How to Make and Tune a Tongue Drum

[@panworks]

Putting rubber feet on the bottom so the box is free to resonate would help the tone considerably.

[@KayFox_Creations]

11:44 He did

[@sandollor]

@@KayFox_Creations Never trust a Teemo

[@KayFox_Creations]

@@sandollor Never! :D

[@kendallbrayden212]

instablaster...

[@clintonthe4th245]

every time I see a woodworker make an instrument I am amazed by how much they love to work with wood. And by how much they seem more like they want to work with wood than play music.:)

[@Woodumakeit]

Haha, yeah....I do love making stuff with wood. I can play the piano, but I'd much rather be building things. 😀

[@martinluthierking]

that’s why they are woodworkers and not musicians

[@BlackHoleForge]

I saw another man playing this one time. He says that he planes down every tongue differently, to get the tone that is desired. He said it's less about how big the tongues are, and more about how thick they are.

[@GrasshopperKelly]

That's how a musician will do it. It takes longer, but like you said, it changes the timbre, unlike just taking chunks of wood out with say a drill, which changes the pitch, and messes with the timbre, rather than tune it.

[@knifeyonline]

@@GrasshopperKelly it wouldn't take longer if you just programmed it into a C&C machine, which I bet is how most people do it... obviously lowering the mass by drilling out chunks won't sound great. Carpenters aren't always musicians it seems lol

[@vedavyas6191]

why would anyone even dislike this video or discourage his work

[@Ibaneddie76]

How could people thumbs down this video? It's great.

[@Sugarsail1]

Because the audio recording is hideous?

[@brianspenst1374]

After building several rope tension drums, these tongue drums are one my short list of projects to do soon.

[@offairhead]

I made one of these in high school bc my shop teacher had one on display that he had made which I loved. The name I learned for these was “Aztec drums.” As an adult I have wanted to make more for a long time and could never find any info on them online until I finally found the name “tongue drum”

[@MrFritzzz666]

Awesomeness. Tamber is the term you are looking for. Pitch is the vibrating frequency. Tamber are nuances in the speaking voice irrespective of pitch

[@afterthestorm7012]

I think a thinner shell would allow for more resonance, coming from a drum perspective. Also like someone else commented, some rubber feet to keep it of the resting surface, would help from muffling the beautiful box sounds.

[@rimar2000]

It's nice to see a person working so well.

[@JamieLuv2u]

This is my first viewing of this channel. I am getting a lesson to use the saws in the make it space this week. I am so excited!

[@knowyourenemy6947]

Nice work. As you pointed out on the birdseye maple box, getting the grain to fully hit flush on all four sides is incredible.

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks!

[@nelsonx5326]

Nice kids. Cool music boxes.

[@Thom4123]

Very cool build while liking both so much but for some reason I like the sound from the cocobolo just a little better. And very much like the comment about prep work I heard a guy the other day put just right " we put hours and hours or days, months even a year now spend the week or what ever it takes to prep your work properly." So true. Love your videos I'm hooked.

[@Woodumakeit]

I kind of agree with you about the cocobolo. I noticed that right from the start when I bought the wood. You could tell it was clearly a good tone wood just by tapping it. However, I think my favorite of the two boxes is the maple and padauk box. It sounds "almost" the same but the grain is spectacular, especially up close and in person.

[@timlarsson]

I love woodworking, and I love instruments! Would be very fun to make my own percussion instruments like these... but I'm always so envious of all the equipment people have in these kinds of videos. I basically only have a handsaw, regular sandpaper, and a few square feet of backyard at my disposal... it's discouraging! :P The dream though: make my very own guitar. Some day... some day...

[@Woodumakeit]

Don't give up, Tim! I certainly didn't start out with all this stuff; it's an accumulation over more than 30 years. If you don't have the tools or the room, you might be able to find a shared woodworking shop, or a shared maker space. Just follow your interests and you'll get there eventually. Thanks for watching! -- Mike

[@EyeBallGamers]

i made my first guitar in my bedroom with hand tools and it was a lot less difficult than I thought just more time, I bought some cheap rasps that let me carve the neck down fast and if I could go back I would save for a jigsaw or router to make things a lot faster but you can still do it if you can get the material

[@chopshops]

The tools that you have at your disposal make this far easier for you than for most, this feels like less of a how-to and more of a showcase. Still an awesome video though!

[@Mr.SpaceBurger]

You are very pleasant to listen to and your video production is well done. Looking forward to more vids.

[@jacobeverman5694]

4:15 “it’s pretty tight so I’m going to tap it in” WHAM WHAM WHAM

[@kerrybarneyiii1202]

Lol I said the exact same thing

[@Henry-n7n8]

yep I would make these, i don't have all the tools that you have. very good looking box

[@lass-inangeles7564]

Thank you for a lovely demo, Mike. The drums look splendid! You made some good looking kids too! Glad they are playing music at a young age. Hope they pick up your wood working skills - so handy.

[@davidkeeth5968]

It sounds like it played in reverse lol

[@neolynx_]

Exactly what i was thinking

[@JFairweather]

The recording was done using a compressor that was turned waaaaaay up. There should have been no need for this.

[@reaganharder1480]

@@JFairweather i suspect the transient was very high, which could make it difficult to hear anything after it if the volume is just low to begin with. A faster release on the compressor could do a lot.

[@the_psychedelic_lucario]

@@JFairweather That is exactly what I was thinking!

[@nategroshek]

It also may be that he had his lapel mic open along with the condenser microphone which causes some phasing issues

[@DanGoodShotHD]

Just an idea to get better stability when cutting the top. Set the top in useing double sided tape. When your done pop it back out, remove the tape and glue away! Hope this helps. 👍

[@micheallois5828]

Is amazing how some few people have this gifts to do things like this ... when I see this I feel I can do to ... but no ... no no . Great job

[@AlDano]

I like your background music. I feel like I'm playing an old Liesure Suit Larry game.

[@rykhaviland3591]

I'm completely gobsmacked. That is phenomenal!

[@Safecracker49]

Beautiful workmanship

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank you!

[@derekdowns6275]

I suspect Automatic Gain Control, or a bit too aggressive compression.

[@blessed885]

Great looking quality there's couple other tubers who did few other woods but this tubers looks great 🤗

[@qmoonp]

compression waaaaaayyy to high on that mic

[@danandkiko]

Beautiful work. I will definitely try this. I don't have all of your equipment, but I do have a jigsaw.

[@elliea9351]

They're beautiful! The "kids" seem to love them too;)

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks, Ellie. Yes, the little kiddies loved playing with them. 😂

[@kathrynrodlun1624]

Thank you I watched and I will make my own sticks! Super cool!

[@OneironautASMR]

Honestly, I really might make it. excellente

[@lkb3rd]

In guitar making, spruce is used for tops due to its resonant character, maybe that would work on these too. Red Spruce (commonly called Adirondack Spruce) or Sitka Spruce are the two most common. Maple, Rosewood, or Mahogany typically are used for the sides and back, although others are sometimes seen too.

[@MythMavericks]

В конце просто ангельские звуки, амброзия для ушей!

[@tomhoyer2313]

Makle a small box for high tones and a big box for low tones. I saw a woodwright from Arizona at a show. He had this coffee table size drum. Wow! What a sweet low smooth sound. I like your Incra Ibox and angle guide. Nex time try a caul under your clamps. Good video.

[@MacTech007]

The boxes look fantastic! Cheers from Ontario

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks! Ontario, Canada or Ontario, California?

[@MacTech007]

Ontario Canada

[@Woodumakeit]

Nice! That's where I grew up, but now I'm in Virginia.

[@mrman8342]

I love the happy busy house wife music 😝

[@tony5535]

They will the "fingers" like those on a propane tank and they are called "Hang Drum" and they play them with their fingers. Nice job. Where I live it has gotten very hard to get exotic woods anymore. There are NO private lumberyards anymore. So I have to order it and pay out the ying yang.

[@capnskustomworks]

That maple grain definitely came out beautiful, brethren! I have made many steel tongue drums, and superball mallets are my preference for playing, as well. You're quite correct that tuning is an effort, but experimentation (with carefully noted results) and careful planning go a long way toward easing the burden before it becomes one. To anyone looking to experiment with their own, I cannot recommend highly enough reading the work of Mr. Dennis Havlena!

[@dennisdickson6210]

My son plays percussion and will be getting one of these. Great job.

[@antmallett6065]

Nice work, Mike. The maple box is especially nice.

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks! I like that one too!

[@mikeMikeydowns]

Fascinating ! I think this is really cool. You do an outstanding job in my opinion.

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank you!

[@Ibaneddie76]

Beautiful job sir, what a great project to do with your kids too. I think it would be neat to build these in conjunction with some cigar box guitars and make a family band. Great video and great pieces. I preferred the look of the maple and paduke box and the sounds of the cocabolo.

[@guardsdepot]

How lucky to have the gift of an enormously enjoyable talent.....................................brilliant posting.............

[@matthausholzl2645]

guardsdepot Lucky? Gift? He learned that...

[@AdeAmoenus]

Very nice woodwork, i wish i had the same tools. About the tuning, it is a Mather of taste. Normally for this kind of instruments, i would recommend the pentatonic scales. Another things you can to to tune them without taking wood away is gluing some metal at the end to low the note or gluing a piece of the same wood at the beginning taking about 4cm from the note and 4cm from the basis. the balls of the Drumsticks should be gummy, (not so hard) or compacted cotton or similar. Thank again! great video!

[@icreatedanaccountforthis1852]

This makes me want to go to Chicago

[@Dyshof]

Yes, something with the sound recording went awry....can't be that sound.

[@PacificBird]

@J. M. Nah they just over-compressed the signal

[@Globini]

You did a very beautiful work. But to be honest I think it actually looks more beautiful than it sounds.

[@1MissEllyLove]

Your background music is 10/10. Thank you!

[@Evi1penguin5]

I kind of feel like I'm in a twisted dream at a circus in hell when you play those

[@SKYGUY1]

Very cool first effort. The "kitchen acoustics" made for a lousy demonstration though. Take it in the living room w/carpet, soft furniture and curtains and edit in a re-do for the demo. Wood I Make It?... depends... I'd like to hear the demo redux before I decide. Thanks for the "how-to" build it instructions though. That was excellent.

[@close2cmusicmusic575]

Dude your awesome man. Awesome build. Very talented with wood working

[@barrysherbeck5801]

Awesome video, thanks. BTW I think the microphone recorded with noise cancellation, so it's hard in the recording to hear the analog sound and "attack" of each note one would hear in person.

[@Ty-bz7zx]

We have very different definitions of "Tap". =))

[@rpederse]

Very cool, and fun to watch.

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks, Robert. Glad you enjoyed it!

It is possible to make 3 octaves when you cut the tongues according to the resonance lengths.

[@merlepatterson]

Wonder if some experimental cup and ridge sanding making the meat of the tongues thinner and the joint thicker on the back side of the tongues would improve the sound resonance and sustain?

[@SollomonTheWise]

Oh my a new favorite channel

[@thediscoman2001]

i know that what i am about to say might be stupid but i think that when you have applied all the finish to the box the pitch would change it might only be suttle but did it or did it not change the pitch, the reason for asking is that the finish would have added extra weight on the box maybe only a little but for what this is being used for did it

[@gravesbroderick]

It looks like the cocobolo box has a brighter sound, whereas the Padauk is more dark. Generally, if you want to make nice and professional sounding music, darker sound is preferred. Beautiful, though! Very good work!

[@LordBledisloe]

Those are some sweet camera changes

[@danielravas2593]

Desde Argentina !!! Que espesor tienen las tapas de Cocobolo y Padauk ?? Aca no se consigue esa madera, estoy probando con maderas duras (incienso, lapacho) despues les cuento. Saludos y gracias por el video.

[@georgealderson4424]

Very interesting experiment sir. Thank you

[@onefifthtoofifthwedfifthbr5371]

Absolutely beautiful! I want to try to build one now. Thanks for all your videos!

[@Leotique]

Nicky Romero want's to know your Sidechain Compression

[@Falkano]

Out of all of them, why nicky? 😂 kickstart is boss 👌🏻

[@Datanditto]

You did an awesome job. Im inspired to build one.

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks!

[@randyduncan4004]

This was a fascinating process and you did a great job beautiful pieces

[@waveriderz2687]

Played a number of tongue drums and found that there always seemed to be at least one tongue whose tone was off. The fundamental note was there however the resonance of one tongue never seemed to match up with the others. Too bad as I really like the sound the box produces. This doesn't seem to occur as often with the wood marimbas I own. I have a great tongue drum and it too has a problem with one tongue. Hope fully I'll find one some day where all the tongues are in harmony with the others. I just stay away from that tongue when playing it...Thanks!

[@LuminousMusicStudios-Glasgow]

Tuning is an enormous challenge. It sounds like Michael Thiele, founder of Hardwood Music Company has been around the block but I don't know whether he takes students. Just a thought . . . .

[@prettypointlessvideo]

Very nice. I really think that you should make another with more planning like you said.

[@Woodumakeit]

Thanks -- I definitely want to try making some more of these when I find the time. I will incorporate the feedback that I have received through the comments, both for making the tongue drum and for improving the sound quality of my videos.

[@ralphbenites1819]

Orkin guy just arrived termites will have a feast on the African drum 🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜

[@stephenmiller8556]

Yes I wood make some! I have about 75 board ft of Jacaranda Rosewood

[@DRUMSTICKTOM]

Definitely sounds different 😂👍🥁🇬🇧

[@dannyciccosanti4372]

cool video👍🏻👍🏻

[@benfordguitars]

The pitch of each tung can be adjusted after cutting. By removing material at the base of the tung or the tip, you can raise or lower its pitch. This is typically done with a drill bit. Have the bottom removable to do this, or wait to attach it after you've tuned the drum.

[@yetanotherjohn]

I can virtually guarantee that the only wood that matters is the top surface. I would further bet that finding the optimum thickness of the top is more important that what it is made of. I base my comments on my knowledge of guitar-making.

[@jfdesignsinc.innovationsid1583]

Jack Gamboa i agree... i think he made to top board wayy to thick... the thinner the wood , the more resonance and movement of the tounges...

[@ikindawannalearn9513]

In my experience you guys are both right! I have found no change in sound when making the sides of the box out of plywood instead of maple and some major improvements when using thinner wood for the top when making smaller tongues. However for a large drum 3/4" wood can resonate nicely.

[@myousickoflife]

You guys must have never heard of drums eh? All the woods involved play a role. But yes it was way too thick and I think shaving them down lengthwise evenly rather than drilling is the tech.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Also, consider stabilzing the parts in an epoxy resin in a pressure-pot or vacuum chamber. Also, some addition of pieces in the interior to create bounce for the sound waves for better accoustics, even if just some quarter rounds or angle bevels in all of the interior corners to soften the inside angles would help with resonance too. Accoustics can play a big role even in such a small resonance chamber.

[@pl_caravan4679]

cool video, really cool building process.

[@odiseys]

Awesome video!!!! Please tell me what is background music

[@axemeagain2554]

should make a cocobolo box with the padail sound board it would look amazing and you could potentially tune it really nice if you make one please post a video i bet it would be great! anyhow great video and great work on the boxes they look really nice!

[@thomasarussellsr]

Maybe consider some interior blocking for acoustic bounce. 45° blocking on the inside 90° corners, some sine wave blocking under the low notes, etc... could be a real game changer to the resonance of the instrument. Also, consider tuning by planing the tongues instead of drilling relief holes. Should affore better resonance than the drilling. A tongue depressor has better sound than a 2x4, type of idea. Thinner makes better tone quality. Think xylophone, not marimba, these are smaller tongues. If your making a 2' x 4' tongue drum, 1/2" would be a great thickness to shoot for, but on this smaller scale, maybe between 1/8" and 1/4" and then tuned by plane or scraper on the inside? Just some friendly input from a guy who grew up with a concert pianist dad (surrounded by music all the time).

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank you very much for the constructive ideas. I've received a lot of feedback from viewers and I'll add yours to the list of suggestions that I'll incorporate into the next tongue drum that I make. I look forward to making one as soon as I find the time so I can release a video with a much better result.

[@tedeisner822]

I am going to make one and use your advice on calculating tongue length for approximate tone. Nice boxes!

[@ZachPara]

Great video but sounds like your transients are reversed. Wish I could hear the natural sounds of these drums - they sure look beautiful!

[@stephaniejackson6853]

with the coco the sticks are still in them so the sound should change too but I don't know much about finding the correct pitch but it's nice

[@RacoonProds]

Great project but the top needs to be way thinner than that. Also, you need a big hole in one of the sides, like a guitar, for the sound to escape. It will sound 1000x better. That being said, they do look amazing.

[@bluesmattersband1160]

Very nice Instruction. Thank You.

[@ZvikaDror]

Very cool, great makes and techniques - thanks for sharing!

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank you!

[@yeboscrebo4451]

Those are beautiful

[@MilkmanWes]

A template for the tongues that could be printed and transferred to the wood that could then be shared would be nice.

[@robertlangley258]

No cause I don’t understand tuning but enjoyed watching your video.thanks

[@baltoman6709]

Beautiful work . Thanks . Have you thought of adding a drum pickup with a small amp ? That would greatly enhance the sound .

[@richarddlugo6899]

It would resonate a lot better if you added a block of wood on the inside right at the end of your cuts. It shoulbe the same size as the interior measurement of the box ends. It will eliminate all that harshness.

[@twlson49]

nice work

[@JeanClaudeWelche]

Congratulations for your good work ! What kind of wood is the best to have a good resonance?

[@CathyStacy]

I bought one that someone was selling for $40. All and all it's made well BUT it's not tuned well. Can I change the tuning without taking the bottom off? I was thinking I could sand space between the tongues???? Thoughts???

[@saftigesfruchtchen456]

They have a really intresting reverb to them.

[@fartwrangler]

It's called a "teponaztli". Yeah, some people call it a "tone drum" -- but that's kind of like calling a piano a "string box". :) Doesn't matter what you make the sides and bottom out of, it's the top that produces the tone. I would not glue the tops; a solid plank is best. Shouldn't paint the tone wood, either, or if you're going to do that, paint first, /then/ tune.

[@indianaoutdoors1776]

How would you figure out how long/wide to make each tongue to get closer to a desired note? If there's an app for tuning.. i hope there's an easy app for that too?? 😅 if I knew that I could draw any old shape with a few tongues generally in the same configuration, i would start to make this tomorrow

[@Ac_Amora]

If he used hard mallets would it sound more xylophone-like?

[@dsanders755]

Beautiful! Blessings