Email the Author
You can use this page to email Helen Winter about 35 Traditional African Songs for Tongue Drum and Handpan.
About the Book
The steel tongue drum (aka tong drum, tank drum, gluck-o-phone, hapi, or steeldrum) and the handpan (aka hank drum, UFO drum, zen drum, meditation, healing, or chakra drum) are percussion musical instruments designed to help you focus on your feelings, sensations, and body. You don't need classical music training or knowledge of music theory to play them. The main purpose is relaxation, meditation, and traveling through your inner world. This book is aimed at those who want to add popular melodies to their experimentation.The Famous African Songs were adapted here for Tongue Drum and Handpan. We believe that African songs, due to their clear rhythmic patterns, are ideal for tongue and hang drums.
These songs are possible to play on most drum models.
We wrote the note numbers above the notes because our sheet music is aimed at absolute beginners. Just follow numbers and enjoy.
Also, we added a QR code to most songs. Follow the link and find this song on YouTube, so that you can listen to the rhythm before beginning to play.
For which tongue drum are these songs suitable?
Each tongue drum is very different and it is impossible to accommodate songs for all kinds of tongue drums in one book.
The songs which have been collected in this book can be played on most drum models. If you have less than 1 octave of keys on your drum, you may need to skip some songs. However, if your drum has many sharp notes, you will need a book that contains chromatic songs.
Here, we have collected only simplified diatonic melodies.
About the Author
I'm an early child development therapist and an early development kids center owner. Additionally, I have authored a comprehensive program that utilizes music, activities, and games to promote early childhood development. I develop teaching materials for early solfeggio designed for various musical instruments, with a specific focus on children or beginner adults. Furthermore, I am keenly interested in exploring folk and ethnic music.