Home > Steel Tongue Drum - HAPI Shop
STEEL TONGUE DRUM - how to play a HAPI™ (hand activated percussion instrument)
Steel tongue drums are ideal for jamming and playing percussive beats. Anyone
who wants an easy to play intuitive music instrument can learn to play one.
You don't need a musical background. The note layout of the
HAPI steel tongue drum makes it easy to jump right into grooving rhythms.
Our HAPI steel tongue drums use tongues cut to different sizes and
shapes to produce musical tones, similar to wooden tongue drums.
How is it played? We
recommend playing the HAPI steel tongue drum with the pads of your
fingers. A wide range
of sounds can be created with different techniques. Playing by hand
connects you with the steel tongue drum in the way that traditional
drums are
enjoyed. A minimal amount of force creates a big sound on these drums.
We also supply each steel tongue drum with mallets designed to bring out
pure tone.
Our mallets are designed to eliminate “head slap” creating a very clear
tone. When using mallets, hold the mallet lightly and let it drop onto
the note. This creates the ideal tone. When using your hands all that is
required is a light quick touch from the pad of your finger.
Playing
with your hands, use the pad of only one finger to
strike the note. Hit the note at the top of the tongue, your target area
is towards the top, in the middle of the tongue. Index or middle
fingers or the side of your thumb are all ok too. Do not use the tip of
the finger but rather the full pad of your finger. Your finger should be
about level with the steel tongue drum before you start the motion and two to three
inches above the drum. Use a wrist motion to slap the finger off of the
note. Do not move your elbows, it’s all in the wrist. Let your finger
lightly bounce off the steel tongue drum note like the mallets do. Start learning on the
largest notes and then once you have good technique, move to practicing
on the smaller notes.