Tongue Drums **PICS**

[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) 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.
I may try my hand at making one to see how I do with it.

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"

[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