Steel tongue drum questions, answered

A steel tongue drum is a round steel instrument with tongues cut into the top. Each tongue plays one note when you strike it with a mallet or your fingers. Shorter tongues play higher notes, longer tongues play lower notes, and the hollow body gives each note a long, ringing sustain.

Idiopan made the world's first tunable steel tongue drum. Every tongue carries a magnet, and moving that magnet changes the note. Most tongue drums are fixed in one scale for life. An Idiopan arrives tuned and can be retuned to other scales in minutes, so one drum covers many scales and moods.

Idiopan drums are handcrafted in the USA from 100% American steel. The tuning magnets are imported. Every drum ships from Florida.

There are four drums. The Domina is 12 inches with 8 notes, bright and light. The Domina Pro is 12 inches with 12 notes, from G3 up to C6, for melody and bass on one drum. The Dominus is 14 inches with 10 notes, warmer, down to E3. The Dual Tone is 14 inches with 16 notes in 8 octave pairs, for a big, layered sound that goes down to B2.

If you want the most notes in a small drum, pick the Domina Pro. If you want the deepest sound, pick the Dual Tone or the Dominus.

The 12 inch drums (Domina and Domina Pro) are lighter, at 7.6 lb, and brighter. The 14 inch drums (Dominus and Dual Tone) weigh 9.9 lb and go deeper. All four are 5 inches tall.

No. Every finish sounds the same. Choose the color you like.

Every drum comes with a pair of mallets and a display ring. The Domina Pro adds a second pair of high density mallets and a microfiber cleaning cloth. Each product page lists exactly what is in its box.

Clip a chromatic tuner to the drum, strike a tongue, and slide that tongue's magnet. The note changes as the magnet moves. Stop when the tuner shows the note you want, then move to the next tongue. Our scales are listed at A=440Hz.

Each drum arrives in a major pentatonic scale and can be moved to others with the magnets. The Domina and Domina Pro play C major pentatonic, C minor pentatonic, Dorian pentatonic and Mixolydian pentatonic, plus Raga Desh on the Domina and F# major pentatonic on the Domina Pro. The Dominus plays G major pentatonic, Tahirah, Sotiria and Xonsu. The Dual Tone plays E major and E minor pentatonic. You can also set your own scale within each tongue's range.

The full note charts are on each drum's page, with a video of every scale.

The Advanced Magnet Pack, sold separately, extends each tongue lower than the standard magnets allow. On the Domina it opens up many more scales. On the Dominus it also allows tuning to 432Hz.

Yes, on the Dominus with the Dominus Advanced Magnet Pack. Our listed scales are at A=440Hz.

Yes. The magnets hold their place on the steel, so the drum stays in the scale you set until you move them again.

No. Every drum arrives in a pentatonic scale, where the notes blend with each other, so whatever you play sounds musical. Start by tapping tongues in any order, then follow the free lessons on our Learn page.

Both work. Mallets give a louder, brighter attack and are included with every drum. Fingers and palms give a softer, rounder sound. Our first lesson video shows both.

No. A handpan is made from two hammered steel shells with note fields shaped into the surface, and is played with the hands. A steel tongue drum has tongues cut into the steel and can be played with mallets or hands. Tongue drums are generally lighter and easier to start on. An Idiopan can also be retuned, which a handpan cannot do at home.

Yes. The Learn page has playing lessons, tuning tutorials and the free Domina Songbook: 10 songs with tongue numbers, sheet music and a PDF download.

Yes. Choose the installed pickup option on any drum. It adds a piezo pickup with a 1/4 inch jack, so you can play through an amp, a PA, effects pedals or an audio interface.

For the 12 inch Domina, the EnSoul STDPU150 contact pickup is made to fit and comes with an installation guide. For other models, email us at info@idiopan.com and we will tell you what fits.

With the installed pickup, plug straight into an audio interface or mixer for a clean signal with no room noise. Acoustically, a small condenser microphone about a foot above the drum captures the full ring.

Yes. Shipping is free to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC. Orders arrive in 3 to 5 business days. We do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, APO addresses or outside the US. See the shipping policy.

You have 30 days to return a drum. Email info@idiopan.com to start a return. See the refund policy for details.

Wipe it with a soft microfiber cloth after playing. Store it in a padded bag, away from damp.

Email info@idiopan.com. We help with choosing a drum, tuning, scales and pickups.