Steel tongue drum

Seven to ten tongues are then cut radially into the bottom of the tank, forming the top of the instrument.

The slit drum is known to have been developed independently by multiple ancient civilizations including Africans, Aztecs, and Indonesians.

[4] Dennis Havlena's instrument, in turn, has inspired other steel tongue drum inventions.

Today, a lot of vendors offer commercial versions of the steel tongue drum worldwide.

The construction is usually enclosed, unlike other open-bottom drums, so the sound produced resonates through the steel and vibrating air escaped from the slits.