How to Choose a Steel Tongue Drum: Your Guide to Finding the Right Tongue Drum for You! 

Oh my goodness, I'm going to have to hide my wallet away for a few days while I get over this tongue drum fever I have going. Thanks for the reviews!

Your laughter could cure the world of all that is wrong! Thank you!!!

The smile after playing every drum is just gold

This was a great video for someone shopping around. And you nailed it... the big controversy is between handmade and mass-produced. Like everything else... you pay a lot of money for a small increase in quality but yet... it makes all the difference. :-) I love how you covered the difference between playing familiar tunes and playing meditative stuff. That's not obvious to beginners. Great video.

Thank you very much🙏 I was starting to get overwhelmed with all the options in Amazon. So happy I found you 😍

Very helpful, loved handpan/tongue drum music for the longest time and finally got the motivation to dip my toes in the water, ordered the purple c major one

Thank you so much. I love music, and have been intrigued by these tongue drums. Thank you for the demo of the different types.

What a fantastic video... Great job !! Very informative.. I'm looking to buy my first one.. You've definitely helped me out. Thankyou for taking the time to do this. 👏🏻👏🏻

Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video. I love the sounds but am clueless on what / how / where / when so this was really useful. Especially useful to hear the difference in sound ... some have quite a metallic resonance ... There are just sooooooo many options out there (especially from Team China - where it's hit-or-miss) so it's really good that you gave links of relatively decent pans / drums to chose from :)

This was awesome; thank you, very educational!! Also, love the way you show up. ASMR tingles for sure.

Totally Beautiful! 💗 thanks a lot for the guide, you've had illuminated my path for buying the right one for my needs (appreciated 🙏 ) keep up the good work

Thank you so much Molly ! 👍 Besides your beautiful natural smile, your laugh and smooth voice, you instruct us very well, and clearly. 🙂 I wish I had you as my music teacher! Keep making videos, I'm following you! 🎶🌟

Fantastic videos, I've been searching for an appropriate tounge drum for a kiddo and you've been super informative!

The third one, the white one, sounds like a sound effect one would have heard on a PBS children's show, in the mid 70s, perhaps as part of a magical story! It took me back! 🙂

I so very much love your presentation method, and your little giggle make my day, thanks so much for these videos, I have because of you purchased a Diatonic Drum with center cuts, thanks so so much for all your videos!

A great video for a music novice who is looking for a good drum to use in meditation. Thank you for all the time and effort you put into producing this video.

The way Your face lights up when You play these is Wonderful. I am a Drumkit, Conga, Bongo and Tabla player. These are a new world for Me to try. Thank You! Subbed.

Really helpful and you clearly love your drums. Thank you.

Thanks Molly. You are so helpful and I love the way you laugh and smile, and have so much knowledge. I have 2 kosmoskys, and learning more. The magnetics are a great suggestion. I like to support the indie makers and Alex Petin is such a great tank player and love their website and their chat help people are great. I feel loyalty to them, but I might try one of the others sometime, based on your recommendations.

Thank you! Such great information. Love your smile & laugh too! 😊

THANK YOU!! I actually need this right now. I was getting lost in the rabbit hole.

Excellent video, so helpful, thank you!

Thank you so much for this video, I love percussion and I love the sound of metal drums, especially the tongue drum is beautiful.

Super-useful and charming overview, thank you! It is very helpful :)

All the ones that are made of a magnetic steel you can flaten and fine tune the notes to many different scales with small magnets. A $60 13 note drum fine tuned with magnets sound amazing.

These are beautiful, thank you for your video. I’m off to buy my first tongue drum.

Really great video! Thank you for posting. Excellent.

That white Harmonic Star drum 1:32 is as of this moment, dubbed as the Marshmallow Drum.

Thank you for comparisons of drums

OMG your sweet sincere personality comes through so clear. Thank you

Nice, accessible and informative video!

I love your videos, they are informative and clear, but the best part is your beautiful smile and your beautiful way of expresing yourself. You are beautiful, your husband and children are fortunate to have you in their lives. Congratulations, I love you

Thanks, really informative 👍🏻

Hi Molly! Thanks for sharing such a nice overview of tongue drums w/ the world! From the weeeeee ones to the Kosmosky & Guda! You speak of the differences between mass-produced verses independent, artisan made instruments in a gentle way. I appreciated your neutrality as well as transparency with mentioning that you're an Amazon Associate. It'd be cool to see a list of US & Global independent, artisan makers! I know of at least three in the states from coast to coast! Thanks for sharing the eeeease of music with folks!! Blessings, -sarah paz hyde

I love your video and your wonderful energy! 🥰🙏🧡

Great video thanks❣️

Lol….you’re as addicted to tongue drums as I am to handpans! Too fun! Thanks for all the shares….knowledge is key in all of this!! 🤗🛸🎶🦋

Thank you for making this video. It was very informative.

OOOOH thank you! I love the Idio drums! I do sound baths but I like to create songs and record them. Thank you for the demos!

Amazing video! Thank you :)

*THANKYOU* This was the best, most enjoyable and informative videos ever. If every video I looked up & watched was like this ... I would know alot of stuff! Peace n Mung Beans!

Apart from the great content, your smile is so fantastically infectious you should have it patented. Thanks for spreading this good energy! 🙏

Thank you sooo much for your effort and not talking for 5 minutes before you actually played an instrument.

Very helpful video thanks, I just got my el cheapo $25 steel tongue in the mail today. I figure if I like this entry-level drum, I'll invest more later to get a superior sound. Keep up the great work

Thanks so much!!! I ordered my drum. It didn't come yet, Wish I had saw this video first...

Super helpful, thank you! Ronda

Thanks for the information.

Very good info , tqvm for the sharing ❤great jobs 🥳🥳🥳

This is the most helpful of ALL videos on this subject that I was able to find. I made my choice and an very excited because of the information, observations, and demonstrations you provided! My Kosmosky is on the way.

I have a 12in Kosmosky drum. It sounds wonderful. It's green and has UFOs on it

Thanks so much for this... sooo helpful. My head has been spinning trying to figure out my first drum and you're so amazing. I don't know if you read comments in this older videos, but I was wondering if you can play these with just your hands? I'd appreciate any input. Thanks again, much love ❤

😍Well BIG is better 😂... I'm just hypnotised by the way you smile after showing each tongue drum. I'm buying an HandPan anyways but your guide was AMAZING! Thank you. 🤩

Very informative. Thank you

Thank you ❤

Excellent tutorial! I think the beauty of tongue drums is using them for improvisation. Anyone can play them and make beautiful music! I originally tried to buy a mass produced drum but even thought I'm retired and haven't made music since high school, I could tell they were out of tune - bought 3 and returned them all! I now have an idiopan, 2 kosmoskys, a hapi mini and a mini vibedrum. Each one is turned to a different scale and all I do is improvise. It's kept me sane during these unprecedented times.

Very helpful

This is the video I was searching for.

This video is exactly what I was looking for in my search for a first tongue drum. I've got a question at the end, but first let me say your demeanor, ever-present smile, and cute little chuckles really made this an endearing video. It was a no-brainer to subscribe. I'm looking forward to your other videos and the quiet, friendly, positive calm you showed in this one. Kudos to you! So, my question, which you've probably heard all too many times: Which would you suggest I get? I love music, and I really respond to deep rich tones. A little 6" drum won't do it for me, I probably will be happiest with a 12" or 14". Weight is no problem because I will only play at my home and I'm a 6' tall man. Based on this video (thank you so much!) diatonic is definitely the way to go. I will want to learn and play music from video games (Legend of Zelda, Mario), anime and other similar shows, and even stray into the range of country, pop, classical, etc. as I grow. I have no desire to perform or record, I just want to sit in my home, feel the music envelope and flow through me, and find arrangements that resonate with me. I don't want to buy a cheap thing no matter how it looks, but I don't want to drop a mint on my first drum either. I want decent quality that I won't be disappointed with once I gain a basic level of proficiency, i.e. something that will last a long time in my musical journey. It might be financially smart to start off with a mass produced, but only if I can count on it being reasonably well tuned. So, asking to tap into your obvious extensive knowledge, and understanding that any advice you give me is infinitely better than I can dredge up on my own: What would your top 3 suggestions be? Thank you again MMK!

This information was phenomenal. So much great info! Thank you so much. 🙏😊 I’ve been reading all about these drums and I really want to purchase one. I don’t want a humongous heavy one… But I definitely want ‘enough’ to do what I want to do- if that makes sense. 😅 So as a beginner interested in getting a mass produced drum, wanting to learn to play actual songs, what scale and how many notes would you recommend? I’ve read articles saying you shouldn’t start with C scale until you’ve mastered D. But I’ve also read that you should start with he C scale. Am I limited on how many songs I can play on, say, an 11 note drum or is there a way to create the notes I need out of the notes available? 😂Sorry for all the extra questions! Thanks again for this video. ❤🎉

Thank you very much for info, even small lessons on tuning, scales and difference between mass produced vs handmade. Any thoughts on April Yang's and Yinama's drums?

Thank you

Thank you Sweety..you're a real Darling..!@ As a Bladesmith, retired Arch' & Eng', i can now build one as a Surprise gift for a Family member..!! Your explenation is absolutely superb..!!

Hi Molly, Thank you for all your awesome video's. Love the way you explain with so much joy and passion. I just want to buy my first tongue drum. Besides for reducing stress, I would like to play few simple songs. Can you pls explain the difference in drums in C or D? Thnx in advance. Bye the way your smile is contagious 😂👌Hope to see more video's of you.

Thank you for your videos, Musical Molly Khan, I really get something from them and they make me happy. LOL, the Zelda song 😂

Thank you I decided on the c major tongue drum with 14 notes from china as the key is good for me and I need to be able to play sheet music on it.

Very interesting!

Thank you Molly. Very detailed. Great info. I want some thing to expose my grandchildren to this type of music. Obviously, not the most expensive as they may not find themselves attracted to steel pan drum music. Any suggestions for younger gen?

Hi Molly,I just found your list of drums in order of presentation with the contact info. Thank you so much for an informative video. I will indeed send a contribution for your helpful guidance before I make my purchase. Jeannie

Thank you for your videos. You showed 2 different Hluru tongue drums in your video and I like them both. I am looking into buying one, which one will you recommended for a beginner? I have no music knowledge so it is hard for me to make a decision.

OMG, girl... please, make a video about HOW TO BE SO CHEERFULL! 🤣 Thanks a lot, I've watched your videos and ordered my first drum, I hope I'll be as happy as you while playing on it 😁 Greetings from Poland 🥰

Hello Molly. I'm a new subscriber and recently purchased my first tongue drum. I'd originally wanted a good quality handpan, but it was too costly. So were the handmade tongue drums. So I went with the Drume 12 inch tongue hand drum in D Major. I'd carefully listened to a few different ones before choosing this one. But I was very disappointed to find that this wasn't exactly in tune. There's a bit of a wa wa wa sound on the high C# note. Then the low C# was a bit off as well. One person suggested using a hacksaw to fix the tunage. But then he suggested to contact you about getrting tuning magnets to try and fix the problem. Being a musician myself, but not experienced with tongue or handpan drums, I thought that maybe contacting you was the best idea. There's a rubber piece that fits in the hole under the tongue drum. Am I supposed to leave that in or take it out when playing it; or does it matter? I'd really like to tune the wavy notes if I could so that I don't have to return the drum. If I can't fix it, I may go bats trying to play it like that. Please HELP! giggles

The link for the first drum mentioned goes to a thumb piano. Do you have an updated link for the small purple tongue drum?

Amazing video and well explained. You have a great energy and passion that comes through in your videos. I am not musically trained, nor am I overly savvy in my understanding of music theory. If price were not an option, and I’m starting out with a steel tongue drum, what size, kind, style and scale would you recommend for someone who wants to learn popular music on the steel tongue drum, such a the ‘Let it be’ by The Beatles, to ‘I Guess that’s Why They Call it the Blues’ by Elton John, to a ‘Isn’t she Lovely’, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, The Supremes, Jewel, Christine and the Queens and Amy Wine House (you get the idea - I am not as refined as a trained harp player, but I’m just after an enjoyable past-time musical experience that brings me joy’. From what I understand, an independent diatonic with 7 notes (full range)? Would I go for the tongue slits, a larger size, idiotonic? Any help you can provide would be so so appreciated. I’m based on Australia if that helps and am open to learning more about music as a learn the drum. Thank you Jack x

Fascinating thank you so much. Is the tuning "equal temperament" or true? Could be important if playing with other instruments. Thank you again for a very detailed, helpful introduction.

That little white one you showed looks like the four brothers one (brand name) I own

Aloha! best review yet! mahalo nui loa! would like to find local (in Hawaii) but no luck so far! trying to find the best small one for my sister who has CFS, just for meditation and relaxation, balancing and centering. do you have a recommendation. it needs to be small so she can easily carry it and hold it.

Thank you for a really great video. I would like to source that small purple drum for a child but the link does not take me there. Cannot find it anywhere on Amazon. Did you buy them all?:)

Thank you! Here I am sitting with a fancier drum on my lap completely baffled I can't figure out "Song of the Storms" on it. Now I know it doesn't have all the notes. I'm not insane, thank you.

I love you!!! Your energy is amazing vibrating high you are so charismatic and passionate talking about the tongue drums. Your information was extremely helpful actually I cancel my order for the one you show in this video and change it for another one that fit better in my project. Thank you very very much. Great video

My impression that the most beautiful (while also being of high quality) drums come from Eastern Europe, such as Kosmosky (Russia) and Guda and Nova in Ukraine. I have yet to find a US manufacturer that has anything as visually appealing as these, but the quality may be just as good. I have a 12-inch Kosmosky in D-Minor (pentatonic) as well as a Four Uncles 12-inch in C Major. The latter is nothing special, and C Major is not my favorite scale, but at least I can play popular songs on it.

How different do tongue drums sound from handpans? Need to know for my Christmas shopping!

If my wife and I want to get two different drums to jam with what should I look for as far as key and scale I understand the pentatonic scale is good what about in key does a c minor go with a c major etc how do I choose two drums that complement each other? PS I love your videos thank you!

Which tongue drum do you recommend to apply for a meditative sound bath?

hi, i love your videos, thank you so much! A few questions: 1) what size should one get for a child? 2) what is difference in sound and benefit of 6 inch vs 12 inch for example? and 3) what is your best recommendation for an overtone tongue drum for adults, for children, by value (good price) and by preference overall? Thank you so much!

Do you have a link for the big green drum thats mass produced that you showed?.. have you tested Huedrum?

Hi Molly, thank you for your reviews! I have been watching so many of your reviews for tongue drums. I'm a yoga teacher, new to tongue drum, I do have ocean drums, singing bowls & chimes for meditation sessions and I would like to bring in tongue drum in 30 mins sound healing sessions too. I couldn't decide either Rakumi 12' inch or HOPWELL 12'', could you please share your opinion? Look forward to your reply, meanwhile I will continue to watch your reviews :) Thank you for all your sharings!

Hi, enjoy your videos. Are there any other slim tunable drums with the hole in top like the Hsppysun that you recommend? That one is out of stock on Amazon

Are they all in C or can you get them tuned in different keys? Or is there an advanced technique to alter the pitch to play in a different key?

Hello Molly! Thank you for this video. I play on Celtic lever harps ( 26 & 36 strings). I also play with a small harp group. What drum would be best to play with the harps group if we play Christmas carols or some other harp tunes?

would you please tell me(others) about the drum with the slits, a great sound... what drum would work in a restaurant setting

Hello could you do video and the different kind if mallets and which are best for which size of drum please.

Hi, which one is the most calm and comfortable sound

Hello dear, great intro. May I get the link to the drums, I cannot see it anywhere. Thanks a lot🌷

Appreciate your reviews...an interesting 'channel' Wonder if you've ever come across a Panda tongue drum? Initially I was interested in a Rakumi, but it might be a bit ethereal for the couple I'd liek to give a tongue drum to. The husband is an amatuer drummer, and they are expecting their first baby...and thought a tongue drum might be ideal for their pre baby gitters and a great musical escape for the whole family once the little one arrives...

Can you share the link to the 12inch mass produced one you showed?

I don’t wanna play on my lap. Is there a stand for the idiopan or guda you can recommend? Those don’t seem to be able to be played flat on a table. Can they?

Hello Molly, great in depth video . I want to buy one form my husband who has dementia l thought it could be nice for him , l am still unsure of which sort. Have you come across Balamy drums?

Could you please tell me where you can buy tongue drum sticks that aren't wooden. Mine came with wooden sticks and I am allergic to the wood. Maybe not where to buy them but what they are called so I could find different kind of sticks to buy. Thanks.

I like the Russian one but what scale would you get it in if you wanted to keep melody?

I can't decide which one I like most... !