A singing bowl is the easiest way to give a practice a beginning and an end. Struck or rimmed, the tone carries long enough to settle a room, which is why we open and close most of our classes with one. Metal bowls are warmer and more forgiving; crystal bowls are brighter and hold a single clear pitch.
If you are buying your first, take a smaller metal bowl with a leather-wrapped mallet — it is more responsive under the hand and far harder to make sound harsh.
