How to play a singing bowl?

Singing bowls are very useful in meditation, healing, and as instruments.  Singing bowls can be played alone at home, in yoga classes, or in concerts.  Like anything, learning how to play a singing bowl takes a bit of practice, but once you learn how to play one singing bowl you will be able to play other singing bowls as well. 

Singing Bowl Playing Environment

 Find a calm environment where you can be alone and make your body comfortable.  You might find it comfortable to sit in the floor on a pillow or to sit in a chair.  Close your eyes for a moment just before playing your singing bowl so that you bring your body and mind to a calm, quiet space.

 Holding The Singing Bowl

Please make sure you put the singing bowl on the front of your palm. 

A common mistake in learning how to play singing bowls is to place the singing bowl in your fingers. 

Striking the Singing Bowl

You can strike the singing bowl with a singing bowl mallet before you begin playing the bowl if you would like to, it is not required to do so for the singing bowl to play.  Strike the singing bowl near the rim or the side of the bowl and the sound will make the singing bowl resonate for a while after.   

Playing the Singing Bowl

Singing bowls make their sound, or sing, by rubbing the striker around the rim of the singing bowl.  Wooden singing bowl strikers give the singing bowl a low tone.  Leather wrapped singing bowl mallets give the singing bowl a lower tone.  But different singing bowls make different sounds based on the shape of the bowl.  Singing bowls can be curved inward, outward, or straight up and down.  Each of these different shapes makes a different sound.  We have included recordings of each singing bowl listed on our site so that when you shop for a singing bowl you can choose the sound you would like to purchase, as well as the color, size, and style.

Be sure to press the wooden singing bowl striker firmly against the rim of the singing bowl.  The striker must remain in constant contact with your singing bowl.  Move the striker slowly around the outside rim of the singing bowl and you will soon hear the singing bowl hum, or sing.   Slowly run the mallet around the bowl with constant even pressure.  If the hum of the singing bowl sounds inconstant, or choppy, slow down and continue to move the striker slowly along the outside of the singing bowl.

If you let the striker stray away from the side of the bowl, the singing may stop, in which case you start over, slowly increasing the speed without ever going too fast.  Some bowls come to full volume in a couple of seconds, others take ten or more seconds.  If you have trouble making your singing bowl sing, see the 'tips to remember' section below.

By adjusting the speed and angle of the mallet, the sound will change accordingly. Practice to find the speed and pressure that allows you to make the singing bowl hum, or sing.  Find the proper balance of angle, speed, and pressure in order to make your singing bowl sing continuously for as long as you would like to play.