Sound Therapy

Dr Krishna N Sharma
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 Contents

Introduction to Sound Therapy ............................... 4

The Science of Sound .............................................. 8
Psychology of Sound Therapy ............................... 11
Music Theory ........................................................... 13
Selecting an Instrument ......................................... 16
Step-by-Step Sound Therapy................................. 21
Assembling a Set of Instruments............................ 25
Tibetan Bowl ............................................................ 27
Crystal Bowl ............................................................. 30
Drums ....................................................................... 31
Shamanic Drums .................................................... 35
Handpans................................................................ 37
Gong ....................................................................... 38
Wind Chimes ........................................................... 40
Balinese Bell ............................................................. 42
Shakers and Rattles ................................................ 43
Sansula Kalimba ..................................................... 45
Flute ......................................................................... 46
Didgeridoo .............................................................. 47
Jaw Harp ................................................................. 48
Guitar ....................................................................... 49

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Throat Singing ......................................................... 50
Playing through Visualization ................................ 51
Sound Bath .............................................................. 53
Sound Therapy for Children ................................... 55
Sound Therapy for Animals .................................... 56
Sound Therapy for Plants ....................................... 57

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 Introduction to Sound Therapy

Sound is a vibration, and life is made up of vibrating

atoms, as we all know. The vibrations transmitted
can affect us on a cellular level, depending on the
instrument. Some sounds can help us transition
from "Beta Brain Wave Patterns," or those
associated with flight or fight reflexes, anxiety, and
concentration, to calming frequencies like "Alpha
Wave Patters (related to relaxation)," "Theta Wave
Patters (related to meditation)," and even "Delta
Wave Patters (related to trance-like states)." This
means that simply listening to or play musical
instruments or tune might help you access more
revitalising, regenerating, and peaceful states of
mind.
Sound therapy or sound healing can help in:
 Reducing anxiety and stress.
 Improving concentration and memory.
 Improving creativity.
 Improving sleep quality.
 Improving immunity.
 Gaining greater sense of mental, emotional,
and physical well-being.
In recent years, sound therapy has been gaining a
rapidly increasing number of followers. However, it
is not a new method. On the contrary, it has been
in existence for thousands of years in different
civilizations and cultures.
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The use of sounds as tools for healing is well
documented in the study of psychology. Primal
sounds are trendy in sound therapy because they
have a direct effect on the nervous system.
Subtle sounds and harmonics can stimulate the
nervous system and produce special effects to
assist one's healing process. However, these are
only effective if they are used with correct
visualizations and appropriate tuning.
Due to the demand for sound therapy or sound
healing, many devices and products have hit the
market, e.g. white noise devices that produce
natural sounds, e.g. rain, ocean etc. Some devices
may make primal sounds, e.g. Om. Some devices
play specific soothing instruments, e.g. Tanpura,
Swar-Mandal etc.
Natural sounds can have a very profound effect
on mental state. Therefore, they can be utilized to
heal a wide range of psychological problems. The
use of natural sounds has been well documented
in ancient healing practices, most notably with
meditation practices.
Tibetan bells, singing bowls, etc., are good
examples of an ancient sound tool still used today
in many modern cultures for meditation purposes.
A basic understanding of the tools and techniques
used in sound therapy can be helpful to anyone
seeking to use sounds as tools for healing.
However, while some health care practitioners
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may have some training in the basic uses of sound
as a healing tool, others may not.
It is important to remember that not all sounds are
suitable for everyone. Therefore, one should
always consult with a professional before making
any significant changes. Suppose a person
attempts to use sound therapy without any training
or knowledge. In that case, it could easily backfire
on them. Certain products could also deteriorate if
they are misused or are not correctly tuned for the
individual user.
While the term "sound therapy" may cause a
certain amount of confusion, it is an excellent way
to describe the general field of study that deals
with the use of sounds and music as tools for
healing. The word "therapy" implies that sound and
music can be used to help a person heal
psychological problems or otherwise aid in their
overall well-being.
The vast majority of research on sound therapy has
been conducted regarding its effects on stress
management or relaxation. One of the most
popular forms of this therapy is the use of music.
The ability to relax after a stressful day at work or in
a tense classroom is nothing short of astounding. In
addition, studies have shown that it can help
people perform better on cognitive tests,
remember important information, and
concentrate.

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The key when using sound therapy is to experiment
with different types of sounds and music until you
find one that works for you. For example, some
people may prefer the feeling of certain accents,
and some do not, but that does not mean they are
right or wrong.

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 The Science of Sound

Sound is a physical phenomenon made up of

minute vibrations that pass through a medium like
air and are perceived by the human ear. The
listener's current activity, previous experience, and
attitude toward the source of that sound all affect
whether that sound is perceived as pleasant (e.g.,
music) or unpleasant (e.g., jackhammers).
Three main physical features are involved in the
measuring and perception of sound by humans:
i. Intensity: In simple terms, you may call it
loudness. The acoustic energy of sound
vibrations is measured in terms of intensity,
which is quantified in terms of sound
pressure. So, the more energy transported by
the sound and the louder the impression of
that sound, the higher the sound pressure.
ii. Frequency: The number of times per second
that air vibrates or oscillates is known as
frequency. Rumbles or roars are examples of
low-frequency sounds, whereas sirens or
screeches are examples of high-frequency
sounds.

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 Image source: [Link]

iii. Duration: The length of time that a sound

can be noticed is known as its duration.

The loudest noises that the human ear can detect

comfortably have intensities that are a trillion times
higher than sounds that can hardly be detected.
Humans can hear sounds in a frequency range
from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
Because of this wide range, employing a linear
scale to express sound intensity is impractical. As a
result, sound intensity is measured using a
logarithmic unit known as the decibel
(abbreviated dB). A sound level is a representation
of this type. For example, a sound level of 0 dB is
about the human hearing threshold. It is hardly
discernible under very quiet listening settings.
Comparable Sound Levels(approximately):
 10 dB for breathing
 20 dB for whisper
 30 dB for quiet countryside
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  40 dB for bird calls.
 50 dB for quiet suburb
 60 decibels for office conversation
 70 dB for vacuum cleaner
 80 dB for Dishwasher
 90 dB for a motorcycle at a distance of 25
feet.
 100 dB jackhammer
 110 dB auto horn at 1 metre
 120 dB chain saw
It is critical to comprehend a fascinating reality in
this case. Because of the intriguing sound
algorithm, 70 dB is utilized as a baseline, and the
rest of the dB is compared. Any increase in noise of
ten decibels is regarded as doubling the amount
of noise. So, 80 decibels is two times louder than 70
decibels, and 90 decibels is four times louder than
70 decibels.

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 Psychology of Sound Therapy

The perception of sound is the foundation of sound

psychology. It begins with the movement of the
basilar membrane in the inner ear's cochlea. Then,
it travels through the cochlear nuclei and the
central auditory pathway to both hemispheres of
the human brain. It may sound complicated. So
simply speaking, we can just say that the sound is
received in the ear and perceived in the brain.
There is a link between the physics and psychology
of hearing. Wind blowing, sea waves crashing, and
birds chirping are more than just sounds. They may
interact with a person's emotions and mood to
generate feelings.
The human endeavour to portray emotions
through extremely complex sound is known as
music. Pitch, intensity, and timbre are
psychoacoustic qualities of a simple sound. But
rhythm, which is time-dependent, is present in
music. Simple sound elements combine to form
incredibly complex patterns. Pitch, intensity,
timbre, and rhythm are all characteristics of basic
sound units that evolve into larger units to make
musical melodies.
Music has the power to change our mood, remind
us of a specific moment, and evoke emotions.
Music aids communication by conveying
information that is both semantic and emotive.
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These aspects point to the central nervous system's
involvement in peripheral auditory processing
through integration and interpretation processes.
Several studies have shown that sound and music
can have an emotional impact and cause
psychosomatic and physiological changes. For
example, music has been shown to improve brain
function, lower blood pressure, increase heart rate,
and regulate stress hormones.
The effect varies based on various subjective
influences and paraments, e.g., personal music
preference, social exposure, previous experience,
age, loudness, annoyance etc. This is why the
same sound or music may not have the same
effect on different people. Therefore, the healer or
therapist must work together with the client to
identify the sound or music that works the best.

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 Music Theory

Music theory is what the musicians use to

understand and communicate music's language.
Musical theory is the study of the fundamentals of
music. It also includes a method for interpreting
musical compositions.
Music theory is a broad area of study. There are
numerous practices, disciplines, and concepts to
consider. But here we shall talk about it in simple
terms.
Though we don’t require to go further in the music
theory to practice Sound Therapy or Sound
Healing, it is better to know about some common
music terminologies.
Musical compositions are made up of the following
building blocks:
i. Harmony
ii. Melody
iii. Rhythm
Harmony:
Harmony occurs when multiple notes or voices are
played at the same time to create a new sound.
Harmonies are composed of sounds that
complement one another and sound pleasing.
Harmony is seen in chords. A chord is combination
of more than one notes that are played
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simultaniously. A piece of music's chords and
chord progressions support or complement the
melody.
Harmony is also created by combining vocal parts.
A choir's combined voices are an excellent
example. A choir's multiple voices blend to create
a harmonious sound.
Melody:
Melody is a musical phrase made up of many
notes or voices. The melody is often the most
memorable and recognisable section of a song.
Melodies can be composed using either
instruments or vocals. They have two or more
musically pleasing notes in a sequence. Most
compositions are made up of multiple melodies
that repeat.
Rhythm:
Rhythm is the repeated movement of notes and
silences in time. Though a musical rhythm has
various components, tempo is a component that
can easily be understood. The tempo is measured
by BPM or beats per minute.
The Alphabet of Music:
Notes are the foundation of all music. The musical
alphabet consists of seven letters: A, B, C, D, E, F,
and G. However, in music, the first alphabet is C

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and it progresses as C, D, E, F, A, B and C. Each
note has a distinct pitch.
The 12 semitones or keys of Music:
Music has 12 notes: A, A♯/B♭, B, C, C♯/D♭, D, D♯/E♭,
E, F, F♯/G♭, G, G♯/A♭. The same 12 notes are
repeated in octaves upwards and downwards.
The Octaves:
An octave is an interval between a note and a
note with twice the frequency. On a piano, for
example, an octave up from C2 is C3. C1 is an
octave lower.

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 Selecting an Instrument

One of the most beautiful things with Sound

therapy or sound healing is that you don’t
necessarily need an instrument. All you need is
sound. It may be your voice in form of humming,
singing, or reciting. It may also be your body part
making a sound e.g., snap, or clap.
So, you can see that having an instrument is not a
matter of necessity, but a matter of choice and
preference.
Sound therapy is also very subjective therapy. An
instrument, sound, or music may be pleasant to
one and irritating to another. It may induce
happiness in one and sorrow in another. This all
happens based on culture, background, past
experiences, and personal choices.
Though there are some agreements when it comes
to effect of some music variables e.g. tempo and
chords, it is something that should be tried and
tested for each individual.
Normally a high tempo (BPM) is facilitatory and is
supposed to enhance alertness and a low tempo
is inhibitory and is supposed to produce a calming
effect.
A major chord is known as happy chord and any
song in that chord is normally supposed to give
feeling of happiness, whereas a minor chord is
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known as a sad chord and hence is used to calm
down hyperactivity.
A low-pitched sound is ideal for relaxing, but a
high-pitched sound can stimulate the mind.
But still, a person may feel sad and depressed by
hearing a song in high tempo (facilitatory), and
major chords (happy chords) song because it
reminds him/her of someone he/she has lost.
A person who is anxious and stressed can feel
irritated by a high tempo song and can be
depressed by a very low tempo song.
So, it is very important for a therapist to keep doing
trial and error until he/ she finds the right balance
and the suitable sound or music for the client. A
good way to start is to ask the client about what
kind of sound, instrument, or music makes him/her
feel better.
If we simply categorize the tools and instruments of
sound therapy, there could be the following types:
i. Vocal Sound
ii. Body Percussions
iii. Percussion instruments
iv. Strings instruments
v. Keyboard instruments
vi. Woodwind instruments
vii. Brass instruments

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Vocal Sound:
Vocal sound is the most ancient sound therapy
tool. The mothers have been using vocal sound like
humming and lullaby to calm down crying babies.
Warriors have been using vocal sounds to gain
confidence and intimidate enemies. People groan
to manage pain.
In sound therapy, vocal sound like humming,
chanting, singing, and making sound (e.g., Om) is
used to calm down, gain confidence, and
develop positivity.

Body Percussions:
Body percussion is sound made by body parts.
Clapping, snapping fingers, and patting are the
commonest forms of body percussions.
It is used to get emerged into musical trance and
fill people with joy.

Percussion Instruments:
Percussion instruments are the instrument that
makes a sound when they are hit, scraped, or
shaken. Few of the examples of percussion
instruments are bass drum, snare drum, cymbals,
chimes, gongs, and xylophone etc.

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These instruments set the person in rhythm and
have relaxing or stimulating effect, based on the
rhythm.

Strings Instruments:
The string instruments produce sound by vibrating
strings. Few of the common string instruments are
guitar, violin, banjo, cello, mandolin, and harp.
The string instruments produce effects by
producing different tunes, chords, and harmony.

Keyboard Instruments:
Keyboard instrument are the instruments that are
played by pressing keys, push buttons, or a row of
levers. Few of the common examples of such
instruments are the piano, synthesizer, and organ.
These instruments are easier to play, and they help
the clients or patients stay in the present and
emerge themselves into music to heal themselves.
They also produce effects by producing different
tunes, chords, and harmony.

Woodwind Instruments:
Woodwind or wind instruments are played by
blowing wind in the instrument. Few of such

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instruments are flute, English horn, piccolo, and
bassoon.
They produce effects by producing different tunes.

Brass Instruments:
The brass instruments or labrosones or labrophones,
produces sound by initial vibration of the player’s
lips in a tubular resonator. Few of the common
brass instruments are trumpet, French horn,
trombone, and tuba.
They produce effects by producing different tunes.

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 Step-by-Step Sound Therapy

 Step 1: Understand the client/ patient’s

problem through one-to-one discussion and
available reports. E.g., A patient may be
recovering with stroke (paralysis), feels
depressed, and doesn’t actively participate
in physiotherapy session.

 Step 2: Set objectives through discussion with

the client/ patient, caretakes, and medical
team. E.g.,
o The clients’ objective is to feel less
depressed.
o The caretakers’ or family members’
objective is to reduce patient’s
irritability.
o The medical doctor’s objective is to
reduce blood pressure.
o The physiotherapists’ objective is to
reduce muscle spasticity (tightness)
during stretching and increase active
participation during active exercises.

 Step 3: Prioritize objectives by discussing with

the patient, caretakers, and medical team.
E.g., the first priority is to make patient feel
less depressed, followed by reducing
irritability, reducing blood pressure, reducing

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 muscle spasticity, and increasing active
participation.

 Step 4: Talk to patient and find out what kind

of sound or music he/she thinks may give
desired effect. Take one objective at a time.
Don’t mix up everything together. E.g., here
the primary objective is to reduce the level
of depression. Remember that as a sound
therapist, your work is to just help the client/
patient find most suitable sound. They client/
patient plays active role in therapy and
makes decisions based on your guidance.
The kind of music may vary based on the
objectives e.g., depression, irritability, and
blood pressure may be managed with a low
to medium tempo song (e.g., 80-120 BPM) in
major chord. The muscle spasticity may be
managed by playing a low tempo music
(e.g., below 80 BPM) during stretching
session. The active participation may be
improved by playing high tempo music (e.g.
above 120 BPM) in major chord during
active exercise session.

 Step 5: Take baseline data. Ask patient to

rate his/her target emotions on a scale of 0
to 10. E.g., in the case of depression as the
top priority, 0 means not depressed at all,
and 10 means the depression is so much that
one could not take it anymore. Let us

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 assume that the patient gives it a rating of
seven.

 Step 6: Propose and play different sounds

and music based on discussion and mutual
agreement. E.g., a very religious Muslim may
feel good with the sound of azaan, a Hindu
may feel better just with the sound of Om. A
young music lover may feel good with a
particular rock music.

 Step 7: Ask the patient to rate the target

emotion again on a scale of 0 to 10, while
listening to the sound/ music. Here 0 means
no effect at all, and 10 means the desired
effect is completely achieved with
intervention. Keep doing it for all agreed
sound options and pick the one which is
most effective. E.g., the patient finds that a
particular music brings the depression level
down to four.

 Step 8: Mutually agree on the time and

frequency of listening, playing, or producing
the desired music or sound.

 Step 9: Frequently re-evaluate the client/

patient and make changes in the sound or
songs. Once a week is widely practiced
frequency.

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 Step 10: Be creative and flexible. There is no
right and wrong way of applying music
therapy. Everything just boils down to what is
available and what works. So, don’t hesitate
in innovating your own ways of doing it.

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 Assembling a Set of Instruments

There is no fixed rule of assembling a set of

instruments. Its all about selecting the instruments
that are available and the patient or client is
comfortable with.
We also need to look at the level of participation
by the patient or client. E.g., if a client is totally
naive in playing a musical instrument, cannot
afford a musician, and needs home exercise
programme; a simple drum can be made
available, and the client can be taught how to
simply hit the drum on the rhythm of pre-decided
recorded song. If the client can’t even afford a
simple drum, he/she can be advised to simply use
body percussions e.g., clap, or snap to indulge self
in the rhythm.
If the therapist is providing a group session, a
common objective should be agreed upon. The
instruments should be agreed upon, and each
participant should participate in playing
instruments or use vocals or body percussions. In an
incidence where participants don’t want to play
an active role except listening to music, a song or
music should be agreed upon.
So, you can see it is a very flexible approach and
one should not hesitate or feel shy to use less or
more number of instruments. You can complete

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the sessions only with the use of claps if you are
creative enough.
I have managed anxious patients only with the use
of medium tempo rhythmic claps while chanting
the verse Aham Brahmasmi (I am the divine soul).
The patient was a practicing Hindu of above 70
years age. So, he could connect the emotions with
the verse while clapping was calming down his
mind and helping him stay in the present.

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 Tibetan Bowl

Singing bowls are bowls that are intended to help

people relax. When struck or ringed with a mallet,
they make sounds and vibrations.

A Tibetan singing bowl vibrates and provides a rich,

deep tone when it is played.
Singing bowls have long been utilised for religious
and spiritual rites, as well as meditation, throughout
Tibet and the surrounding countries.
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Those vibrations and sounds are designed to help
relax. The sound from these bowls can also:
 Relieve pain
 Reduce irritation and anger
 Enhance sleep
 Improve blood pressure
 Improve respiratory rate
 Boost the immune system
 Promote general well-being
The sound of the singing bowls can alter your brain
patterns, causing you to feel calmer. The bowl's
sound waves interact with your body's energy field,
causing you to relax. The vibrations, not the sound
of the singing bowls, are what cause the effects.
There's also some evidence that music therapy
helps lower your stress hormone cortisol levels in
general. You feel more relaxed when your cortisol
levels are lower.
Caution:
Tibetan singing bowls, like most objects that
produce sound, can cause headaches if you are
too close to them, use them too frequently (more
than thrice a day), or are prone to headaches.
Loud sound should be avoided in pregnancy
because the consequences on the baby are
uncertain.

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People suffering from epilepsy: Some persons are
susceptible to seizures caused by noise and
vibrations.
During the therapy, usually the client has to to lie
down while the therapist plays the instrument
around the client.
However, when it comes to bowls, they may be
placed on on different points on body (e.g.
location of chakra) or around the body.
During group session, it can be played around the
room with at least one bowl near the head.
It's quite simple to use bowls. To create music and
vibrations, the practitioner strikes or circles the
bowls with mallets. Singing bowls can be used with
or without guided meditation.

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 Crystal Bowl

Traditional singing bowls are composed of metal

alloys, however some crystal singing bowls are also
available.
Crystal singing bowls, which have been utilised
since the 1980s, are a relatively new addition to the
singing bowl family. They employ a wooden or
suede mallet and are more delicate than old
singing bowls.
Due to their aesthetic variation as well as its
alchemy, crystal singing bowls have recently
overtaken traditional singing bowls in popularity.
Many users believe that crystal singing bowls'
sounds enter the human body easier because they
are formed of minerals that are more cohesive to
our own bodies, which include water and have a
crystalline component in our bones.
The benefits, cautions, and method of application
of crystal singing bowls are exactly like the ones for
Tibetan bowls.

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 Drums

Being the oldest type of instruments, drums and

percussion have seen lot of changes in terms of
shape, size, and material used. However, when we
say “drum”, an image of typical drum set comes to
the mind.
For therapeutic purposes, we don’t need to have
a complete traditional drum set at one place for
one client. You can give each piece of a drum set
to one client based on preference, comfort, and
availability.
Drums are utilised in therapy so that people can
express themselves without having to say anything.
Drum therapy is intended to be a fun way to relieve
stress and anxiety during the recovery process.
Drum therapy uses physical movement and
meditative beats to help people release inner pain
while also bringing people together. People can
release their inner emotions and stress as they
move in time to the music, and some can even
enter a meditative state. People can be
intimidated in a group situation, but it's important
to remember that the attention is on them and the
drum at the time. It usually entails them
concentrating on their own recuperation while
also working as a team. Participants can lose
themselves in meditation while drumming and
enjoy the quiet serenity that comes with it.

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There is also a therapy setting called “Drumming
Circle”. In this, a drumming-trained therapist leads
a drumming circle and the clients follow the
rhythm. While receiving training from the therapist,
the participants sit in a circle with various drums
and percussion instruments.
There are endless types of drums at large, but here
are the pieces a typical drum set usually has:
Bass drum: It is the biggest drum you see kept on
the floor in a drum set. It is also known as a ‘kick
drum’ because a kick pedal with attached beater
(mallet) is used to strike it. Since most probably you
will use it as an individual drum, you can also buy
an additional mallet so that the clients strike it using
hands if pedal is not preferred.
Snare drum: This drum is positioned directly in front
of the drummer. When you strike the drum, the
snare wires beneath it shake, giving it its distinctive
sound.

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Tom: Its actual name is Tom-Tom, but it is
abbreviated. There are three toms in a drum set.
They individually are called high tom (first tom), mid
tom (second tom), and floor tom (third tom). There
may be more or less than three toms.
Ride cymbal: The ride cymbal is usually the largest
and has the most surface area on the set. This
cymbal has a distinct 'ping' sound and is more likely
to be played consistently.
Crash cymbal: These are smaller cymbals. Usually,
they are two and are kept in right and left side.
When punctuating or accentuating notes in your
drum sections, they offer a burst.
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Apart from these two cymbals, there may be many
more cymbals for different sounds.
Hi-hats: The hi-hat is made up of two cymbals that
sit together. A pedal is used to opens or closes the
top hi-hat for different sound.
Drumsticks: Without it, of course, we won’t be able
to play the drum.

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 Shamanic Drums

The word "shaman" was first introduced in 1616 by

an explorer named Johannes Krell who saw it
being used by the people he encountered on his
travels through Siberia and Tartary.
Shamanic drum is a musical instrument of
indigenous cultures and religions that use drums to
induce an altered state of consciousness or trance,
or to accompany religious ceremonials.
Shamanism is the practice of spiritual healing,
which often includes the use of music from natural
sources like wind and waves, as well as from
drumming or chanting.

The main difference between Shamanic Drum and

other drums is that Shamanic Drum is made out of
least processed skin of animals and may have
shells for decoration purpose. This drum has a very

35
special place in history because it was used by
Native Americans for religious ceremonies. The
Native Americans of the Northwest Coast believed
that spirits live in nature. To show respect to the
spirits of the land and water, they would wear shells
on their dresses and faces as decoration. They
eventually used this same concept to create a
unique musical instrument that is still used today in
ceremonial rituals all over the world.
Playing this drum is as simple as other drums. The
principle of tempo e.g. low tempo for calming
effect and high tempo for energizing remains the
same. The therapist or patients can play any
rhythm they wish.

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 Handpans

The handpan, also known as the "hang," is a

convex steel drum played with the hands and
tuned to multiple notes. Each handpan is tuned to
a specific scale, such as major, natural minor,
harmonic minor and so on. The handpan, originally
known as the hang, was invented by Swiss
musicians- Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer.
The principle of tempo, and major/ minor chords
remains the same.

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 Gong

A gong is a musical percussion instrument from East

and Southeast Asia that consists of a flat, circular
metal disc that is struck with a mallet.
Gongs are thought to have originated in China's
Western Regions in the sixth century. The term gong
derives from the Indonesian island of Java.
According to scientific and archaeological
evidence, the four main gong manufacturing
centers of the ancient world were Burma, China,
Java (Indonesia), and Annam. The gong first
appeared in the Western world in the 18th century,
when it was used in the percussion section of a
Western-style symphony orchestra. A resting bell, a
type of bronze cauldron gong, was widely used in
ancient Greece and Rome.

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There are different types of gongs that produces a
different frequency of sound. So before buying a
gong, it is important for you to hear it.
The gong is not immediately hit hard with mallet. It
is first slowly tapped on its off center area with
mallet (also called warming the gong). Once the
gong vibrates and the sound swells a bit, then only
it is hit slowly 3-5 times until the sound swells to the
comfortable loudness.
Gongs are very beneficial during guided
meditation sessions. This practice is also known as
“Gong Bath”.
The clients taking gong baths do so while lying
down on meditation mats. All they have to do now
is relax, close their eyes, and lay in a comfortable
position with a pillow and a blanket. The session is
guided by a therapist. The gong is first played
quietly, then gradually increased in loudness as the
meditation period progresses. The volume of the
meditation gong sound is never increased to
uncomfortably high levels because the objective
of the sound is to heal. To prevent establishing a
constant, monotonous beat, the gong sound is
varied regularly.

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 Wind Chimes

Wind chimes are suspended metal or wood-based

tubes, bells, or rods. These are a form of percussion
instrument.

The tubes or rods are strung from the ceiling with

some sort of weight or surface that the tubes or
rods can hit if they are blown by the air or anything
else. It can be hung in the garden, balcony, or
near a door or window. It calms the body, mind,
and soul. It also provides good distribution of
positive energy around it.
Wind chimes have been regarded an example of
chance-based music since the percussion
instruments are struck according to the random
effects of the wind blowing the chimes.

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There are various wind chimes available in different
notes. It is better to ring and choose the wind
chime that sounds soothing to the client.

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 Balinese Bell

The Balinese Priest Bell or Hindu Prayer Bell / Hindu

Aarti Bell is the traditional bell used in ceremonies
by Balinese and priests. These bells energetically
purify spaces and to summon angels, archangels,
good spirits of ancestors, and positive energy.
These bells come in different shapes and sizes. The
shape and type of metal used determine the tone
of the sound, whereas the size and thickness of
metal determines the loudness of it.

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 Shakers and Rattles

A rattle and a shaker are essentially

interchangeable terms. The term "rattle" usually
refers to a shaker on a stick, whereas the term
"shaker" refers to any resonant container with
beads inside. The "beads" inside a rattle can be
any small hard piece, such as rocks, seeds, grains,
cactus spines, plastic fragments, and so on.
The rattle is an important tool that may be used to
help the clients accompany themselves in chant
and song. Though it is mostly used with other
instruments, it can also be used alone. The
principles of rhythm remains the same here.
When purchasing a rattle or shaker, it is critical to
test it out and feel how the weight sits in your hand

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as you shake it. A good rattle or shaker has a good
weight balance and range of movement.

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 Sansula Kalimba

One beautiful thing with this is that since it is tunes,

there is no wrong or unpleasant combination of
notes if you play.
Evan a totally non-musical client can keep it handy
and play the notes randomly, based on intuition. I
usually advise the clients to think of minor stressful
incidence while playing Sansula Kalimba. It helps
them process the locked memory while staying in
the present.

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 Flute

The flute is a musical instrument that belongs to the

woodwind family. Its lack of a reed distinguishes it
from the majority of other woodwind instruments.
It's a reedless wind instrument that gets its sound
from air flowing through a hole.
The sound of the flute communicates love and
tenderness, allowing for exceptional bonding and
rapport building between the client and the
therapist. During therapy, clients' fun and
proficiency are enhanced by playing the flute or a
flute sound.

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 Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is up to 10 feet wind instrument

(majorly 4 feet) that is played by continually
vibrating lips to produce a continuous low pitch
sound while using circular breathing. Circular
breathing is a technique employed by wind
instrument players to create a continuous tone
with no breaks. Circular breathing is done by
breathing in through the nose while simultaneously
pushing air out through the mouth with air stored in
the cheeks.
Aboriginal peoples in northern Australia invented
the didgeridoo at least 1,500 years ago. It is used
for meditation while listening to it in music therapy,
sound therapy, or sound healing.

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 Jaw Harp

Jew's harp, also known as jaw's harp is a musical

instrument made up of a thin wood or metal
tongue attached to the base of a two-pronged
frame at one end. The player places the frame in
his mouth, creating a resonance cavity, and plays
the instrument's tongue by plucking it with fingers
or striking a string attached to the instrument's end.
The tongue can only produce one pitch; changing
the shape of the mouth cavity isolates the
individual harmonics that make up the tongue's
sound.
It is mainly used for meditation purposes.

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 Guitar

The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that

typically has six strings. It is held flat against the
player's body and played by strumming or
plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while
simultaneously pressing selected strings against
frets with the fingers of the opposite hand. A
plectrum or individual finger picks may be used to
strike the strings. The sound of the guitar is
projected either acoustically, by means of a
resonant chamber on the instrument, or amplified
by an electronic pickup and an amplifier.
The principles of chords, pitch, and tempo etc
remains the same for music therapy, sound
therapy, or sound healing.
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 Throat Singing

Throat-singing, also known as overtone-singing, is a

style of singing in which a single vocalist sounds
more than one pitch at the same time by
reinforcing certain harmonics (overtones and
undertones) of the fundamental pitch. Harmonic
melodies are sounded above a fundamental
vocal drone in some styles.
Throat singing requires the activation of various
muscle combinations to manipulate the
resonating chambers of the vocal tract under
sustained pressurized airflow from the stomach and
chest. The technique, like operatic singing, takes
years of practice to master.
However, listening to throat singing helps in
relaxation, stress relieve, and meditation.

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 Playing through Visualization

Playing through visualization is a mental practice

technique where the client is asked to play a piece
of music, or music instrument in the mind.

It is taught to the client so that he or she can utilize

it when needs to calm mind and deal with stress.
The client closes the eyes. Takes some deep
breaths and then focuses on the breathing
pattern. Once relaxed, the client visualize him/her
in a therapy session or any other comfortable
environment. He/she visualized every detail of the
environment. If the client plays an instrument, the
client visualizes the instrument in detail and then
visualized him/her playing the instruments and
hearing the music/ rhythm.

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If the client doesn’t play any instrument, he/she
visualized sitting in a comfortable environment
where someone is play the music.

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 Sound Bath

Though sound baths may appear to be a "new

age" concept, the practice of healing the body
through sound is thousands of years old and has
deep roots in cultures all over the world. This
"spiritual, cleansing music" varies by location and
culture, but it can be as simple as chanting an om
after your yoga session or as complex as an hour-
long experience with a sound practitioner in a
dedicated space.
A sound bath is a meditative experience in which
participants lie on their backs, and then the live or
recorded music is played so that they are "bathed"
in sound waves. It can be done with or without
guided meditation.

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Such sessions typically range from 15 to 60 minutes.

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 Sound Therapy for Children

Though the basic principle about selection of

instrument, music, tone, rhythm, chords etc.
remains the same; it is important to note that the
music MUST NOT be loud, and the children’s
reaction should be noted.
E.g., if a child cries a lot at a certain time or during
a certain activity, play calming music at least 15-
30 mins before that time and note the cry rate (e.g.
duration or cry, no of cries etc). It works on trial and
error. Keep trying different music to see which one
is most effective.

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 Sound Therapy for Animals

Though the essential principles of instrument

selection, music, tone, rhythm, chords, and so on
remain the same, it's crucial to remember that the
music should not be too loud, and the animal's
reaction should be recorded.
For example, if your dog is upset, play soothing
music and observe how your dog reacts. It is based
on the principle of trial and error. Continually
experiment with different songs to find which is the
most effective.

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 Sound Therapy for Plants

Since the plants can’t hear, it doesn’t matter what

kind of music you all are playing. What matters is
that a rhythmic sound, music, or percussion etc
should reach the plant.
More time the plants have the vibrations, better
they will grow. It is also important to note that you
don’t necessarily need a louder sound for plants to
feel the vibration. If you can hear the sound from
where the plant is located, the plant will also
experience the vibrations.

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