Tibetan singing bowls were created in a variety of sizes and shapes depending on sonic need. Although the origins of the bowls remain unclear it is surmised that they have been in use in the Himalayan region for over 3000 years and made their way to Tibet about 1000
years ago with the advent of Buddhism to that area of the world. It is thought that the ancient shamans known as the Bon were the primary users of these instruments in Tibet.
For the beginner and even the more experienced player, it can be difficult to ascertain what would be a good bowl to choose out of the multitudes in circulation. It is definitely easier to come to a good decision if you have listened to many bowls in person as a reference point.The issue of how to choose the best bowl is resolved by the careful playing of the bowls or by having a trusted source with whom you can discuss your needs and who can locate the right bowl for your purposes.
It is questionable if anyone can really judge with any accuracy the age of a specific bowl so we choose to indicate that in our best estimation we think this bowl is old or very old, or newer with implied ages as an estimate only.
As far as elemental construction the singing bowls are bronze (approximately 80% copper & 20% tin) and in truth the mention of five, seven or twelve metals are exaggerations that have about zero basis in fact. The basic truth regarding the bowls is that the bowls are made exactly like most other high quality metal percussion instruments i.e, cymbals and bells, which are made of bronze as well. There may be other trace elements such as silver or gold but this is rarer and can only be determined accurately with a spectrometer. What needs to be noted is that the artisan who created the bowl and their knowledge and skill are responsible for producing the best sonic qualities by correctly smelting, forming and
hammering with the correct sonic design, these being the most important factors in creating a great sounding bowl.
With that said we have a wonderful range of bowls collected over 30 years, and we personally handpick the highest sound quality bowls found in Nepal for our store.We grade the bowls by condition and sonic quality as well as rarity. And we come from three generations of professional musicians and are well versed with spiritual bowl sounds and have an experienced musical ear. This is necessary to discern the subtle sonic differences between every bowl.
My perspective on the bowls is one of a professional musician, and I am perhaps the first person in the West who is a fully trained percussionist that has become deeply involved in this meditative bowl perspective, and importantly as well, one that actually has access to ancient museum quality bowls. The bowls that people dream of and hear about, but rarely seen.
I have personally taught music in the public school system through university levels, and also professionally played percussion on and off the road for over fifty years. I have released five CD’s: "Celestial Bowls", "Goddess Bowls", "Meditation Bowls", "Mystic Bowls" and "Shaman Bowls" by Temple Sounds featuring incredible antique Tibetan Singing Bowls. These CD’s have received rave reviews nationally and internationally and I have appeared on television,
Recording and concert bowls come in the Adept (AAA/AAAA) and Healer/Teacher (A/AA) levels, but not all bowls are good for recording. For recording, a certain sound, warmth, and consistency is needed to interact with the microphone correctly. If you plan to record let me know, and I will help you find the right bowl or bowl set for this. I will personally hand test these bowls using state-of-the-art microphones and digital equipment so you receive the best
sounding recording set.
Sonic qualities:
Most bowls will perform one function better than another, whether spinning or hitting. Some do both very well but this is rarer. Our grading system is as follows, we use an 8 to 10 grade for all three qualities below. Look for 9’s to 10’s for a great bowl. Keep in mind that sometimes a bowl does one thing well and another thing not so well. Such as a bowl with a great fundamental tone but a subtle or silent harmonic note or a bowl with a magnificent hit but only an average spin. Or a bowl with multiple clear harmonics which is rarer.
1. C = Physical construction. Positives and negatives.
2. S = Spinning qualities.
3. H = Hit/strike. Length of fundamental tone when hit once.
To help the customer acquire the best bowl for their purposes we have created a grading system that will visually and sonically allow the purchaser to have a true and accurate description of the bowls inherent characteristics.
The first thing to understand with the bowls is that there are three higher quality level bowls and 2 lower quality level bowls.
The first and highest level we call Adept (AAA and AAAA) quality and this is absolutely the best quality that is obtainable anywhere. AAA/AAAA bowls will produce a magnificent sound that is magical, warm, and unusually well balanced and consistent. The construction will be peerless. The Adept bowls were always extremely difficult to find but now they are almost impossible to locate in any quantity. Perhaps one in one thousand used to be the ratio. Now it is even less. If you are interested in AAA/AAAA bowls I can let you know what we have in stock currently.
The second level is the Healer/Teacher (AA) level bowls. This quality level is still very, very high befitting its Healer/Teacher status, but not quite as exalted as the Adept bowls. The sound quality ranges from excellent to excellent plus and while these bowls are wonderful in sound quality, their physical and sonic presence will not be as super highly refined as the Adept bowls. AA quality bowls are getting much harder to find now and almost as rare as the Adept bowls. These bowls are great for all around usage whether in healing or concert and they do the job with excellence.
The third level is the Student level bowls or A quality, and they are good in sound quality. Although not as rarified as the beautiful tones you will hear in the upper two levels. They are good for the beginning to intermediate student without breaking the bank and in the right hands will do just fine for a multitude of purposes.
There are also 2 more lower levels (B & C quality) that you will generally see as the common singing bowls sold in stores or on the internet at bargain basement prices.
Shopping with us
You can be 100% confident to shop at Temple Sounds for all your Singing Bowl needs. We have been in business since 1994 and know what we are talking about. Be sure to inform us what you need, and we will probably have it in stock as we always have at least 2,000 stellar quality bowls including very high quality antiques up to 14”.
We specialize in keeping in stock some very rare types of singing bowls too, so if there is a bowl that you have a yearning for but have never been able to find, please let us know and we will do our best to locate it for you and will be happy to send you a video of the bowl for a small charge.
We guarantee all bowl purchases to meet or exceed expectations and will give an accurate tonal and visual description of the bowls to the very best of our ability.
Restocking Fees:
There is a 20% restocking fee for all bowls and sets returned within seven days in original condition. After seven days all purchases are not returnable or refundable in any way. Modern made Singing bowls and any other modern made items ie., Tingshas, Bells, Mallets, etc. will be charged a 20% restocking fee for all returns within seven days only in original brand-new condition.
Gongs and all Special orders and Sets are not returnable for any reason. Gong shipping rates may vary from what the standard Paypal charges are to your location. Some of the Gongs are big and heavy and will require more postage to send. Please call for exact shipping rates to your location.
Shipping/Handling & Insurance charges as well as all Paypal & Credit Card fees etc. are not refundable. Worn sticks and mallets returned with any marks or scratches or any other visibly used or broken items returned will be charged full price for.
Sale items are not returnable.
Regarding Sound Files...
Temple Sounds is happy to discuss personal bowl requests and to take the time to locate the best bowls for your needs whether in specific notes, 432hz, or Perfect Pitch, or anything else you can dream up (this is our specialty). We have worked with symphonies and museums to procure the exact bowl tones they require whether in Western scales or Eastern quarter tones.
However, because this takes much time and energy searching though scores of bowls to get just the right bowls for your needs, and then providing a cohesive video for your perusal, there is a non-refundable fee for every bowl video file in addition to the cost of the bowl for all special orders.
Video charges are $40- for 1 to 3 bowls. For each additional bowl, add $10- per bowl. All custom bowl videos are sent in 1 video at the same time. If excessive travel and time is needed to procure your special order then we will add our day rate to the order that can be quoted at the time of inquiry.
Let Temple Sounds find that special bowl or create the perfect custom set for your needs!
Thank you,
Temple Sounds
See our Healing Page for images of various Bowl styles, shapes and sizes!
