We are so happy you are here.
Picking your first frosted bowl is a beautiful journey in finding a tone that resonates with you, and we are here to provide you all the information needed to make an excellent choice.
Buying a frosted bowl is complicated. It can be challenging looking at the frosted bowl listings and know what to even do. Go through the guidance below. We promise you will find a bowl you love in a deep way. We want to offer this information so you buy with total confidence.
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Should I buy a frosted bowl for a chakra?
What note should I start with?
What is the best size for the note I want?
How do I expand my favorite note into a larger set?
Will buying one bowl limit what I can buy in the future?
Start here.
Should I buy a frosted bowl for a chakra?
The simple answer is no. You do not need to buy bowls for the chakras. And we know, that if you go online, you will see information suggesting you do. But this is the result of a long-lasting misunderstanding. There is no real relationship between a musical note and a single chakra. Working with the chakras using sound is about how you are relating to the sound with your attention and intention. And you can use any sound, to work with any of the chakras.
The reason you see musical notes relating to the chakras, is because it is convenient that there are 7 notes in the major scale (Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti) and there are 7 chakras people mainly work with. So, it is a convenient method to pair one of these 7 notes with each of the 7 chakras; and, this can be an effective method too. But it is not true that playing any note will necessarily do anything to any chakra.
This is good, because instead of buying a crystal bowl for a chakra, you can buy a crystal bowl that relates to you in a deeper way. You are not locked into the notes C – D – E – F – G – A – B. There is so much potential we hope to offer to you.
What note should I start with?
As stated above, you do not need to consider the chakras when buying crystal bowls.
Buy the note you love the sound of. This will give you a bowl you love, and love to work with. It will be effective, for you and others. And, you can expand upon any note you love into a larger set in the future.
To find this note we suggest the following two steps:
- First, listen to the sound files in the link below. This page is our quiz for finding the perfect note. The sound files are all the crystal bowl notes that are possible between the sizes of 14” and 8”. Really feel into the sound files. Which one do you find pleasing? Which one moves you in some way? Trust yourself. There is no true right answer to this.
- Second, tone with the sound files. Tone a simple “ahhhh” sound with the sound files. Find one of the notes that your voice naturally works with. Trust what you are hearing. You are capable and know for yourself.
When you find the note that you love, the quiz gives suggestion for the right size for the note. Or you can scroll to the bottom of the page for suggestions in size. You can then go to our frosted bowl listings, and use the filter by size and note to find the right bowl. Read further to understand a little bit more about our listings. There are a few more concepts you will want to understand.
What is cent value?
At the end of each product, you will see a cent value (for example, 0 cents, or +40 cents). This is complicated, but it is a good thing to understand when buying one or multiple crystal bowls. We are very happy to also speak to you over the phone or email about your choice.
Musical notes work in order, lower to higher, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B. Each of these musical notes, is not one sound, but represents a range of sound. For example, one C note can sound different than another C note, but they are both considered the note "C".
Cent value, breaks the range of sound for each note into 100 “cents”. Each “cent” is a different sound in that range. If a note is 0 cents, then it is perfect pitch according to the international standards for tuning. This is called "perfect pitch 440hz tuning." Then there is a range of 50 cents sharp or flat of 0 cents a note can be without being considered a different note. This range of + or - 50 cents from 0 cents makes up the 100 cents possible for each note. So, a C note, that is +30 cents, is 30 cents sharp of perfect pitch 0 cents. Once the C note goes past +50 cents, it is not longer considered a C, but the next note, a C#.
The reason you want to know about cent value, is if you are buying multiple bowls you want them to be about the same cent value. If they are not, they could sound dissonant with each other. For example, a C bowl at 0 cents will sound very harmonious with a G bowl at +5 cents. They are very close together in cent value. However, a C note at -40 cents will not sound harmonious with a G bowl at +40 cents. This is far too much of a difference. You will want to get bowls all within a 10 cent range.
If you are buying your first bowl, we honestly recommend either buying the bowl in the 432hz or 440hz range for cent value. These bowls are the most common, so if you are buying bowls in the future, these will be the ones most available and easiest to get.
432hz will be listed between -30 and -35 cents.
440hz will be listed between -5 and +5 cents.
Should I buy 432hz or 440hz?
432hz tuning is typically around -32 cents. This is why bowls listed as 432hz are also listed at -30 or -35 cents, because anything in this range plays well in line with 432hz tuning.
440hz is at 0 cents, though anything + or – 5 cents is also well tuned.
If you are buying your first bowl, we would recommend choosing either 440hz or 432hz. We do not believe one is inherently better than the other, because we firmly believe every sound can be beneficial, and how we relate and work with sound is important. We simple suggest considering both, and listening to the sound files to see if there is one you are more drawn to yourself. We find customers tend to enjoy one or the other. Both are effective. So trust yourself and listen and see which you like more.
Practically, it is nice to choose one or the other, because many frosted bowls are made in 440hz or 432hz. This simplifies the process of getting more bowls in the future, because there is a better chance of the bowls being available.
What does “octave” mean?
The word “octave” is good to understand if you are wanting to purchase low toned crystal bowls. This is because the same note can sound very different depending on what octave it is in. For example, a 14” F plays a 3rd octave F and is a low bass tone. But if you go up to a 10” F, this play a 4th octave F, and is a mid-range higher tone. They are both F notes, but one of them is much lower than the other. This is because they are in different musical octaves. Play the sound files below to hear the difference.
14" F
10" F
Musical notes are listed C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B.
Starting at C and going up to B you get higher and higher in tone, going from one note to the next. But what happens after the B note? The pattern starts over with C going up to B, in the next higher musical octave. An octave is one set of notes between C and B, and refers to that range of sound.
As we get higher in sound, we get into higher musical octaves. The 1st octave of notes from C to B is basically too low in tone for humans to hear. Most frosted singing bowls play in the 3rd octave, going up to the 4th, and then into the 5th octave.
Do I need more than one bowl?
When you buy one bowl, you have a great opportunity to tune deeply into the sound. Your hands only need to play one bowl, and you can focus more on meditating with that bowl. You can learn all the benefit one singing bowl can bring.
When you buy multiple bowls, you now can work with harmony and melody. Harmony occurs when two bowls play in a beautiful relationship, and invoke a joyful environment. The sounds work together harmoniously. You can then enter that joyful relationship with your attention and easily invoke states of joy, relaxation, peace, wellness, etc. This is why we recommend working with the harmonies.
With three or more bowls, you have opportunity to create melody, and manifest a beautiful symphony of crystal sound.
Anywhere between one and three bowls is a great starting place. Unless you know you will use a full set of 7, 8 or 9 bowls, we believe it is good to become really intimate with just one or a few bowls to start, and get to know them well, and then expand.
How do I expand a note I love into a larger set?
For this, we truly want to connect with you. Any note you choose can be expanded into a beautiful crystal bowl set tailored just for you. If you are familiar with music theory, you may have some ideas of how you would want to expand it yourself. But expanding into a full set from a single bowl is deeper musical theory then most people need to invest themselves in. We can help support you by listening to the work you do, and providing a custom page of sound files so you can listen to the different options, and make the choice you want for your practice.
Will buying this one bowl limit what I can buy in the future?
No. Buying one bowl in any note or cent value will not limit what you can do in the future. There are so many potential options for harmony and melody and effect, starting from any note. We keep records of the tunings from our customer’s purchases, and can easily guide you through the many choices for additional bowls.
What size should I start with?
One note is possible in multiple sizes. For example, a 10” C and a 14” C will sound the same. They will both play a 4th octave C note. So you have options for sizes for the note you want. The main considerations for bowl sizes are:
1) If the bowl is too thin or too thick, you will have playing issues.
For the same note, a smaller bowl will be thinner and a larger bowl will be thicker. For example, a 10” C will be thinner and a 14” C will be thicker in order to play that C note. If the bowl is too thin, it will be too sensitive and will have issues with over-vibration. If a bowl is too thick, it will not vibrate enough. All the size suggestions below are good options for a bowl that is not too thin, or too thick.
2) The larger a bowl will be, the louder it can be, and the longer it will sustain.
3) The larger a bowl, the heavier it will be to carry around, and the more space it will take up.
Many people want big bowls because of their power and sustain. Some people want smaller bowls because they want something that will feel more transportable, or they are working in a small space. There is no right answer to this, but it is something to consider when purchasing.
Here are recommended sizes for the notes you are looking for. To understand the term “octave” see the section on what does “octave” mean?
3rd octave F – 14”-20”
3rd octave F# - 14”-20”
3rd octave G – 14”-20”
3rd octave G# - 14” – 18”
3rd octave A – 12” – 14”
3rd octave A# - 12” – 14”
3rd octave B – 12” – 14”
4th octave C – 12” -14”
4th octave C# - 12” – 14”
4th octave D – 11” – 13”
4th octave D# - 11” – 13”
4th octave E – 10” – 12”
4th octave F – 10” – 12”
4th octave F# - 10” – 12”
4th octave G – 9” – 10”
4th octave G# - 9” – 10”
4th octave A – 8”-9”
4th octave A# - 8”-9”
4th octave B – 7”-8”
5th octave C – 7”-8”