11-Note Tongue Drum

The 11-note tongue drum in C major has three low tongues—G, A, and B—below the starting C, followed by a full octave from C to B. A high C completes the set. C, G, A, and B each appear at two pitches, one octave apart. Its range spans roughly an octave and a half from low G to high C: a full octave plus notes for accompaniment. It generally falls between the third and fifth octaves.

You can play “Ode to Joy,” “Amazing Grace,” “Happy Birthday,” “Jingle Bells,” “La Vie en Rose,” and “Danny Boy” on this instrument. In fact, most beginner tunes in a repertoire arranged for 11 notes require no more than 5 to 10 distinct notes. Even “The Sound of Silence” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” use only 10, and just one tune in this 11-note repertoire uses all eleven tongues.

For younger players, there is also a collection of thirty nursery rhymes and songs written for 11 tongues in D major, with each melody notated using numbers, from “The Wheels on the Bus” to “Three Blind Mice.”

In a collection of calming songs with numbered notation for 8, 11, and 15 tongues, “Frère Jacques” reaches the low G below the starting C. That’s why it takes at least 11 tongues to play the entire song as written in this collection; the same is true of “Amazing Grace.” Only two breathing exercises and one canon in the same collection fit on 8 tongues. You can also play “Frère Jacques” on multiple drums because it, too, is a canon: the second player starts when the first finishes the opening section.

In the numbering system known as “scale and dots,” the numbers 1 through 7 correspond to the seven notes from C to B on an instrument in C major. On an instrument in D major, 1 represents D instead. A dot below a number lowers the note by an octave, while a dot above raises it by an octave: 5, 6, and 7 with dots below represent the instrument’s three low tongues, and 1 with a dot above represents its high C. Another system numbers the tongues consecutively, starting with 1 on the lowest tongue and ending with 11 on the highest. On a model in C major, low G is therefore labelled 1, the starting C is 4, and high C is 11. Numbers above 7 on your tongue drum can only indicate this consecutive numbering system.

Some sheet music even includes a numbered sequence beneath each line for instruments with 8 to 15 tongues, including 11-tongue models, along with the note names.

Whichever numbering system you use, simply match the number in the sheet music to the number on the tongue or on a sticker you’ve applied to it, if stickers are included.

C major and D major are the two most common keys for this format. D major sounds a little higher than C major, but both are equally easy to play.

In this collection, we offer models in C, D, and F, as well as a minor scale in C if you’re looking for a different sound. You can also choose between stainless steel and a stainless steel and titanium alloy.

Yes, the 11-note tongue drum is perfect for beginners: it has enough tongues to play complete melodies, and beginners won’t outgrow it as quickly as a smaller model. Start with familiar tunes, then expand your repertoire without changing instruments. If you’re choosing between 8, 11, and 13 notes for a child, remember that the number of notes also affects how long the instrument can grow with them.

Yes, this format comes in several diameters. Our selection ranges from 25 to 45 cm (10 to 18 in) in diameter, plus a mini model.