Thread: More off-cuts – tongue drum

Originally Posted by Wongo

Sorry mate, no plans.

I saw it in shop once. They were selling it for $395 each. :eek: I have made about 10 so far and they all have different dimensions. It all depends on the size of the off cuts really. Lets say 35cmX15cmX12cm.

As for the pattern, I just make it up. The tongues are in pair and different lengths.

At that price, I can see why you'd try your hand at building your own!

I was hoping for an easy build, but as usual I'll have to start from the bottom. [shrug] If mine doesn't work out, I guess the kids'll simply get more tops this chrissie. I can do wth the practice on the scrollsaw anyway.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

IIf mine doesn't work out

Mate mate mate, you little faith. It will work trust me. It actually sounds very nice.

I have made one of these drums also. My drum did not have the hole in the side. Does the drum produce a better sound with the hole?

I dont know.

Originally Posted by dmartin

I have made one of these drums also. My drum did not have the hole in the side. Does the drum produce a better sound with the hole?

Now there's a good topic for a post "Do you bang better with a hole or without".

Great idea Scott, and keep showing off the bench, its very bragworthy.

Originally Posted by Wongo

Wongo it's a piece of junk, but seeing as how you are a nice bloke I'll take it off your hands for 10 bucks just so it won't spoil the look of your workshop.

Very nice Wongo mate!

I reckon my neighbour's kid started off with something like these. The only issue is that he's progressed past little charmers like your presents, and is into large, amplified drum kits.

Oh, and he likes heavy metal.:mad:

Can't play worth a dam* either, but that doesn't deter him.

My jointer does though

Cheers!

Hi, I've been looking for information about building tongue drums and I found this message board. I was wondering if anyone knows how to tune them, I have electronic tuners for a guitar and tuning forks to aid me in it. No please correct me if Im wrong but the drum is nothing but a nice box except the top has been jig sawed into cool looking segments. The length and depth of the box will determine the pitch (bigger=lower smaller=higher pitch and less volume). I thought I read that when making the tongues you carve at the base of tongues where they meet the bulk of the top to lower the pitch? SO I could just sit with the box 3/4 finished and carve the tongues put it back on the rest of the box tune test it to see if its to where I want it, and take it off and correct (carve) if needed.
I would love to hear how anyone else completed the building of one f these as this would be the most crucial part of the building.
Thanks!

Well if you just want to use it as a toy for a 4yr old then yes it is nothing more than a nice wooden box that makes amusing sound.

If you want to use it as a true musical instrument then sorry I can’t comment on it.

Cheers

What did you use as mallets?

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%, but vibrating bars don't work
like that, as I found when making my Cyclonophone,

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

I have started one too just to see how to tune them i let you all know it I can.

Originally Posted by Iain

What did you use as mallets?

Bouncy balls from Toys'R'us

Thanks for the info, Ill check back often to see how you do on yours. In the mean time Ill take your advise and look up xylophone making for help as well.