MOOZICA15 Inch Steel Handpan - C Major 432Hz Tongue Drum with Octave Overtone Design - Professional Percussion Instrument with Carrying Bag

I have owned this drum for 2 days and have made discoveries I want to share.First, the tone is BEAUTIFUL, and every tongue is perfectly tuned - far above my expectations for a factory-produced drum. Usually, anything April Yang endorses is excellent (Amazon's demo song), and this drum does not disappoint. I wouldn’t change a thing.The other discovery was it is light enough to play on my lap, which I was concerned about. Somewhere in the Amazon description the package was listed as being 11 pounds. According to my scales, the drum weighs 7. Even at that, the way the weight is distributed within the shape of the instrument, it feels significantly lighter than that. It really is no big deal to leave it on my lap or to move it around.The biggest adjustment I made was taking the time to find its "voice," meaning the instrument’s way of sounding its best according to the way it asks me to play. I play various instruments, including piano, so I initially used continuous broken chords, which resulted in a vibrating reverberation that was intense. Then I decided to learn to play April Yang's drum demo of Castle in the Sky, and the problem was solved. I learned the chords need periods of rest, or intermittent breaks between them, as the song demonstrated. This drum requires music that allows it room to breathe . . . Meditative. A good thing.Another concern was how much metallic undertone might be heard while playing the instrument. I have heard some of these drums on video where the tone is overshadowed by the sound of the metal. I would say the metal part of the pitch is light, if even noticeable (like April Yang’s recording), unless I want it there by adding accents, meaning playing louder on selected tongues. Otherwise, it tucks behind the pitch well, which I love.Something else I learned was to play with a relaxed, mellow volume. If I tried to play too loud, the reverberation took over. If I stayed within a medium range (no mallet covers for a brighter, shorter sound) or a quieter volume (using the mallet covers for a muted, longer delay), it all fell into place to make pleasurable music. One of the instructional videos I watched suggested putting felt with adhesive backing on the underside of some of the drum tongues to absorb some of the reverberance (inside the drum), but I do not think it needs it.The aesthetics of this tongue drum are very pleasing. I purchased the white one. It looks identical to the picture. The underside has three removable black plastic/silicone-type “legs/pegs” (each protruding about ¼ of an inch) which serve to keep the drum stable on a stand, table, or floor, and a 2 ½ inch circular opening with a black plastic/silicone type removable cover. The tongue drum seems very well made, though I have not played another one before, as a point of reference.I discovered something fun by watching another instructional video, and that was to purchase 1 1/2-inch battery powered LED puck lights, here at Amazon, that I am going to use double-backed tape to adhere to the inside of the cover used for the opening at the underside of the drum. There is a remote to turn the light on and off, or to change colors or the way the colors work, that allow light to glow inside the drum and through the perimeter of the tongues for a great lighting effect. I am excited about doing that. I'll just turn down the lighting in my room (or take it outside at sunrise or dusk), turn on the puck light, and create music accompanied by the visual ambiance of soft glowing colors emanating through the tongues. Or playing that way at a camp fire? How great is that?The case looks like the picture. It is a carefully designed sturdy gig bag that includes a narrow pocket on the exterior underside, to store the mallets, and a large flat pocket on the inside that I will probably use to keep the instruction booklet (that has a generous number of exercises to become familiar with rhythms and scales for the drum). The zipper and materials seem constructed to last. I would say it is water resistant, though I have not tested it. The interior includes dense padding behind the cloth inner liner to further protect the instrument, and a thin flap designed to be a barrier between the outer edge of the drum and the zipper, which I also appreciate. I own many instruments and have purchased gig bags to go with them. Honestly, this specialty gig bag could easily sell for $30 - $60 or more on its own - as gig bags tend to go.SOMETHING TO NOTE: The manufacturer’s pictures show the drum upside-down, which is important to understand for the correct placement of stickers. Noting April Yang’s Amazon demo video, along with videos of other people playing 15 tongue drums, they positioned the lowest note closest to the drummer’s body, and the highest note farthest away, not the other way around (large tongues sound low, small tongues sound high). If you look at the left column on Amazon's advertisement page, the second pic from the top SHOWS THE STICKER PLACEMENT for the drum (though the drum should be turned around, as I noted). So, when placing the stickers on the drum, I basically turned the manufacturer’s picture upside down to get the stickers properly placed on the drum, which also ensured I played it properly. They have both the scale numbers and letters in the sticker pack. Also, video-focused websites have people teaching beginners how to set up and play a 15-tongue drum. Their drums have correctly-placed stickers, too.Because I rearranged the stickers and how I use the drum, I also loosened, re-arranged, then re-tightened the slip knots of the decorative outer weaving so the “tails” would dangle from the high-pitched side of the drum, and away from me. Otherwise, they got in my way.The drum's scale basically moves from side to side: Right, Left, Right, Left, etc. Because the drum is in the key of "C," once the stickers are properly placed on the drum, the first note of the scale begins on the tongue marked "C" (though the lowest note available is lowest note "E," but "C" begins the musical scale). If you play the lowest sounding "C" on the right, first, and then continue to "D" on the left, "E" on the right, "F" on the left, etc., you will hear each step of the ascending scale as a foundation to begin creating your own music or the replication of songs. The added lower notes, of course, can be played at will, but this is the musical logic for an instrument based on the key of "C." (If there was a “C” below the lowest one offered on the drum, the lower notes would be the top end of the lower “C” scale that is not fully represented on the drum. Those notes work in the same Right, Left Right order, as well. That’s how those lower notes got there.)Another tip is how to get a pure sounding highest note "E," to finish the scale (it is the smallest tongue in the middle of the drum). If you play it straight on, it gets muddied with the sympathetic vibration of the low "E" located next to it. Touch the low "E" with a finger or mallet to prevent that vibration. Then when you play the smaller tongue, meaning the higher, smallest-tongued "E" in the center of the drum, it will ring out with a pure, high-pitched tone. It is a motion to get familiar with to begin fitting that note into songs.I recommend watching videos of musicians playing 15 tongue drums to learn from those who know more than we tongue drum beginners. There are also instructional videos people have posted on video-based websites designed to get people started.The little stand for the mallets works well, but the “finger tappers” aren’t doing it for me. Maybe it’s my technique.There was no damage to the drum during shipping. It arrived inside the well-packed manufacturer’s box placed inside an Amazon brown cardboard box, so it got here intact, secure, and very well protected.This tongue drum is something I am happy to own and will proudly display inside my home. I would recommend it to anyone - musician, or novice, alike. This was a feel-good purchase that I will enjoy for many years to come.UPDATE: This has not been a paid advertisement, and I am not affiliated with Amazon or the manufacturer, in anyway. I am just in love with this drum. It checks all the boxes, for me. I have been playing it daily since March 1, 2024, and am still enjoying this instrument, 2 months later. I did purchase the light pucks from Amazon that came with a remote. I used plumber's putty/rope to adhere the 1.5-inch puck light to the inside of the cover that plugs the drum's opening, under the drum. The puck has remain securely adhered. It has been a peaceful way to close the day in the beauty of sound enhanced by the glow of colors emanating from the added internal light. I am learning songs familiar to other people, and songs I am creating. This has been one of the best purchases I have made and wanted return to say so. 😃

It sounds beautiful and he loves it and I love watching him play it.

I am not an expert, but I checked each tongue with an electronic tuner and found that none of them were in tune. Most were way off. It didn't sound musical. Noise. I guess I just got a bad one, right?

The media could not be loaded. This tongue drum is fantastic at an affordable price! It has a great and balanced scale, is quite aesthetic, well built, and it is an excellent size to play.It has 15 notes which is quite versatile, a carrying backpack, knitted mallets, finger tappers, a protective rubber rim and a knitted rim as well.Consider it is tuned at a 432 Hz which sounds different in comparisson to the popular 440 Hz.Overall it is a great musical instrument to play and enjoy!

Be aware that these drums are tuned to 432hz as opposed to the more standard 440hz, so if the pitch seems off, this is why.Super playable layout and 15 notes is great for a drum of this size and price. Excellent customer service. Would love it if they made this exact model in 440hz as well.

This drum sounds lovely and ethereal. I like that it has 15 notes with only the highest note sounding a little less full it still gives you 2 full octaves worth of notes to play a wide variety of tunes. But this instrument begs for experimentation. Playing different combinations of neighboring tongues with the mallets give you a variety of harmonic sounds that are a delight to listen to. The padded carry case is also very nice and has a convenient inside to store accessories. My only complaint would be the book features their smaller instruments and not this 15 note drum, it would be nice to have an included but finding 15 tongue steel drum music and instructions online was very easy. Overall it a nice relaxing instrument and this one in particular is very well made and accessorized.

If having your drum be in the key you order, this is not the drum for you. I wanted a C Major drum. And the drum itself has "C Major Overtone" printed on it. It's an E minor drum. I used an electronic tuner to verify. I won't be able to play many of the melodies I was hoping to play because the drum won't have the normal intervals of a major scale. For the price, I should have gotten what I ordered. I'm out of town due to the death of my sister, so I won't be able to return it within the 30 days.UPDATE: There are still businesses out there with empathetic human beings who are willing to treat us as fellow humans. The response of this company to my complaint has been phenomenal. It was personal, prompt, understanding, and offered a solution that was very fair. I will definitely do business with this company again. Thank you, Moozica! (Also, there IS a C major scale on the drum. It just doesn't start on the lowest note.)

Out of the box, this drum looks nice and seems to be well made. However, after returning the first one because of two dead notes, the second one arrived with similar problems … one dead note and another that was a bit off. While all the other notes were beautiful, for over $200 I expect all the notes to be there.