Tongue Drum Information

About Tongue Drums

 The Tongue Drum is a member of the Idiophone family of musical instruments, which
vibrates throughout its body when hit to produce sound. Early tongue drums were hollowed-
out logs.
 The only instrument older than the idiophone is the human voice itself.
 Tongue Drums are also known as Xylodrums, Log Drums, and Slit Drums.

Supplies:
 Wood
 Wood Glue
 1” Rubber Bouncy Balls
 ¼” Dowel Rods
 Rubber Cement

Tools:
 Saber Saw / Jig Saw with 20tpi blade (or Scroll Saw)
 Drill
 Square
 Pencil
 Tape Measure
 Clamps

Tips:
 Straight grained hardwood is recommended; however, any wood will produce tones.
 Avoid wood with knots and defects. These can affect the tone and sustain.
 Glue the drum together with even clamping pressure for a tight fit to avoid buzzing.
 Tone woods such as Padauk, Mahogony, Maple, Purpleheart and Walnut are recommended
for the top.
 Cut the tongue pattern with a wide enough kerf to keep tongues from touching.
 Incorporate handles and mallet holders into the drum design.
 If you intend to tune it, attach the bottom last or leave it removable for better access.
 Raise the drum off the table using feet, bumpers, felt, etc. under the corners to improve
sound.

Tuning:
 Use a tuner to tune each tongue. Tuner apps are available for smart phones (PanoTuner)
 Remove wood from underneath the tip of the tongue to make the pitch higher.
 Remove wood from under the base of the tongue to make the pitch lower.
 Use a chisel, Dremel tool, or Forstner bit to remove material.
 Remove a small amount of wood at a time and recheck it to sneak up on the note.
 Tongue Drum Information
Tongue Length
 Every 3% increase in tongue length makes the tone lower by half a step: C C# D D# etc.
This would be like playing the white and black keys on a piano.
 Every 6% increase in tongue length makes the tone lower by one full step: C D E etc. This
would be like playing just the white keys (or just the black keys) on a piano.
 Example: If you would like to make a drum with 4 tongues that are one full step apart,
decide how long you want the longest tongue to be, then multiply that by .94, .88, and .82 to
calculate the lengths of the 3 smaller tongues. If the longest tongue is 10”, then the shorter
ones should be 9.4”, 8.8” and 8.2”.
 This Bar Length Calculator will calculate more precise tongue lengths for you automatically:
http://windworld.com/features/tools-resources/exmis-free-bar-length-calculator/

Links:
 More information and pictures can be found at http://www.tonguedrum.com.
 A plan is available at http://www.woodstore.net/totodr.html.
 Search http://www.youtube.com for videos to hear tongue drums in action.
 Look for a Tongue Drum App that you can play on your smart phone.
 Bar Length Calculator:
http://windworld.com/features/tools-resources/exmis-free-bar-length-calculator/