Chords for How to Play a Singing Bowl

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Hi, Shakti from Bodhisattva.com here. _
Some customers have asked us to give them tips on how to get a great sound out of your
singing bowl, so I've got some to offer.
Here they are.
First of all, we're always mindful of our posture.
[C#] Playing a bowl is a meditation, so the first thing I always check to see if my spine is straight.
My shoulders are level and my breath that way can be supported diaphragmatically.
You sit just as if when you're playing a bowl, you sit just [G] as if you were sitting for meditation
because remember, playing a bowl is a meditation.
_ I hold the bowl about solar plexus level and that's because it's easy.
We want the mechanics of playing a bowl to be as easy as possible. _ _
Always look at your holding hand.
Make sure that the fingertips are not wrapped around the base of the bowl, a very common
mistake which dampens the sound of the singing bowl.
Fingertips should be relaxed but extended.
Just shine your energy out.
I like to bring my elbow a couple inches away from my rib cage so that I have a little breathing
room and I tilt the bowl a little bit, the aperture of the bowl into the direction where
the mallet will be coming from.
This gives me a cleaner angle. _
From the playing hand side, and of course if you're left-handed, you just reverse what
I'm doing, hold the mallet in the center of gravity, peace sign is optional.
_ I like my middle finger about two inches from the tip of the mallet.
Guys with larger hands just work from there.
And then make sure the covered part of the mallet is always nestled snugly in the web
between the thumb and the index finger.
The firm grip but light as well. _ _ _
The full arm motion.
It's a full arm motion so go ahead and make sure you're not using your wrist.
This is one of the most common mistakes.
So it's [F] like a full arm gear. _
And you press the mallet firmly into the outside edge of the lip of the bowl, fluidly _ rotate it [F#] around.
First you can go a little quick to get the sound up, but as soon as you hear that female
overtone, nice and bright and clear, that's your cue to slow down, maybe even press a little harder.
[G#] Some bowls like that.
_ Listen to the sound of the bowl.
The bowl will tell you if there's an edge to the voice.
_ Slow down and breathe.
If you get all kinds of chattering, the bowl is communicating with you.
Slow down and breathe.
The bowl is your teacher.
It will let you know [F] how it likes to be cleaned. _ _ _
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The male tone.
_ Just go [C] ahead and reverse the angle of the mallet.
_ _ Suede part.
Now this is suede.
[Fm] Grab the belly of the [F#] bowl _ [Fm] and rotate clockwise.
Clockwise is said to bring the blessings out into the universe for the benefit of all sentient beings.
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