Back in 2010, over ten years ago, hard to believe, I was right here writing this blog post about creating music in a small space, specifically tiny houses. For me, my first instrument was the piano, but I always had my eye on the guitar, so today I enjoy paying both of those instruments.
But in my research back in 2010, over ten years ago, I ran into the djembe (JEM-BAY) which is a hand drum with skin covered over it. That’s when Derek “DEEK” Diedricksen commented and reached out to me about these and recommended one to me. I ended up buying the drum he recommended, still have it today, and enjoy it very much from time to time, especially with my son (who’s 2-years-old as I update this article).
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The Djembe Drum!
In 2010, I was seeking the most instrument simple possible and decided on a drum. But there are so many other instruments that can be enjoyed in small spaces. And with today’s technology, if you own a Macintosh computer (See: Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro), you likely have heard about a little program called GarageBand (it’s free and comes with all Mac computers and it’s awesome). If you have that, you can play just about any instrument on the planet with your very own software-based digital recording studio.
So here’s a djembe drum solo video that I picked out for you back in 2010 that ought to put a smile on your face… (enjoy!)
Solo Djembe Drum
But then I discovered something that fascinated me. It’s called the PANArt hang drum. It was invented in the year 2000. It is difficult and expensive to acquire because they are hand made by two men in Switzerland. Play this video below to listen to Dante Bucci in action with the PANArt hang drums.
PANArt Hang Drums
If you liked that you can buy Dante’s music. Here’s the link (it will open in a new window). Or you can visit his website.
You’re probably wondering, “Where can I buy one?” Meaning, the instrument not Dante’s music.
I had the same question. This forum post has the information on how to get one. It’s made by PANArt. I warn you though, it’s not easy or cheap. Because they were so hard to get, I decided to look on Ebay. They sell for over $5,000 there.
Then I found something similar but not as fascinating. But at least you can actually get one easily and it won’t cost a fortune (but still pricey at $250-$700). It seems like something really fun to have in a tiny house.
It’s called the Milltone Tunable Steel Tongue Drum, which now, over ten years later, I’m not so sure how easy it is to get anymore or if it’s even still being manufactured. But there are other tongue drums you can get now, and they’re much more affordable than they were ten years ago when I originally wrote this article. Take a look for yourself using some of the links below.
Some of the links are affiliate links, which means, if you make a purchase, we may be eligible to receive a small commission if you buy something (anything within the store) using that link. Pretty cool, right? This helps support my efforts here at TinyHouseTalk.com and it also helps me ocnnect you with some pretty awesome products, so the way I do it, it’s a win-win. That’s called affiliate marketing and sales, and it’s something I actually teach because it’s something you can do on the side to build an income (from anywhere in the world). If you’re interested in learning about that, just click here and I’ll send you a series of emails about it. Back to the steel drums…
- Pearl 9 Note Tongue Drum C Lydian ($199-$233) (SweetWater.com)
- Flatson Steel Tongue Drum (5.5 inch & 8 inch, $59, $109) (via flatsons on Amazon.com) (affiliate link) – I actually just ordered one of these myself 🙂
Hope you enjoyed this and please share your thoughts! What other musical instruments are great in tiny homes? So many, right? The saxophone, trumpet, violin, flute, xylophone, clarinet, accordion, harmonica, trombone, drum, french horn, banjo, these would all easily work in a tiny home, wouldn’t they?
Alex
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Thanks for the support for my music!
By the way, that post about how to get a Hang is pretty old. Try the Hang Wiki on wikipedia or visit hangblog.org and handpan.org for the latest info.
Also check pantheonsteel.com or bellart.es to see some viable alternatives to the Hang. There are also a wide variety of Steel Tongue Drums such as the Hapi drum and the Zen Tambour.
-Dante
Hey Dante–When I saw the video of you playing I was instantly intrigued by the instrument. Looking forward to learning to play someday.
I just downloaded your album from CDNow and am enjoying it right now.
Thanks for coming by and leaving us with those updated links. I’ll update the post w/ them so others can click.