Melody Bowls

Melody Bowls are the easiest Sounding Bowls to play tunes on, to sing with or compose on. Maybe that is why they have been the most popular with music therapists working in diverse situations.

The strings run fully within the bowl, for me this is allegorical for the coming-in of individual consciousness, that signature of the 20th century where the shift has been towards becoming who we truly are instead of being principally a member of a group.

Melody Bowls have found their places in hospitals and hospices across the world as well as care homes and schools for children with special needs. Feedback from these situations has been that many individuals, unable to respond to music or music therapy before, have found relating to a Sounding Bowl a wonderful experience; many of these have then been able to relate to other people in a way that they were not able to before this experience.

Each Melody Bowl is attentively hand sculptured, unique and not a product of automated processes. The wood is sourced from local trees, often wind-felled and not from commercially felled or imported timber. The outside is hand carved to give a texture that, responsive to the grain reflects the unique nature of the wood to the hands as well as to the eyes.

The smallest are about 13 inches across and have seven strings. These are tuned to the Hebridean pentatonic scale, which having no dissonances is rewarding and easy, even for the musically inexperienced to play. These seven notes encompass a huge range of early folk music from many cultures, but most people just improvise. This size has been most popular with those working with children.

A nine string Melody Bowl, tuned to a modern scale allows very many songs, old and new to be played. I use one of these most nights to accompany lullabies for my younger children.

Ten and twelve string Sounding Bowls are over 20 inches across and have a rich harmonic range. The large number of strings and the large size create a richer sound. This size has been popular with hospitals and hospices for years. Small enough to fit on a lap in bed yet with a big enough sound to really fill the soul.

The largest Melody Bowls are over 26 inches across with 15 or 16 strings. The deep notes on these stir something inside that higher notes do not. The overall resonant richness of these has often been compared to the inside of a cathedral. Both of these large sizes can be tuned to a huge range of scales and modes each of which has it’s own mood touching different people and different areas of the soul.

Melody Bowls can also be personalised in many ways. Do phone to discuss any questions you may have.