Singing bowls are used in various countries and cultures but the best examples of these resonant bowls are considered to originate in Tibet, India, and Nepal where they are often handmade. Japan also produces beautiful handmade singing bowls while bowls from China and Thailand are often machine-made for tourists and, while they might not be the greatest sounding, might still look lovely on the coffee table. Most singing bowls are made of special alloys of various metals including gold, silver or copper and find their root in the Buddhist tradition. These instruments produce a calming tone used for meditation and sound therapy, where a number of different bowls that vibrate with different notes and therefore different frequencies are used. These are often placed on or near the different chakra points of the patient in a therapeutic process designed to find out their unique frequency. The goal here is to help mend and align the natural frequencies of the body. Many playing techniques are possible when using singing bowls including running a beater around the rim (as you would with a crystal glass) or by using a soft beater to lightly strike the inner or outer rim while the tone of a bowl can be made higher by filling it with water. In this category, you'll find a range of various kinds of singing bowls and sets.
