How to Play a Metal Singing Bowl
The history of Singing Bowls goes back more than two thousand years. It's believed that they were first crafted around the time of Buddha but there is little documentation of their history.
People who encounter them are often mesmerized, and gain a moment of mindfulness with their initial experience. Not everyone will embark on a journey of therapy and meditation, but all who encounter the bowls are touched.
4 Steps to Playing a Metal Bowl
1 - Hold the bowl in the palm of either hand with a firm grip on the bottom of the bowl. Be careful not to touch the sides of the bowl as that is where the vibration comes from.
2 - Grasp the striker tool as you would hold a pencil, or stylus.
3 - With the striker, rub the outside rim in a circular motion. Keep an even pressure. Sometimes it is easier to strike the bowl first to get the vibrations going.
4 - Gently increase the speed as the bowl begins to vibrate, and as the sound grows. Sometimes this method can take practice.
Another method is "gonging" or "striking" the bowls. This is a simple method that involves striking the bowl with a wood or padded striker.