The Feeltone tenor slit drum in padauk is an 8-tone instrument designed especially for working with children and smaller spaces. Tuned in D minor pentatonic (D – E – G – A – B – D – E – G), it offers full, warm sound at a manageable size and weight. The 100 cm long body is easy to handle, yet still resonant enough that the tones can be felt as well as heard.
Specifications
- Size: 100 × 30 × 35 cm
- Material: padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii), pine
- Tuning: D minor pentatonic, 8 tones (D – E – G – A – B – D – E – G)
- Weight: 17 kg
- Accessories: 2 mallets, hygrometer
- Finish: natural hard-wax oil
- Origin: Germany, handmade
Sound and character
Padauk gives this drum a lively yet soft voice: clear overtones, long sustain and a very human warmth. The D minor pentatonic range sits in a register that is easy for children to follow and feel, which makes the drum perfect for schools and kindergartens. There are no wrong notes – the tones always meet harmoniously.
How to use
You can play the drum in two complementary ways. Top playing surface: two children sit at the ends of the drum and answer each other through the tongues – this trains attention, rhythm and connection. Side playing surface: tip the drum on its side, cushion it with a soft blanket and let a child lie on top while an adult gently strikes the tongues. The vibration travels through the body.
Why this product
Kindergartens and inclusion centres have been using this drum for years. Compared with the bass version, the tenor is much easier to move and store, while still offering a true body-felt experience.
Care tips
- Keep the drum in a room with stable humidity – the included hygrometer helps you monitor it.
- Hold the mallets loosely and let the tone open up by itself.
- Try rolling the mallet gently across the tongues for a soft, brushed sound.
- Never sit on the sound tongues – they can deform permanently.
- Refresh the surface once a year with hard-wax oil.
About Feeltone
Feeltone is a small craft workshop in Lassan, northern Germany, founded by Ingo Böhme. For over two decades the team has been building monochords, sound beds, sound chairs and ceremonial drums for sound bath practitioners, sound artists and meditation practitioners. Every instrument is hand-built from sustainably sourced woods and finished with natural hard-wax oil.