Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on Jan 28, 2026
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Do you already own a tongue drum, or are you thinking about getting one soon? Have you heard that this percussion instrument can bring many benefits to the person who plays it? Is it true that the tongue drum can be good for your health?
As someone who has owned several tongue drums for over 5 years, I’ve had plenty of time to experience the many virtues of this soothing instrument. I’ve also looked into a wide range of scientific studies that validate the benefits of playing musical instruments. In this article, I’ll share everything I’ve learned.
Regular tongue drum practice offers several benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, improved memory, concentration, and cognitive skills, greater creativity, and better sleep.
After reading this article, you will know:
- Why playing an instrument is good for your well-being
- The benefits of the tongue drum
- How to enjoy all these benefits with your percussion instrument
You’ll soon understand why owning an instrument like this can make a real difference in everyday life, thanks to its soothing, pleasant tones.
Now, let’s dive into this fascinating topic.
Does playing a musical instrument really have benefits?
Scientific research in the field of music has largely confirmed that playing an instrument benefits both mental and physical health. Researchers and professors regularly publish articles on the subject to share the results of their experiments. For example, in February 2022, a German and Swiss study invited several people in their sixties to learn to play the piano. After six months of practice, compared to another group of the same age who did not take part in the exercise, it was noted that a protective effect had developed around brain and cognitive functions by stabilizing the microstructure of the brain’s white matter.
This is just one of many studies that have looked into this topic. Other experiments have also analyzed the effect of playing an instrument on younger people and on anxiety. The common thread across these studies is clear: learning any instrument brings significant benefits to everyday life. The tongue drum, in particular, produces relaxing and soothing sounds that tend to maximize the player’s well-being.
How does the tongue drum have a beneficial effect on the body and mind?
As mentioned above, there’s no denying that the tongue drum has many virtues. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
A percussion instrument that combats stress and anxiety
Playing a musical instrument tends to lower blood pressure and reduce stress and anxiety in the player. This effect is even more pronounced in children, as proven by a 2014 study from the University of Vermont in the United States. Using various scans, researchers have shown that regularly playing a musical instrument helps reduce the impact of stress on the brain, particularly by combating the harmful effects of cortisol, the naturally produced stress hormone.
The steel tongue drum is no exception to this rule. In addition, because this instrument naturally produces a full spectrum of soothing tones, the player feels the vibrations deeply, and the simple act of tapping can help release tension, it can further support anxiety reduction for anyone who plays it. Finally, many players also learn to meditate with the tongue drum, an activity that deepens relaxation and reinforces the stress-relieving effect.
The tongue drum promotes sleep
Who hasn’t listened to soft music to try to fall asleep more easily? It’s even an instinctive act that almost all mothers do when singing lullabies to their children. Thus, playing the tongue drum also improves sleep quality. Playing a few melodies just before bed helps you unwind, gives you a screen-free activity, and, as we’ve already discussed, cuts stress.
Stress and anxiety have a major impact on rest, and they can quickly create a vicious cycle. When stress is overwhelming, sleep becomes difficult and can even start to slip away. And when sleep is too short and not restorative, people tend to feel even more stressed. That’s why playing the tongue drum is an excellent way to support better sleep. Unlike a drum kit, its gentle notes won’t clash with the idea of winding down for the night.
Improve your coordination with a hank drum
A team of Canadian researchers focused on the audiomotor connectivity of individuals who play musical instruments. As might be expected, this connectivity is significantly higher for instrument players. This is easily explained, as playing an instrument is a complex activity that requires excellent coordination of movements coupled with extreme precision.
This is one of the beneficial aspects used in music therapy, a practice that uses music and instruments as part of a care approach. This complementary and alternative practice can help develop coordination in young children or preserve it in older adults, who tend to gradually lose this ability over the years. The steel tongue drum fits perfectly into this category, allowing you to create new connections in your brain so you can play songs with a pair of drumsticks or mallets.
Developing creativity through the tank drum
Playing familiar tunes is just the beginning—you can also compose your own pieces, a rewarding way to boost your creativity overall. Creativity is an essential skill in our daily lives because it allows us to find solutions to problems more quickly and effectively. You can try different combinations of notes that may result in a beautiful melody that you can post online, like this percussionist:
Improve your concentration with the steel tongue drum
Once again, scientific studies have shown that playing an instrument affects the area of the brain linked to concentration. Musicians are therefore more focused and channeled into the tasks they perform in their daily lives. Indeed, it goes without saying that learning an instrument requires a certain amount of discipline and therefore concentration. Even though the tongue drum is a relatively simple percussion instrument compared to a violin or guitar, your concentration will be enhanced, which is sure to benefit you.
Improved memory and intellectual abilities through the use of the tongue drum
Neuroscience has also taken a keen interest in musical instruments. There’s no denying that reading sheet music, or even just remembering simple melodies, makes a musician’s brain work harder. In addition, a Chilean study conducted in 2020 used MRI scans and multiple experiments to demonstrate that the cognitive abilities of people who had been playing an instrument for more than two years were superior to those of individuals who had never played an instrument. This is yet another reason to fully commit to the wonderful world of tongue drums.
How can you reap all these benefits from the instrument?
Whether you use your hank drum to play sheet music or let your intuition guide you to create songs, you will enjoy all of the benefits listed above. There is no one method that is fundamentally better than another, and it is recommended that you use the instrument in the way that you find most enjoyable. However, it’s worth consulting our guide to learn the basics of the tongue drum so you can play it correctly.
Enjoy the many benefits offered by the tongue drum
Most instruments, especially the tank drum, offer many benefits to musicians who make time to play them regularly. These benefits help players develop their cerebral cortex while reducing stress and anxiety, two factors that can lead to much more serious illnesses. Now, thanks to this article, you have been informed of all the benefits of the tongue drum.
However, it’s not always easy to find a tongue drum that meets every player’s expectations. This zen, relaxing instrument is still relatively niche and may not be carried by every music store. That’s why Instruments du Monde specializes in supplying rare and exotic instruments such as tongue drums. You’ll find more than fifty models in this store, such as this 15-note model designed for music therapy.
Treat yourself to this tongue drum now by clicking on the image below:
Did you know that it is possible to make your own tongue drum with the help of a few recycled materials? Find out how by consulting our guide to making this percussion instrument. Or learn more about the tongue drum by reading our comprehensive article covering all its aspects.
