Every instrument in the sound spectrum has character, voice, tone, color, and timbre…in other words, an identity. This makes it useful as a sound healing tool, for the unique sonic signatures impact the music as well as the listener in consistent ways. For our purposes as a musician making music that has a healing quality about it, it is useful to know the families of instruments and their personal characteristics and how and when to use them in our compositions.
Each instrument is made of certain materials, whether wood, brass, metal, animal hide, nature found or plastic. These materials and the applied craftsmanship go far in empowering the instrument with specific sound quality. Additionally, the intention and spirit of the creator of the instrument lends an additional vibration that can be felt, especially when playing or hearing a hand-
To increase our palette of sound we shall look at the families of Stringed instruments, Wind Instruments, Percussion Instruments, and Electronic Instruments with some specifics about each.
You are invited to become familiar with each and, if possible, include them in your compositions. The texturing will address more frequencies and address the whole body and all its energy fields.
String Family
Any instrument using strings to make sound belongs in this family. The string vibrates and moves air to create the sound, thus, they are an instrument that impacts the air element and the heart chakra regions as well. The strings can be bowed, plucked, picked, or hammered. Each technique effects the sound as it may elicit greater harmonic sounding, which, for healing purposes, is desirable. String instruments can also be tuned differently. A =432 has been shown to have a particular vibrational footprint that can be powerful.
Other stringed instruments include the plucked and bowed ones from China, Japan, India, and the Middle East. Each has a voice that is unique and evocative. When used for texturing it can be a powerful healing tonic imparting a wide swath of vibration for the listener. These instruments, especially the ones from the Far East, are haunting and impact the heart and sacral chakras through the use of the minor and major pentatonic scales.
Metallophones
A special subset of the Percussion family, these metal instruments are very rich in harmonic expression, which can be very useful as full frequency sound washes or penetrating explosions of sound to loosen energetic debris.. They can assist in cleansing higher frequency energy bodies. They include gongs, chimes, tubular bells, bells, singing bowls (Tibetan Bowls), and, though not of metal, the silicon Quartz bowls
Session Nine: Intentional Use of Specific Instruments
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Violin |
Resemble human voice as so many upper harmonics are present; full range of emotional expression; impacts the heart to the crown chakras; string orchestra reaches the entire human organism; |
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Cello |
Impacts belly, solar plexus, heart, and throat; very emotional |
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Harp |
Calms nervous system, producing deep relaxation; opens mental field through the harmonics/overtones from the large number of freely vibrating strings;carries consciousness upward; rings and echoes as strings continue to vibrate and resonate |
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Guitar |
The perfect accompaniment instrument for the voice. It can be played in a variety of ways (picked, strummed, finger picked, harmonically) and set in a variety of tunings that allow for very healing drones and fifths; touches from belly to crown, with particular impact in the plexus; |
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Tambura |
Indian instrument of four strings which creates a drone of octaves and a fifth; many harmonics produced; calming and reassuring in an earth element way; good for vocalizing over;perfect for mantra and chant that stays in one key. |
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Sitar |
Indian melodic instrument that is evocative and harmonically rich. Many sympathetic strings resonate with the plucked tones; strongly airy; spiritual; pulls into higher realms |
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Ukelele |
Hawaiian four string guitar like instrument; very good for mellow accompaniment and rhythmic strumming; works well with vocals; |
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Piano |
Wide range; holding down the sustain pedal and playing elicits multiple overtones; very watery but also earthy and fiery, depending on your style; very dynamic; can “prepare” the piano strings with various materials to create unique textures and sounds; |
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Gongs |
When sounded they produce a powerful sonic wash; sensitive playing can produce a wide variety of textures at a wide rainge of dynamics; can be intended for use in full body cleansing; best used by someone who is energetically clear and free from ego challenges as the energy can accompany the sound as it moves out to the listener |
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Wind Chimes |
Small tubular bells in sets of six, often tuned to a variation of the pentatonic scale; if outside they are randomly moved and sounded by the breeze, creating a relationship with the elements; a powerful set is called the Solfeggio set consisting of the six frequencies of that recently rediscovered sacred scale considered to be the frequency building blocks of all matter…a remarkable daily energy cleanser |
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Bells |
Bells of all kind clean the upper chakras and the upper auric field from the throat up; tinkling breaks up energetic debris on the energy bodies; also the Tingshahs from Tibet are particular useful in creating a nourishing brainwave pattern |
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Tubular Bells |
Make us aware of our spine and the vertical axis; they are expansive and long lasting; inviting of mental aura to open and let go of limiting beliefs and negative thinking; |
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Tibetan Singing Bowls |
Traditionally from Tibet and made of 5 different metals; harmonically rich in overtones; played by striking for bell like overtones or using a mallet to make them sing…creating a harmonically rich sustained tone that is powerful as a sound healing tool; the sound of the Himalayan bowls modulates; single metal bowls from China, Korea, and Japan have a clear, sharp and straight sound; assist one in finding one’s own center and brings you into touch with feminine energy; have strong effect on heart and soothe nervous system |
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Quartz Bowls |
A product of the Silicon Valley, CA electronics industry, these remarkable bowls produce a very pure tone that can pinpoint a particular chakra area; the tone is made by rubbing a mallet on the side or around the lip; it is a strong sustaining tone that really seems to engulf the space and the air around the listener; very centering and inspiring |
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