Singing Bowl

How to use Tibetan bowls?

To obtain these incomparable sound performances, the composition of these bowls is based on alloys including, at a minimum, 5 metals (copper, tin, iron, mercury, lead) to which can be added in indeterminate quantities silver and gold (to lead to the famous myth of the bowl with 7 metals…). Even if the proportions like the number of metals used by the manufacturer remain well-kept secrets, it is enough to strike the bowl (in bell position) and measure its resonance duration to get a good idea of ​​its sound qualities.

Sound quality of your bowl:

The Tibetan bowl is an excellent educational tool for explaining the composition of sound (sound spectrum) which includes:

- A fundamental (lowest frequency) which determines the height of the sound emitted,

- Harmonics (multiple frequencies of the fundamental) which give it its timbre, that is to say its sound color.

Techniques of use:

- A bowl of reasonable size is placed in the palm of the hand or on a digital tripod made up of the thumb, index and middle fingers. It is also possible to play the bowl placed on its cushion (included, as well as the stick, with any order) especially if it is of substantial size. In all cases, make sure it is well balanced so as not to make it fall during play.

The bowl can be knocked or turned.

- In the first case, care must be taken to collide, with moderation, the most rounded part of the body of the bowl either with the part covered in leather or with the wood part. Evaluate the quality of the sound results thus obtained! To get the most out of this technique, if it is of reasonable size, place the bowl in a bell position (be careful not to touch the interior wall).

- In the second case, the stick is held like a pen to rub the upper outer part of the bowl with a regular rotating movement or with successive back and forth movements on part of its circumference. Depending on the size of the bowl, we will favor rubbing with the leather part or with the wood part (for small diameters we only use the wood part). To obtain the best result, you must exert regular and sufficient rotating pressure while maintaining the same angle of attack in relation to the wall of the bowl.

Are you settled? Let's go !

The turned bowl technique:

- Throw your bowl by lightly hitting the outside while placing the stick on the wall and immediately exercising a rotating (or alternating front-back) movement. With bowls larger than about 15 cm, the fundamental is obtained by rubbing the outer wall with the leather part of the stick.

- Then to “fetch” the highest harmonic, you must choose the wooden part of the stick and rub it on the edge of the circumference of the bowl. The angle of attack should be approximately 90°. To facilitate the emission of this harmonic, you can position the thumb of the hand holding the bowl halfway between the bottom and the opening (the position must be determined empirically). It is possible that the sound produced by the harmonic is very weak; it will gradually increase by turning the stick.

- Once the highest harmonic is isolated, continue to turn the stick, tilting it more and more to position it parallel with the body of the bowl. You will then notice the gradual arrival of other harmonics and even the fundamental which will take over the other frequencies.

There you go, you now master some facets of the rich sound potential of your bowl.