When you think of sound healing instruments, what comes to mind?
Tibetan Singing Bowls?
Crystal Bowls?
Tuning Forks?
Didgeridoos?
Chimes?
Drums?
Gongs?
While those are all commonly used in sound healing, the favorite sound healing instrument of the sound healers we surveyed across the globe might surprise you!
#1 – The human voice!
Sound healers leverage the power of the human voice as a deeply transformative instrument to introduce healing to the body.
If you think about it, the human voice has a huge advantage over other sound healing instruments…
It’s ALWAYS there, ready to be used for deep healing practice!
Some sound healers use their own voices and others, like Pam, encourage their clients to use their own voices during healing sessions…
“Actually, my most favorite ‘sound tool’ I use is my client’s voice.
“Creating a safe space that encourages personal vocalizing may be the easiest, most accessible ‘tool’ there is for empowering our voice in the world.
“It doesn’t have to be complicated, sometimes even a deep audible sigh can have profound results!”
– Pam – ChiEnergyBalance.com
Other practitioners, including Charlotte, like to combine their own voice with other sound instruments…
“My favourite instrument is my voice with my harmonium.
“On quite a number of occasions, clients have told me that upon hearing the combination of my voice singing mantra with the harmonium they have noticed an unexpected flood of tears rolling down their face.
“And the tears are not tears of sadness but tears with a feeling of release and relief.”
– Charlotte – WhiteSwanSoundAndYoga.com
Ellen uses voice in education, emphasizing consonant sounds in poetry.
“So far, I have only used certain tuning forks on myself. I have worked with voice and taken it into another direction: education.
“Rudolf Steiner divided the consonants into the four elements.
“Using the voice, Steiner used poetry that emphasized these sounds; the participants enacted the poems thereby engaging the whole person.”
– Ellen Ehlers, Ph.D. – ellenmehlers@proton.me
Instead of focusing on consonants like Ellen does, Aria leans on vowels in her sound healing practice…
“My favorite tool to use is the human voice. I feel it has remarkable potentiality for creating heart coherence between a healer and client in a sacred unity of producing a unison tone with the client.
“The respiration, frequency, and intentionality all merge to form this crucial coherence needed for healing.
“I like to use closed vowels such as ee and ay with a bit of overtone to break up and release blockages in energy flow, and then nourishing them with ohs, oos, and ahs, always keeping in mind the highest good of the client.
“Finally, I like to take excerpts from a gregorian chant for various portions of their session, such as connecting with the client, easing anxiety, are helping to lift depression, and creating an atmosphere of timelessness.
“And the more I can become a conduit of the sound, the greater the chances of healing.”
– Dr. Aria Thomé – Sound Healer / Reiki Practitioner – AriaSound108.com
One strength of the human voice, as conveyed by Elizabeth, is the incredible range of healing tones the human voice can express…
“My sound healing instrument of choice is my voice. It’s portable and is with me wherever I go.
“The range is from ultra-low/fry tones to supersonics— higher than human hearing, with myriad tones with overtones between.
“The sounds are multidimensional and may catalyze healing multi-dimensionally.
“There has been a rearranging of molecules at the cellular level to bring coherence to those present.
“Results have been: calming of anxiety and nervousness, “stuck” energies begin to move, congested organs begin to clear, heaviness lifts to a lightness of being.”
– Elizabeth Tomboulian – QuantumStarSong.com
Another sound healer, Gwendolyn, emphasizes the power of the human voice for expressing the soul…
“I believe the most powerful sound healing tool is the human voice itself.
“We have left oracular culture as we entered written culture; in the process, many people and cultures have lost their voice as a result.
“Your voice is a tool for expressing your soul. The voice is also a metaphor for all creative expression.
“It is your birthright to reclaim your voice and co-create the calling home of everyone’s voices for the balance and harmonization of light and interconnectedness of all beings on earth.”
– Dr. Gwendolyn McClure, Ph.D. – Vocal Sound Healer Since 1990! – VocalSoundHealer.com
Sophie uses her voice as a channel for angels, Christ consciousness, and ancient spirits to connect with her clients…
“So my first and favourite instrument for sound healing is my voice. It is like a channeled voice. I practice self-healing with it too.
“When I add instruments, percussions, sound bowls, and even the software Garage Band, it gives me other roads to explore this voice.
“I am so grateful for life to have shown me this amazing tool. Ancient spirits use my voice to share their message to people and to the world.
“I love to sing with the jungle and to connect with it. Angels use my voice too. Christ consciousness too. It is so vast!
“This instrument is so infinite and powerful that a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to explore it.
“This is the best tool that exists for me as so much can be shared without words but only with the vibrations of the voice.
“The ancient Egyptians knew it and used their pyramids and temples to heal with the sound (the voice), same in Mexico and with indigenous tribes.”
– Sofie Ka – SofieKa.net
Sarah loves how the human voice, when combined with intention, can be a powerful tool for manifestation…
“My favorite tool is the most powerful tool… the sound of our own voice.
“The voice, activated with words, sounds, and intentions, generates a unique vibration our body and mind immediately respond to. 🤯
“Practices such as humming, vocal toning, mantras, and even talking shift our energy, change our mood, and even support our health.
“I love sharing this knowledge with my clients while reminding them to pay attention to what they say.
“Our voice is always available, it’s free, and can be used with ease. I believe our voice combined with awareness and intention is one of our superpowers!
Each sound is a vibration ➡️ vibrations are energy ➡️ energy is intention ➡️ intention has the capacity to become reality ➡️ so be aware of the sounds you are making.”
– Sarah Schain, MA – SomoBreathe.com
The human voice is one of Clare’s three favorite sound healing instruments…
“I have three major tools I use though I think the client always shows me which is best for them.
“Piano–I am a pianist so I have access to this instrument in a room it’s a great tool for me.
“I like to put the client under the piano as I play… It kind of offers a whole-body experience.
“Easy to use/bring with you anywhere you practice – tuning forks. I like the solfeggio set but I have added to this other frequencies.
“The vibration of a tuning fork just seems to bypass the mind and go straight to the body. The weighted tuning forks are great to add physical vibration to the sound mix.
“The human voice—whether it’s humming, just using guttural noises to allow the body to speak (Vickie Dodd’s method), there is something sacred and immediate to the human voice.
“Our bodies love our own voice and open right up to it when used in an open and loving way.”
– Claire – Musician and Sound Healer – SoulSongQuests.com
#2 – Tuning Forks
The second most favored instrument of the sound healers we surveyed is tuning forks, primarily because of how quickly and deeply they work on healing their clients.
Tuning forks have long been used to effectively deliver healing vibrations to the body and mind by utilizing specific frequencies to produce maximum effects quickly and powerfully.
Daria considers tuning forks to be incredibly helpful during client assessments…
“My 174 Hz tuning fork has become my most trusted friend while doing assessments during sound healing sessions.
“It never lies about where disturbances and weaknesses exist in anyone’s biofield.”
– Daria Woodside – Sound Healing Practitioner
Todd has found that tuning forks “speak to him” by vibrating to let him know which fork will help his client the most…
“Tuning forks are a key part of any healing session. As I work with each client and attune to their frequencies, I find that the tuning fork that is most needed at that time will vibrate to let me know.
“Clients have experienced profound changes within the space we created during the session and reported back that they noticed subtle changes as they went along their journey post-session.”
– Todd Sergot – ElementalSynchronicity.com
Flora loves how quickly tuning forks give an instant lift and calibrate the bodies of whoever is in the space they are used…
“Personally, I love the singing bowls and the gongs equally, but I have to say that the acute instant tuning I am able to receive and give with the tuning forks is like no other.
“I prefer to use the 528htz Meinl tuning fork on all occasions just to say “hello” and calibrate all bodies present in the same space.
“The lift is instant, just as the focus and clarity. A couple of minutes is all that’s needed most of the time.
🐚( in second place and always hanging around my home, are the Koshi bells. … angels to my ears ✨🤍✨ )”
– Flora K
Alison adores how the human body quickly and deeply adjusts its vibration from a dissonant state to the coherent state of the tuning fork.
“My favorite instrument to work with would have to be tuning forks. I find that they work on a deep level.
“They bounce sound off of the body in such a beautiful and distinct way that it’s very easy to hear dissonance in the energetic field.
“Just like they have been used to tune different instruments, tuning forks can be used to tune the human body.
“When the body hears these distortions or dissonant sounds it actually will adjust and tune itself to the coherent sound of the tuning fork.
“I’ve seen some incredible changes occur when working with tuning forks in the energetic field.
“Another plus to using tuning forks is how portable they are! I can bring them with me almost anywhere.”
– Alison Ausherman – OTR/L, Sound Therapist – GoodVibrationsHolisticTherapy.com
#3 – Drums
The third most popular sound instrument that showed up in the responses to our survey was drums.
Drums have been used since ancient times for their deep healing power.
The powerful vibrations sent from the beat of a drum have been found to aid in mental suffering, and offer therapy to the body in numerous ways.
And their effect on the human mind has been proven in a ground-breaking study…
A recent study performed by the Royal College of Music in London studied the effect drumming had on anxiety and depression.
Drums were played for up to an hour for a group of people suffering from anxiety and depression and the findings were incredibly promising…
Group drumming reduced symptoms of anxiety by 20%, making a profound difference in people’s lives.
Norah loves the effect ocean drums have on babies in utero…
“My favourite instrument is the ocean drum because when I work with mothers to be they nearly always say their babies start to move and feel really happy when I play the ocean drum over their beautiful bellies.”
– Norah Coyne – ConnemaraHealing.com
Rev. Joya loves teaching her clients to activate their voices to reverberate in their bodies as drums…
“My favorite tools are drums because they are expressive, remove stuck energy, and I feel they represent the human body as the skin stretched over a skeleton and voice!
I love teaching people to activate their own voice to vibrate themselves healthy from the inside out.”
– Rev. Joya Sosnowski, B.Msc., MMT – Chief Vibe Raiser at Vibe Raiser – VibeRaiser.com
Sinéad uses her shruti box to bring her clients into the zone during sound healing sessions…
“Would be hard to pick just one instrument (assume that’s what you mean by tool).
“I love all my instruments and vary playing different ones depending on what I am feeling.
“Would use my shruti box for most sound baths, the drone sound really helps to bring people into the zone.
“It’s great to chant with or accompany your voice if you are speaking from the heart or reciting a poem.”
– Sinéad O’Sullivan – Msha.ke/SineadOSullivan
#4 – Singing Bowls
Singing bowls were the fourth most popular sound instrument among the sound healers we surveyed.
These include Tibetan metal bowls and crystal bowls which each have their own distinct tones.
Janis combines crystal sound bowls, shamanic rattles, and chanting to transport her clients to another dimension for profound healing experiences…
“What’s great about sound healing is that my clients experience a level of peace and calmness they’ve never felt before.
“I combine the sound of crystal sound bowls, shamanic rattles, and chanting into my healing sessions, taking clients to a new dimension to receive messages from the universe while receiving healing through their body.”
– Janis Woods – LoveHealingByJ.com
Jed loves the practicality, versatility, and powerful healing ability of each of these types of singing bowls…
“My favorite sound healing tool is the singing bowl, either the Tibetan (metal) bowls or crystal bowls.
“The bowls, when played, generate spiraling sound waves of harmonizing frequencies that interact profoundly with our bodies and energy fields.
“They are easy to learn to play and can be tapped to ring like a bell or rubbed continuously to sing and resonate for as long as desired.
Thus, they are practical, versatile, and powerful!”
– Jed Shlackman, LMHC – PhInsights.com
Cheryl combines Tibetan singing bowls with vocal toning and tuning forks to connect her clients with their divine purpose…
“Using sound as a healing modality retunes the body back to its optimum frequency which allows our energy body to receive higher information clearly, so we can find our profound purpose and reason for being here more easily.
“I personally use vocal toning, tuning forks, and Tibetan bowls in my healing sessions.
“I also chant the ‘Chun Bu Kyung every day as part of my Ki Gong practice.”
– Cheryl Bailey, RYT, 200, CMMI & CMWI – GritAndGraceMeditation.com
Peter relies heavily on his crystal alchemy singing bowls combined with the intention of his clients to create profound healing sessions…
“My favorite sound tools are my crystal alchemy singing bowls. They are pure magic.
“Not only are they simply gorgeous because they are infused with crystals, gemstones, and earthly substances from all over the world, but they sing magically.
“The crisp, clean, pure resonance that vibrates from the bowls, creates a beautiful, soothing feeling for the human body. There is simply no way to resist their magic.
“I love the quote by Jonathon Goldman, intention + frequency = healing. This is the basis of my sound healings.
“In all of my sound healing sessions, my clients/guests set an intention (Sankalpa) while they deeply connect with their heart space.
“With that intention, plus the pure frequency of the crystal alchemy bowls, my clients are healing. How powerful is that!”
– Peter Paul Parker – Meditation and Ki Gong coach- PeterPaulParker.co.uk
Jacquie is fascinated by how her antique Himalayan singing bowls take her to a place completely outside of space and time…
“I love working with sound and can’t stop buying more tools, it’s like buying shoes or clothes, I’m kinda obsessed!
“But with all the tools in my toolkit, antique Himalayan singing bowls are my hands-down favorite!
“When I play with them, I feel as if I am enveloped in the sound of the ancient & always, vibrations that are ageless, that transcend time and space.
“The myriad overtones along with the vibration of the bowls move through and around us in harmonic dance movement.
“As I play and sing along, I feel a symbiosis, an ever-deepening path to my quiet witness self. Just delicious!”
– Jacquie Bird – JacquieBirdSpiritualWellness.com
#5 Unique Approaches to Sound Healing
Other sound healing practitioners use incredibly unique approaches in their healing sessions that don’t really fit into the most popular categories of sound healing instruments.
Jenny uses a combination of instruments and sound healing tools with her clients…
“I use multiple tools and instruments. I like to use shakers and rattles at the end of sessions to help shake any straggler static energies up and out.”
– Jenny Fritz
Jim finds that the tools that are most effective for his clients tend to change during the course of their healing journey…
“Musically, there are aspects of chords, the key the music is in (major/minor), modulation, chord progressions, melody, harmony, counterpoint, tempo, and rhythm (to mention a few) that offer engagement and movement.
“Each person receives the music in their own unique manner and that can/will change as issues are resolved and healing (to become whole) is embodied and integrated. We are unique individuals.”
– Jim Oliver – JimOliverMusic.com
Dale connects his clients with their most familiar type of music to form new neural connections in their brains, restoring brain function.
“Sound, especially as music, has proven healing powers through its ability to activate the entire brain simultaneously.
“This activation in turn stimulates new interneural connections, a process known as ‘neuroplasticity’ which results in recovery of damaged or lost brain functions along with the capabilities that these functions provide.
“That explains why my own favorite healing tool consists of involving each individual client in interacting with that person’s most familiar music.
“It brings all brain tissue to bear on accomplishing a task using normal human behaviors including cognitive, physical and emotional responses.”
– Dale B. Taylor – MusicTherapyBook.com
As you can see, there are vastly different approaches used by sound healing practitioners to bring powerfully transformative results to their clients.
Each sound healer has their own strengths, background knowledge, and healing experiences to draw from.
And each client will respond differently depending on their specific challenges that need healing.
No matter which tools are used to deliver healing sounds, they have the ability to heal the damaged body and mind.
Our responses from sound healers around the world have given us deep insights into the wide array of approaches to sound healing.
After reading this article, what are your favorite sound healing tools?
We’d love to hear from you and share your input with sound healers around the world!
