bob

[Brian Hough]

Ed,i made 3 of the drums for our son (a muscian) Two were maple & paduk,one was oak & paduk.The sound difference is noticable to a trained &younger ear(son).No sound holes required.If this was January i would have sent photos (HINT HINT to MRS> SANTA)

[Lincoln Myers]

I am also planning on making 6 tongue drums this month for Christmas presents. Any pictures, hints, tips would be appreciated.

I have some old mahogony that I'm planning on planing down to make these.

Thanks in advance for any further information.

-Linc

[Art Mulder]

Ed... are you talking about one of these?
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I made one back in 2004 from some Wood plans.

Here's what I wrote about it back then on my web page:

Hands up, all woodworkers who save woodworking magazines, or other interesting project ideas.

That's what I thought.

This "Musical Tone Box" project is reproduced from a Wood Magazine project book article that I've had stashed away in my ideas binder for almost ten years. Packrats of the world, we stand vindicated.

This project is, essentially, a sort of wooden drum. There's not much to say about the construction details. It's just a hardwood box, 16" long, 5.5" tall, and 6.5" deep. I chose 3/4" thick walnut for the carcass. The base is a piece of 1/2" poplar plywood (baltic birch would be a good choice). There are decorative cuts in the front, to let sound to escape.

The top is the key. There are six "fingers" of differring lengths and widths cut into the wood of the top. Striking these with the drumsticks will give different sounds. The pattern for those fingers was provided with the original article.
This project was a bit nervewracking to build, because I had no idea what it would sound like once completed. Even with the box assembled, rapping on the top with my knuckles only gave a hint of the sounds locked up inside. It wasn't until the first drumstick was completed that I could hear the sounds that the box would produce.

I'd like to reassure parents everywhere that it is safe to give this to your children. It isn't that loud. This box produced a very nice muted drum sound. Tapping away with the drumsticks is certainly quieter than the average video game.

The instructions advised an oil finish, rather than a film finish. The reason is that the fingers are going to move a bit, so we want something here with some give to it. I used some Circa 1850 Tung-n-Teak oil that I had handy in the shop. Three coats were wiped on, soaked in, and the excess wiped off. A bit of buffing with a 3m pad (equivalent to #0000 wool) inbetween coats helped ensure a smooth finish.

If you've looked at the photo's by now, you've probably wondered about the weird looking drumsticks. Each is constructed from a one-inch diameter "superball" mounted onto a 1/4" dowel. Drill a hole approximately 1/2" into the ball and force in the dowel. The original plans suggested wrapping the balls in leather. I looked into that, but couldn't figure an easy way to do so without it ending up looking rather bunched and messy. (Perhaps thinner leather, or larger superballs?) I think the bare superballs look fine, and work fine. And the kids like it as is!

Boom thumpa boom bang.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

It's more a very simple glockenspiel than a drum.
The reason it got called a drum was probably error on the part of an observer seeing that it was tapped with a little mallet like one might a drum.

It is a tuneable instrument during the manufacturing process. You scrape or grind away from the middle of the vibrating member to raise the pitch. Do it in an arc.
In theory there is no reason at all why you can't have as many notes as you want.