MOISAI steel tongue drums are known for their outstanding sound quality, arriving perfectly tuned for your enjoyment. However, if you're interested in exploring new sound possibilities, we provide magnetic tuners for easy experimentation.
This blog post serves as a guide for tuning not only MOISAI drums but also other high-quality steel tongue drums. Keep in mind that magnetic tuners might not work well with cheaper alternatives due to the lower-quality steel.
Let's get started on learning how to tune your steel tongue drum using magnetic tuners, but first...
What are Magnetic Tuners?
Magnetic tuners are specially designed magnets for instrument tuning. They allow you to achieve different sounds by placing magnets on the tongues inside the drum.
If you place a magnet inside the tip of a tongue, the sound will be lower, and if you move it to the base of a tongue, the sound will be of a higher pitch
This gives you greater control over the sound and tone of your steel tongue drum.
How to Tune Your Steel Tongue Drum with Magnetic Tuners
To tune your steel tongue drum with magnetic tuners, you will need a tuner or any free tuner application. Here are the steps to follow:
To begin tuning your steel tongue drum, follow these steps:
- Locate the magnets inside your drum.
- Place a magnet on the tip of a tongue to lower the pitch, or move it to the base of the tongue to raise the pitch.
- Use a tuner or any free tuner application to help you find the desired note.
- Experiment with different magnet placements to discover unique tunings.
- Continuously check with the tuner to ensure you're finding the precise spot for each magnet.
Possible Notes for Different Drum Sizes
Depending on the size of your steel tongue drum, the possible notes you can achieve may vary. Here are the possible notes for 22cm/9inch and 30cm/12inch drums:
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22cm/9inch drum possible notes:
B3, C4, C#4, D4, Eb4, E4, F4, F#4, G4, G#4, A4, Bb4, B4, C5, C#5, D5, Eb5, E5 -
30cm/12inch drum possible notes:
E3, F3, F#3, G3, G#3, A3, Bb3, B3, C4, C#4, D4, Eb4, E4, F4, F#4, G4, G#4, A4, Bb4, B4, C5, C#5, D5, Eb5, E5
