Resources

My instruments include

Koshi Chimes

Delicate fairy-like chimes made at the base of the Pyrenees. $60. (Similar chimes on Temu for $35.)

Tingsha Chimes

Two small, high-pitched cymbals on a string. $30. Always hold these away from crystal bowls: if the chimes fall, the bowl can break.

REMO Ocean Drum

I recommend the 22-inch drum. ($100) Smaller ones don't give you as rich a sound. If you need a carrying case, Remo has 22-in. frame drum case. ($75) To save money, you can use a 24-inch cymbal bag instead. ($35)

Himalayan Singing Bowls

Metal bowls have more complex overtones. I usually tap instead of drone them. Prices vary greatly. For Sound Massage (with bowls on the body) I purchased my therapeutic 3-bowl set from Peter Hess. ($1400)

Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls

My go-to distributors are Silver Sky Imports and the OmShoppe, as both have excellent customer service. I order “perfect pitch 440” bowls. Purchasing them as a set (frosted chakra set) makes it more likely that they are in tune with each other. Don’t be afraid to call and speak to a representative. They are very helpful. Silver Sky ships their bowls in eco-friendly durable protective sleeves with handles. Call and talk to a rep for advice, and don’t be afraid to ask them to send you a video of them playing your set of bowls. Both shops have good customer service.

Yogibo Beanbag Loungers

There’s nothing that equals the comfort of a Yogibo. I use Yogibo Max $300. Watch for 20% off sales around holidays.

Which bowls should I start with?

Start with a tone that resonates with you

and then build your set by selecting neighboring tones from this sequence: B - E - A - D - G - C - F. 

If the store offers it, you might like a “starter set” or 5-note pentatonic set (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#), which will sound good together and be less expensive than a full “chakra set” of 7-8 bowls.

The lowest notes I have are “3rd octave"

This means that from the bottom of the piano, these notes are 3 octaves up (or one octave below middle C). These are the bowls that are the most grounding and that you feel more in your lower body. They emit palpable frequencies, and they have to be large. For 3rd octave bowls, be sure the lowest ones (C, D, E, F) are 20-16 inches and higher ones (G, A, B) are 18-15 inches.

The standard set is “4th octave”

These are typically 8 - 14 inches. If you’re buying multiple bowls, be sure they have a 2-inch difference so that they can nest within each other, should you want to store them or take them on the road. When you buy an entire set of bowls, they’ll already be selected so that they nest within the 2 largest bowls.

My preferred mallets

I like the straight silicone mallets with a wooden handle for droning the bowls.  It’s also nice to have a silicone ball head for tapping the bowls. You can use the ball head to drone as well. When you order your bowls, they usually come with suede mallets. Let the company know you’d like silicone instead and they may upgrade you. Otherwise, purchase on Amazon for about $10.

For Further Study

Let music be your medicine.

Recorded Sound Meditations

I took my instruments to CMU’s recording studio and created some sound meditations.  Each one features a specific principle we practiced in the workshop, specifically:

  1. Circle of Support Meditation (uses circle of 5ths)

  2. Calm Focus Meditation (uses progressively slower ostinato for entrainment)

  3. Sonic Slumber Meditation (uses the layered approach of melody, rhythm, and harmony. Features ocean drum, bowls, and koshi chimes)

  4. Sonic Journey (a full sound bath with many of the elements you experience in my sessions)

Attend a Sound Bath