Himalayan Bowls Playing Instructions
Playing singing bowls can be enjoyable, relaxing and inspiring. Sound is very beneficial to our our health and well being. This is especially true of the warm multiphonic tone of singing bowls. Singing bowls provide many subtle benefits but also give us time to ourselves and an opportunity to give to others. I always think of playing the bowls as an offering for the benefit of all living things. The following guidelines will help you learn to play your Himalayan Bowl with skill and ease.
Preparation
Give yourself some time and space to play singing bowls on a regular basis. A singing bowl is a wonderful addition to an existing meditation practice and a great support if you are starting meditation practice. The sound gives you something to focus on and can serve as a reminder to stay present in the moment.
To begin, sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor. You do not need to sit any special way. Your comfort is most important. Feel your feet, legs, hips, spine, ribs, shoulders, arms, hands, and head. Notice your breathing.
Holding the Bowl
Hold the bowl in both hands for a few moments. Feel its shape, weight and temperature. Feel the shape of your hand or hands as you hold the bowl. Try to reduce the effort in your hands and feet, so you contact the bowl and the ground gently.
Before playing, try this meditation for compassion: feel your breathing and imagine that with every breath, the bowl fills with the light of loving kindness. Imagine that light and love fills the bowl with every breath until it is overflowing. Light and love overflow and fill you up, too. As love and light continue to overflow, your immediate surroundings are filled up and then this compassionate love and light spread throughout the world to all living things. Send that loving kindness out to the world as a gift. When you play the singing bowl, the vibration it produces travels in this way. The vibrations travel outward from the bowl in all directions. The sound is a gift to to the world. We are the fortunate custodians who help these vibrations flow freely.
Large Bowls
I prefer to leave large singing bowls sitting on the floor or on a table. When placing a bowl on a hard surface, make sure there is a soft cloth underneath to prevent friction. I like to use a carpet or piece of felt. Large bowls have a wonderful grounding quality. The slow vibration is ideal for calming the mind. Low vibrations induce relaxed states. I like to use a large bowl to begin meditation as a calming influence and a small bowl to end meditation to sharpen my mind and senses.
You can also hold a large bowl flat on your hands at a level in front of you where it feels easiest for you - around the level of your heart, solar plexus, in front of your belly or resting in your lap. Experiment holding it at different levels and notice the feeling of the vibration.
Medium Bowls
Medium bowls (6-8 inch) offer the best balance of manageable size and full vibration. They are the ideal choice for an all around personal bowl. Hold a medium bowl on your fingertips, or flat on your palm. Be sure not to touch the sides of the bowl, as this dampens the sound.
Experiment with holding the bowl at different levels as mentioned above. Try lying down and putting the bowl on your torso. Couples love playing the bowls for each other.
For professionals, large bowls are best on the floor around the client but medium and small bowls can go directly on the body. Please note: I recommend using only very high quality singing bowls directly on a person.
Small Bowls
Small bowls (under 6 inches) are the ultimate for portability. They are generally easiest to handle and can be held in the same way as a medium bowl. Tiny bowls like the one pictured can be a challenge. Hold a very small bowl on your fingertips with the fingers spread slightly for easier balance. Allow your hands and wrists to move so the bowl does not fall off. When singing a very small bowl, it helps to press the bowl against the mallet as you press the mallet against the bowl.
Playing Singing Bowls
Singing bowls are bells and the best tone is produced by striking them with a soft mallet. They can also be played around the rim to emphasize the harmonic overtones. Below are instructions for both techniques. Each Himalayan Bowl is unique, and the best playing techniques are discovered by working with an individual bowl over time.
Striking the Bowl
Generally, it is preferable to strike bowls with a padded mallet. Strike the bowl right at the rim. If you strike the side, the bowl will not vibrate fully. The harder you strike it, the louder and more powerful the tone will be. If you strike it too hard, the tone may become dissonant. Feel the vibration. Let the sound ring out and listen to how it fades. Sound travels. Imagine the sound flowing out into the world.
You can also strike the bowl with bare wood, but be very gentle - the tone will sound nicer if you strike it softly, and it's safer for the bowl.
Singing the Bowl
Himalayan Bowls can be played around the rim with a wood mallet. Some bowls, especially thin bowls, can be played around the rim with a leather wrapped mallet, which emphasizes the low tones. Please note: each Himalayan Bowl comes with a wool wrapped mallet. The wool side is for striking only. You cannot play around the rim with the wool side - only the bare wood.
Hold the mallet against the rim of the bowl. Hold it firmly, but with a relaxed hand. Keep your hand close to the bowl - as in the photos. Many people hold their hand several inches above the rim of the bowl, which makes it much more difficult to play.
Slowly run the mallet around the bowl with constant even pressure. If the bowl makes a rattling sound, slow down and apply more constant and even pressure.
Go slowly and listen to the sound rise. If you keep even pressure, the vibration will gradually build to a strong tone and the bowl will sing to its fullest. At this point, vary the speed - go slower to make the tone less intense, go faster to get it more active.
If you let up on the pressure, the singing may stop, in which case you start over, slowly building. Some bowls come to full volume in a couple of seconds, others take ten or more seconds. Most good quality bowls sing fairly quickly. If you have trouble singing your bowl, see the 'tips to remember' section below and watch my video on playing singing bowls.
Experiment with your grip. I prefer to hold the mallet like a pencil, with my fingers pointing downward. Some people prefer to hold the mallet with all fingers gripping it, like you would a mixing spoon or baseball bat.
Experiment with the angle of the mallet. Try playing both with the mallet straight up and down and at a slight angle.
Practice to find the speed and pressure that allows you to sing the bowl indefinitely. Find the balance of speed, pressure, and angle where the bowl sings to its fullest, rising and falling, vibrating continuously and joyfully.
Tips to Remember
Hold your hand close to the rim - this is the most common mistake people make. If your hand is several inches above the bowl, it's difficult to make it sing.
It is the pressure that produces the tone - not the speed. Slow down and apply pressure.
If the bowl rattles, apply more even pressure. That rattling sound is the stick vibrating against the bowl.
If the tone fades quickly try going slower, then when the sound comes up apply more pressure and speed up slightly: catch the wave.
Some bowls sing very intensely. If the tone becomes too intense go very, very slow and apply slightly less pressure. Some thin bowls get very loud very quickly. If this is the case, try a leather wrapped mallet.
Try different mallets. A bowl may sing better with a different sized mallet. Large bowls do great with a thicker diameter. Small bowls do well with thin diameter. Leather wrapped mallets work well to bring out the low vibration. Solid plastic rod can be used to bring out the highest harmonics.
Remember it takes practice. Please watch Himalayan Bowls
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antique singing bowls
