Have you noticed that your singing bowl can sound bright and bell-like one moment and deep and warm the next? Or that it sometimes rattles when you circle the rim? The bowl hasn't changed. What changed is the striker, and how you used it.

The striker is the part of a singing bowl that people think about least, yet it decides which parts of the bowl's sound you hear. In this guide we explain why, in plain terms, and then show every striker and mallet we make in our Kathmandu workshop, with exact sizes and the bowls each one suits.

1. Why the striker changes the sound

When you strike a bowl, the striker touches the rim for only a few thousandths of a second. How long that contact lasts matters a great deal.

• Hard wood rebounds almost instantly. A very short impact sets off the fast, high-pitched vibrations as easily as the slow ones, so the tone sounds bright, with a crisp "ting" at the start.
• Soft felt stays in contact longer. A longer, cushioned impact mainly sets off the slow vibrations, so the higher overtones are much quieter and the low fundamental leads. This is the same principle as the felt hammers in a piano.
• Suede sits in between when striking. When rimming, its slightly grippy surface catches and releases the rim many times per second (known as stick-slip friction, the same effect as a bow on a violin string). Each tiny catch adds energy, and the bowl builds up into a continuous, sustained tone.

On a typical hand-hammered bowl, the first overtone sits at roughly 2.7–2.9 times the frequency of the fundamental, and a third, higher partial sits above that. On the 18 cm example bowl used in the demo below, that means a fundamental near 220 Hz and a first overtone near 607 Hz. The illustration below shows, in simplified form, how much each material brings out each layer.

Simplified illustration of typical results, not a laboratory measurement. Every hand-made bowl has its own balance of tones.

2. Two ends, two tones: the dual striker

Most of our strikers are made in two parts: a turned hardwood handle and a suede-wrapped end. That gives you two playing surfaces in one tool.

Wood end, for clarity. Strike the rim lightly with the wooden part to get a bright, ringing tone, ideal for marking the start or end of a meditation. Rimming with wood gives a higher, more piercing sing.

Suede end, for warmth. Strike with the suede to soften the attack, or hold it flat against the outer wall and circle slowly for a smooth, rounded sing. This is the end most people use for everyday practice.

Try both on your own bowl. Hearing the change for yourself is the quickest way to learn its character.

3. The Buddha Chime size chart

Every striker and mallet below is made in our Kathmandu workshop. Wooden handles are turned on a lathe from seasoned hardwood, suede ends are wrapped by hand, and felt heads are formed from tightly compressed wool. The range covers 10 wooden and suede strikers from 10 to 21 cm and 5 wool felt mallets from 24 to 47 cm.

A. Wooden and suede strikers: 10–21 cm

Why the handles get thicker. A larger bowl has a heavier wall and needs steadier pressure to start singing. The bigger diameter and rounded knob of the 18–21 cm strikers fill your hand, so you can keep even pressure for minutes without tiring, and the extra weight of wood helps the bowl reach full volume.

B. Wool felt mallets: 24–47 cm

A felt mallet is a percussion tool: you strike with it rather than rim. The bigger the bowl, the bigger the felt head it needs, because a larger head spreads the impact and draws out more of the low fundamental.

The two 24 cm mallets share the same 5 cm head and differ only in handle profile, so you can choose the grip you prefer. From there, length and head size step up together for larger bowls.

Tip: hold the mallet loosely near the end of the handle and let it fall onto the bowl, as if bouncing a ball. A relaxed wrist gives the fullest, cleanest tone.

4. Match the striker to your bowl

Measure your bowl straight across the top, from outer rim to outer rim. Then pick your size below to see what we recommend.

5. Playing a set of bowls

A seven-bowl set is often tuned to the seven notes of a musical scale, C to B, which many practitioners associate with the seven chakras. Bigger bowls give lower notes, so the set naturally spans several striker sizes.

You don't need one tool per bowl. For a set like this, we suggest:

• Two felt mallets, a smaller one for the high-note bowls and a larger one for the low-note bowls, so you can move around the circle quickly.
• One or two suede strikers (13 cm and 18 cm) for rimming.
• Keep strikers in the same place each time you play, so you can reach for them without breaking your flow.

6. Technique: striking, rimming and stopping the rattle

How to strike

1. Rest the bowl on its cushion or on your flat open palm. Don't grip the sides; your fingers will mute the sound.
2. Strike the outer wall just below the rim with a light, quick motion and let the striker bounce away straight after contact.
3. Let the tone fade completely before striking again.

How to rim (make the bowl sing)

1. Hold the striker upright, like a pen held vertically, with your fingers close to the suede end.
2. For a smoother start, tap the bowl gently once first.
3. Press the full length of the suede flat against the outer wall at the rim and circle slowly with even pressure. Move your whole arm, not just your wrist.
4. Keep a steady pace. The sound builds gradually over several rotations; you don't need to go faster to make it louder.

7. Caring for your strikers and mallets

• Wood: wipe with a dry cloth. Once or twice a year, rub in a small amount of food-safe oil to keep the wood from drying out.
• Suede: brush gently with a soft dry brush to keep its texture and grip. Keep it dry; damp suede loses its grip on the rim.
• Felt: keep it free of dust and store the mallet lying down or hanging, so the head keeps its round shape.
• All strikers: keep away from direct sunlight, heaters and humidity.

Find the right striker for your bowl

Frequently asked questions

Written by the Buddha Chime workshop team in Kathmandu, where we hand-make singing bowls, strikers and mallets. Not sure which size you need? Send us your bowl's diameter and we'll recommend a match.