A couple months ago I got an email from a guitarist interested in the tongue drum. Turns out Detman plays music for his church and wanted to have the drum to share with his friends and family. Of course I was happy to oblige, and it’s great to see that they’re having as much fun playing the drum as I had making it.

Here’s a video of Detman’s friends gathered around the tongue drum. Keep dishing out the beats, we love it!! After the video Click Here to check out the hang, metallic cousin of the tongue drum.

Of all the unusual instruments, the tongue drum is undoubtedly my favorite. Of course, I’m a little bit biased since this happens to be an instrument I make myself… But really the tongue drum is so much fun to play, and also to make.

I’m still learning to play it, but this drum is a blast! Here’s a little something that’s been ringing through my head lately. After the video Click Here to see another tongue drum video.

From the oldest family of music instruments, the tongue drum is a simple instrument with an amazing sound. Technically, it’s not a drum, as there is no vibrating membrane. It is instead classified as an idiophone (though somehow the word isn’t in the dictionary), as the tongue drum makes its sound through the vibration of the body when struck by mallets or played by hand.

For thousands of years, tongue drums were made to have just one or two slits and more closely represent what is now called the slit drum. These days, tongue drums are typically made to have anywhere from 4 to 16 notes, and usually have their own unique tuning.

After watching this video, Click Here to see another world instrument.

The tongue drum goes back thousands and thousands of years within many African, Asian and South American cultures.  Originally made of hollowed-out trees, the tongue drum is classified as an idiophone, which is a type of instrument whose sound is made by the vibration of itself, and so is part of the first group of instruments ever created (except of course for the human voice).

Here is a glimpse at a modern tongue drum, crafted using modern technology. After the video, Click Here to check out an unusual performance of another world instrument.

By no means am I any kind of master with the HAPI in my hands, but I sure can have some fun with it!  This blog is dedicated to unique music worldwide and features many musicians playing their unusual and amazing instruments, this video is one of mine. 

Along with playing unusual instruments, I make a few as well. My favorites are tongue drums and kalimbas.

After the video, Click Here and check out the first tongue drum I made, it’s the first of many to come.