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The Cosmic Drum is a melodic percussion music instrument in metal, it is more commonly called Tongue Drum (or steel tongue drum)
The Cosmic drum is a very intuitive instrument, no need to know music theory to play it and impossible to make "wrong notes". It is suitable for everyone from the age of 3 to 110...
First step:
Before choosing your Cosmic Drum, you will first have to ask yourself about the use you want to have of the instrument.
- Do you plan to play alone or with other musicians? - Do you want to transport it to play outside or just at home in an intimate setting? - Do you want to obtain a positive, joyful or rather melancholic and calm sound atmosphere? Depending on its number of notes, its pitch or its range, the instrument will offer different playing possibilities. If you don't yet have the answers to these questions, don't panic, let's see together below the choices available to you...
The selection criteria available to you:
-The tuning fork in 432 Hz or in 440 Hz? -The number of notes -The choice of range -The aesthetic finish -The accessories
The tuning fork in 432hz or 440hz?
First of all, what is the tuning fork?
The tuning fork defines the tuning reference frequency of the Cosmic drum. Most instruments (guitar, piano, flute...) are tuned in 440 Hz, so if you want to be able to play with other musicians, choose a Cosmic drum in 440 Hz. According to some studies, instruments tuned in 432 Hz would have beneficial effects on the body because they are in relation with the natural elements of the Earth...
So if you are sensitive to these frequencies and you do not intend to play with other musicians, you can make that choice.
Also, instruments tuned in 432 Hz are particularly suitable to accompany relaxation sound treatments and for music therapy.
The number of notes:
At okhonoko.com the choice of instruments extends from 6 to 12 notes, this is the second criterion to be defined.
- The 6-notes Cosmic Drum (the smallest) is more suitable for children or people who want a smaller and lighter instrument to carry, it also have the particularity of being a little higher than the 8 notes or the 12 grades.
- The 8-note Cosmic Drum offer more melodic possibility than the 6-note.
They are tuned on a medium register, with beautiful bass notes. These are the instruments that we sell the most.
- The 12-note Cosmic Drum are the most versatile and can play both low and high notes, offering more diversity in melodic composition. 12-note instruments are often chosen by musicians or by people who want to be able to enjoy their full sound spectrum.
THE CHOICE OF RANGE:
In Western music, scales can be classified into two main categories: major scales and minor scales.
Major scales are often described as happier, more positive, more dynamic. These scales are very often used for nursery rhymes... While the minor scales will give a calmer, more nostalgic atmosphere, conducive to introspection. Most tongue drums are tuned to minor scales. The best is to watch the videos of the different models, to listen to the differences between these two categories and to trust your feelings.
The aesthetic finish:
At okhonoko.com we create the Cosmic drums with different color finishes.
You can choose the finish of the instrument, its colors using the "filter by colors" in the left column.
Some of the Cosmic drums are painted, which makes their sounds a little duller and the harmonics a little less present, knowing that, it's up to you to choose the colors you like.
Other instruments have a raw varnish finish, others are heat treated and blued, still others have a "rusty" finish and matte varnish. These types of finish without painting let the harmonics of the instrument express themselves more, the notes played thus have more resonance than the painted instruments, each note played resonates longer. Perfect for enjoying the instrument's vibrations for longer or for playing outdoors...
Choose an instrument that you like, that you want to play with, that you want to look at for the pleasure of the eyes.
The accessories:
Finally, the accessories available on okhonoko.com are :
- a pair of additional rubber sticks to obtain a more powerful and percussive sound for playing outdoors, for example...
- a carrying bag if you need to carry your Cosmic drum on the go to share with family and friends...
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the first thing to define when you want to purchase a tongue drum is how you are going to play with your instrument.
Most people who buy a Cosmic drum play it alone for moments of relaxation but will also like to be able to play it with other musicians, in this case it is better to choose an instrument tuned in 440 Hz.
If you are sure to play it only alone, you have the choice between a 432 or a 440 Hz, (by ear you will not hear the difference).
The second criterion to define is the number of notes of your instrument.
A 6-note Cosmic drum will be smaller, lighter but will offer less possibility of creation.
An 8-note Cosmic drum will offer more melodic possibility with nice bass.
Finally, a 12-note Cosmic drum will offer maximum creative possibilities and will allow you to play on the entire sound spectrum from bass to treble.
The choice of the range is done more by listening to the videos and comparing the different major and minor models to feel which ones you prefer. The finish of the instrument not only has its importance in the resonance duration of the harmonics (a raw Cosmic drum will resonate more if it is raw) but also and above all the finish will influence your desire to play (if the finish of the Cosmic drum please you will play more)
The Cosmic drums sold on okhonoko.com collarbone are handcrafted in France.
They all offer magnificent sounds, if despite all these tips, you are not more enlightened, trust your senses, choose your instrument according to what you like, quite simply.