Singing Bowl Care FAQ

Start with the note rather than the size. An A or a B bowl is the most forgiving first choice, because those two are the universal bowls and can be played for anyone and any chakra, as Lesson 1.4 of our free course explains. Our guide to choosing a singing bowl covers the practical side, and the chakra quiz will suggest a note for what you are working on.

Size changes the character of the sound. Smaller bowls speak higher and quicker, and are easy to hold in one hand. Larger, heavier bowls give a deeper voice and a longer sustain, and are the ones used on or near the body in sound massage. For personal practice at home, a bowl you can comfortably rest on your palm is the usual place to start.

A hand-hammered bowl produces a fundamental note plus several overtones that beat gently against each other, which gives it a living, wavering voice. A machine-made bowl is more uniform and usually carries a simpler, cleaner tone. Every bowl in our handmade singing bowls collection is hammered by hand in the Kathmandu Valley.

A hand-hammered bowl is shaped from a disc of metal by repeated hammering. A hand-cast bowl is poured into a mould and then finished by hand, which allows detailed designs to be formed in the metal itself. Both are genuine handcraft; they simply sound and look different, and our guide to types of singing bowls shows each style.

Not exactly. A hand-hammered bowl's note is discovered once it is finished, not hammered in to order, so every bowl is a little different. What can be done is selection: finding the bowl whose note sits closest to what you need. That is how our custom sets are matched.

Decoration can shift a bowl's voice slightly, which is why we test the sound only after the decoration is finished. The note quoted for a carved or etched bowl is the note of the finished bowl you receive.

Use our free Live Singing Bowl Tuner. Play the bowl near your phone or computer and it shows the note and frequency in a few seconds.

Use a wooden or leather-wrapped mallet to run the rim and make the bowl sing continuously. Use a felt or padded striker for a soft, round strike with fewer harsh overtones. Many players keep both. You can find them in our singing bowl accessories.

The cause is almost always the hand rather than the bowl. The usual culprits are moving too fast, pressing too lightly or unevenly, holding the mallet at the wrong angle, or fingers touching the side of the bowl and damping it. Lesson 1.2 of our free course walks through each one, and our guide on how to play a singing bowl covers the basics.

A rattle usually means the mallet is bouncing against the rim, which happens when you rim too fast or build up too much sound. Slow down, keep steady pressure, and let the tone build gradually. A buzz can also come from the bowl touching something hard, so check that it sits freely on its cushion or on a flat palm.

Rest a small bowl on your flat, open palm with your fingers away from the walls, so nothing damps the sound. Larger bowls sit on a ring or square cushion on a steady surface. Anything touching the sides of the bowl will shorten the ring.

Yes. A little water changes the pitch and makes the surface ripple when you play, which many people enjoy. Empty the bowl afterwards and dry it completely, inside and out, so the metal does not spot.

Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth after each use to remove fingerprints. For an occasional deeper clean, wash it briefly in warm water with a little mild soap, rinse, and dry it straight away. Do not leave a bowl soaking, and avoid abrasive pads.

You can on a plain bowl if you like a bright finish, but polish removes the darker aged tone, so never use it on antique, dim-finish, painted or etched bowls. Tarnish does not harm the sound, and many players prefer a bowl that is left to age naturally.

That is the natural darkening of bronze as it meets air and the oils from your hands. It is not damage and it does not affect how the bowl plays. Regular wiping with a dry cloth keeps it even.

Use a soft, dry cloth only. Do not scrub, soak or polish decorated areas, as this can wear the paint or dull the design. Handle it by the base where you can.

Keep it dry. Brush a suede or leather wrap lightly to lift the surface when it becomes smooth, and do not soak felt strikers in water. A worn wrap is usually a sign it is time for a new mallet.

Keep it somewhere dry, resting on its cushion or on a soft cloth. If you stack bowls, put a cloth between them so the metal does not scratch or chip where they touch.

Yes. Bronze is strong but can crack if it is dropped onto a hard floor or knocked hard against another bowl. A cracked bowl usually buzzes and loses its sustain. Handle bowls over a soft surface and never strike them with anything metal.

Wrap each bowl separately and carry it in a padded case, with cushions or clothing filling any gaps. Carry valuable bowls as hand luggage where you can. A padded carry case can be added when you order a set through our set builder.

A bowl that is very cold or very warm can sound slightly different until it settles. Let it reach room temperature before you play, and avoid leaving bowls in a hot car or in direct sun for long periods.

Contact us straight away with your order number and photos. Damage in transit and wrong-note deliveries are covered, and the details are in our general FAQ.

Send us a message through our contact page and a real person will reply.