Temple Sounds Singing Bowl Information

Tibetan Singing bowl definitions and description

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 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

hand pick 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,

YouTube, and radio with the bowls as well.

Grading System continued:

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.

Our Singing Bowl Grading System

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