How to Play Crystal Singing Bowls

This is how we play crystal singing bowls: what the bowl is, how to set it on an O-ring, how to rim and strike, how to play more than one, which mallet to choose, a sound bath at home, and how to clean, store and carry quartz. The bowls, with the price on each piece, are on our crystal singing bowls page. Sets of notes are on our crystal singing bowl sets page.

What a crystal singing bowl is

A crystal singing bowl is quartz, heated and formed into a bowl. Some stay clear. Some are frosted, with a matte surface. Some are infused with a gemstone, a metal or a mineral while the bowl is made, so the colour is in the quartz. Paint sprayed on afterwards sits on the surface only. The note is the tuning. The surface is the look.

Strike the outer wall, or circle the rim with a mallet, and the bowl holds one musical note. Smaller bowls speak higher. Larger bowls speak lower. Crystal singing bowls are a modern instrument. We do not attach them to an ancient bowl tradition. How the quartz is formed is in our research and development.

We check pitch and sustain before a bowl is offered. The sustain minimum is 18 seconds, and tuning accuracy is plus or minus 5 cents of the stated note. One bowl is already a complete instrument. A set is for the next note in the same sitting.

Setting the bowl up

Rest a larger bowl on a rubber O-ring, sometimes called a rubber base, on a flat, level surface. The ring holds the bowl off the table so the wall can move. A folded cloth can stand in. Centre the bowl, and keep it clear of other objects. A bare table, tile or glass top will buzz, and a knock there can chip the quartz. If the first strike buzzes, reset the ring.

A small bowl, about 6 to 8 inches, can sit on a flat palm. Keep the fingers together, and keep the wall off the fingertips. A finger on the crystal dulls the tone. Larger bowls stay on the ring. Hold a chalice by the stem, with your fingers off the bowl. That shape is in our chalice guide.

Let the bowl reach room temperature before you play. A hot car, or hot water on a cold bowl, can crack quartz. Lift with two hands.

How to rim with a suede or rubber mallet

Rimming is the continuous tone. A suede mallet or a rubber mallet will both do it. Suede grips the quartz, and it is the mallet we reach for first when we want the tone to build. Rubber gives a slightly brighter start, and it is also how we strike. Hold either one loosely. Speed stays slow. Pressure stays steady. The tone builds because the circle does not stop, not because you push harder.

1. Sit the bowl on its rubber O-ring, centred on a flat surface, with clear space around it.
2. Hold a suede or rubber mallet loosely, padded end against the outside of the rim.
3. If the bowl is silent, strike the outer wall once, lightly.
4. Keep the mallet on the outer rim at a low angle and circle slowly.
5. Keep the same pressure all the way around. Stay in contact. Do not dig in.
6. If the tone chatters or breaks, slow down and ease the pressure.
7. When the tone is full, keep that speed, or lift the mallet and let the bowl ring.
8. Soften your grip if the sound wobbles.

Every bowl wants a slightly different pressure. If the mallet slips, wipe the rim with a soft dry cloth and start again.

Striking and gentle tapping

Striking is the simpler start. The tone blooms on contact and then fades. You do not have to keep the mallet moving.

1. Hold the mallet loosely in your playing hand.
2. Aim at the outer wall, about halfway down, not at the top edge of the rim.
3. Strike once and let the mallet bounce away. Leaving it on the crystal stops the tone.
4. Wait for the tone to bloom and then fade before you strike again.
5. For a quieter note, use the same place with a lighter tap.

A harder strike is louder. On quartz, harder is not better. A sharp hit can sound harsh, and a strike on the thin top edge can chip the rim. Do not use a bare wooden striker or a metal beater on a crystal singing bowl. For quartz we use a suede, rubber, wood-silicon or crystal-silicon mallet.

Playing a set of bowls together

One bowl is enough to learn the mallet. A set is how we play several notes in one sitting. Give each bowl its own O-ring, with space so the bowls cannot touch. Play one note, let it ring, then move to the next. Two notes can sound together if you strike the second while the first is still going. You do not need to rim both at once.

A chakra set is usually C, D, E, F, G, A and B. A set of three, or a pair, is a smaller start. Where notes sit together is in our note on crystal bowl chords. The sets we have now are on the sets page. If a bowl buzzes beside another, they are touching. Reset them, and leave a pause.

Choosing a crystal singing bowl mallet

The mallet is half the sound. We sell four, and the choice depends on whether you are rimming or striking, and on the size of the bowl.

A suede mallet is the usual choice for rimming. The suede holds the quartz, so a slow circle can build. When the nap wears smooth and the mallet skips, replace the head. A rubber mallet is what we use to strike, and it will also rim. The attack is clearer. If a suede circle is slipping, try rubber, at the same slow speed.

A wood-silicon mallet and a crystal-silicon mallet sit between those two. Silicon grips, and the handle changes the weight. A heavier mallet suits a larger bowl. A lighter one suits a small bowl or a chalice. Try the mallet on the bowl you actually play.

Mallets and padded bags are with the accessories. A longer account of striking and rimming is in our mallet guide.

Playing for a sound bath at home

A sound bath at home is one bowl and a quiet room. Someone can lie down or sit while you play, or you can play and then listen. Five to ten minutes is a full sitting. Strike once and let the tone fade, or rim until the tone is steady, then lift the mallet off and leave a pause before the next note.

People use that time for relaxation and for focus. It is a listening practice, not medical care.

If you would rather someone else played, our sound baths in Sydney are booked separately. Pickup is free, by appointment, in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Email singingbowlsaus@gmail.com and we will find a time.

Cleaning, care, storage and transport

Wipe the bowl with a soft dry cloth. Use lukewarm water only if you dry it at once. Do not use a dishwasher, and do not run hot water over a cold bowl. A clean rim also keeps the mallet from slipping.

Keep the bowl on the O-ring or a cushion, not on a bare shelf. Store bowls apart. The 5 Bowl Sharps Set is a nested stack. Our other sets travel as separate bowls, each padded. A chip on the rim can leave a buzz.

Carry a bowl in a padded bag. Bags from 11 to 16 inches are with the accessories above. Do not leave a bowl in a hot car. More is in our care guide.

Common mistakes

Most of what goes wrong in a first sitting is speed, pressure or the surface under the bowl.

• Circling too fast. The mallet chatters and the tone breaks. Slow down.
• Pressing too hard. The bowl shifts on the ring. Ease off until the tone can grow.
• Playing on a hard surface. A bare table or tile buzzes, and a slip can chip the bowl. Use an O-ring.
• Leaving the mallet on the wall after a strike. The tone stops. Let it bounce away.
• Holding a small bowl on the fingertips. That mutes the wall. Use a flat palm.
• Playing before the bowl is at room temperature. A sudden change of heat or cold can crack quartz.