The Making of Sounding Bowls

Sounding Bowls are still individually hand made, numbered and signed by myself. Most of them are made to order working with a specific situation and person or group in mind.

Four levels of making are important to their maker:

• The body of the Sounding Bowl is made from wood carefully selected from local trees. Only certain parts of certain species have the potential to resound as required. Local trees have a relationship to local people that rainforest woods do not.
• The form of the Sounding Bowl arose through careful searching for shapes that combined opposing aspects such as visual lightness and visual warmth. An acoustic response was noticed in these shapes that turned out to relate to sacred geometry, specifically the Fibonacci or Golden spiral. Fibonacci number sequences are the basis of all life patterns. A geometrical process of enfolding and unfolding the ‘Golden Spirals’ that result from these numbers shows a match with the curves that gave resonant response. There is also a known relationship of these curves with amplification of sound, reflected in their use in wind instruments, pre-electrical hearing aids etc. Fibonacci number sequences and their related curves are also an integral part of the human body. Every limb, the chambers of the heart, the curve of muscle movement are all related to these fundamental patterns and the eye perceives as beautiful shapes such as the sunflower, sea shell and Greek temple that are also formed from these sequences. The strings pass through the inside.
• The process of making a Sounding Bowl is not industrialised. Every major part is carefully hand made in a workshop where work is a process that honours the moment as much as the result and does not damage one in pursuit of the other. One might equate this with the soul of the instrument. Accomplished musicians are mostly aware of a ‘Being’ nature to their instruments and regard music making as a co-operative exercise, most makers of high end wooden musical instruments practice a balance between process and result, ultimately this makes work a form of worship which in turn opens the door to…
• Spirit, that indefinable element that may or may not choose to accept an opened door and abide in the space. In this case the space around a Sounding Bowl. I know no other way of understanding the extraordinary effects that Sounding Bowls are reported to have than to consider that healers may be describing a reality of some sort when they report the presence of a Being seen as supportive of both the maker/making process and the player/healing process.

The process of making a Sounding Bowl goes something like this. A tree surgeon comes into my workshop. “There is a tree I have to take down. I think this one might be valuable to you”.

I go to survey the tree for possible Sounding Bowls. If it seems there may be some hiding in there, those parts come to the workshop.

I use chainsaws to separate the wood with potential from the unsuitable bits, then bandsaws. The wood now goes onto the lathe and is shaped with hand held gouges.

This is an important stage. The quality of the cut, the relationship between the maker, the tool and the wood must be harmonious. Wood knows how it likes to be cut. Listening for this makes such work a meditative path. At this stage the wood is cut to something close to its final shape, leaving extra to allow for warping.

Many part finished pieces wait in my drying room as the wood seasons, a few may be finished while the wood is wet, this produces a warped Sounding Bowl, not always as elegantly warped as that on page 24. Seasoned wood does not warp after making.

Someone’s request for a particular type and size of Sounding Bowl leads to a search through the drying room for the right piece. This goes back onto the lathe.

Final shaping is a seeking to combine opposites. Deep attention to the ideal of the shape could be an imposition on the wood, if great care for the quality of cut was not also practiced. Curves that sing need to meet with a cut that sings. Each piece becomes a search for a sculptural harmony of detail within the archetype that has created all Sounding Bowls.

The shaped bowl is then marked out for strings, drilled, has copper tubes inserted to ease the strings’ flow, is sanded and finished inside. The outside may be carved. Final polishing can take many days, fine coats of oil burnished to great strength. Tail pins require accuracy, tuning pegs are individually fashioned. Strings are fitted, tuned, retuned…

A Sounding Bowl is born

Sounding Bowls a remarkable reputation. Backed by a life time guarantee and by my on going interest in the performance of each numbered and signed instrument.

On this website you will find a description of the various styles and types of Sounding Bowl. You may also find a list of several that are presently in stock. If you do not find the one that seems right for you remember that most Sounding Bowls are made to order, look through the pages of types and contact me to discuss your requirements. We can make the one you need.