Steel Tongue Drum

A wide range of hand-hammered tongue drums

Our shop offers a wide range of exceptional steel tongue drums for sale. All the steel tongue drums sold in our shop are hand-hammered by craftsmen who are experts in the design of idiophone instruments.

We therefore offer tongue drums with original designs, different sizes and multiple tones with various scale tunings.

Feel free to listen to the audio extracts on each product page to choose the musical instrument that’s best for you.

What is a steel tongue drum?

A tongue drum (sometimes called a hank drum or tank drum) is a percussion musical instrument which, like the handpan, belongs to the idiophone family of instruments. This simply means that the sounds are created by the resonances and vibrations of the materials of the instrument itself.

The steel tongue drum is an easy-to-handle instrument that always plays harmonious notes. It’s impossible to play a wrong note on a tongue drum, which explains why more and more people are falling in love with this instrument.

With its compact size and affordable price, it’s a musical instrument that’s perfect for people looking to relax, meditate or learn a new instrument. It’s also ideal for introducing children to music!

What’s the difference between a tongue drum and a handpan?

These two musical instruments belong to the same family, but have very distinct differences. The first difference that immediately catches the eye is the size of the instruments. They are not at all the same size, since a steel tongue drum is on average half the size of a handpan.

The tongue drum is therefore easier to handle and easier to carry than a hang drum, but that’s not all. The sounds are also very different, even though they are both idiophones. The sounds of a tongue drum will be brighter and more resonant, while the sounds of a handpan will be round and deep.

Finally, there’s a striking difference from a consumer point of view, since tongue drums are much cheaper than handpans. Many tongue drums can be found for under £500, whereas entry-level handpan prices start at around £900 to £1000.

Steel tongue drums are therefore a great way to get started with an idiophone instrument without breaking the bank!

How do I learn to play the steel tongue drum?

The tongue drum is a very accessible musical instrument, and learning to play it won’t be too difficult as long as you practise a little.

To help you along your learning curve, we supply a learning booklet with the purchase of every tongue drum sold in our shop. You’ll quickly get to know all the notes on your tongue drum, with music sheets included in the guide to help you play your first songs and other melodies.

There are also a large amount of video tutorials on YouTube for learning different melodies and covers.

You’ll be amazed at how little time it takes to play a tongue drum correctly and with a good rhythm.

How do you choose your tongue drum?

Choosing a tongue drum is not an easy task, but there are methods and criteria that can be applied to help you decide which model to choose.

Here is a list of the main criteria to consider when choosing your steel tongue drum:

• The number of tongues, i.e. the number of different notes on the instrument

• The size of the instrument

• The materials used

• The scale and tonality of the instrument

• The frequency of the tongue drum

• The manufacturer’s reputation

• The accessories included

• The price