i wanted to write a blog on this topic as it's a question i get asked a lot. in short, yes you can most certainly match my Crystal Singing Bowls with Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls (or vice versa).
Before setting up I Know This Girl I was partnered with a company that distributes Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls, so am very equipped with how they work, play and feel. Having the pleasure of playing such beautiful bowls for a few years helped attune my ears to good quality sounds and frequencies.
After exploring many different singing bowls, I finally found my own where I could feel that quality in sound I’d been seeking!
The Quartz Crystal Bowls I sell work in cents (I’ll explain what cents are below), this is the same system that Crystal Tones use to label the Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls, making it easy to match them. Cents can take a little while to fully grasp, so I’ll try to explain as succinctly as I can below. If anything does feel confusing please do book a call with me as I’m here to support, educate and help you to find the best possible matching bowls!
What are the Cents?
Cents measure the ratio between two frequencies. There are 100 cents between two adjacent keys on a piano (see image bowl for reference). Piano notes are tuned to a true tone, which is a 0.
The Quartz Singing Bowls are made by hand and can't be tuned as easily as other musical instruments however. This means most bowls will either be slightly +/- cents away from 0. Some bowls do come out at true tone (e.g 0) but they’re not as common.
If we look at the E note for example - on a piano it would be an E0 - there is 100 cents between an E0 and F0 (50 cents would be halfway between). Hopefully this is starting to make sense?
It’s likely your Singing Bowl therefore will be somewhere between a -5 to -50 or a +5 to +50 cents.
If your bowl is an E+45 for example, that means it's 45 cents closer to the adjacent note. This means you’d be best to have all your bowls in the + range rather than - range, otherwise they start to sound a little out of tune.
Your note & cents could appear like this:
A-20
B+35
G#+40
F-5
E+10
D#-15
C+45
Guidance on matching your Singing Bowls
If your singing bowls are + stick with all plus bowls, if your singing bowls are - stick with all minus bowls for a better harmony.
Aim for no more than 20 cents between each of your singing bowls. For example, if your first singing bowl is an A-5 then try to keep all your notes within -5 to -25.
#Tip - I use an app called Pitch Analyzer (for iphone, for Android try Tuner Lite) to test the cents and frequency. Play around the rim for the most accurate reading. You might find your Crystal Singing Bowls fluctuate quite a lot, so your E+45 might play between a E+25 to +45, however saying that you can usually find the cents it sustains the longest.
Summary
Whether you are looking to match your Alchemy bowl with one of mine, or vice versa, check the cents range and aim to find a Singing Bowl that is no more than 20 -/+ cents apart.
When choosing your first Singing Bowl, let your intuition guide you!
It’s only when building your collection you should consider the cents range to work within.
I like to match my Quartz Singing Bowls by cents, however use this as guidance and opt for what feels right for you.
If you’re new to sound healing and are looking to create a set I suggest taking a peek at this blog post.
Are you ready to begin your journey into Sound?
Follow these simple steps:
Step 1 - Guide
View my short video Guide that offers some more information on the different sizes and notes
Step 2 - Listen
Visit the Sound Library Pop your headphones on, close your eyes and follow your own inner guidance as to which sounds you are drawn to.
Step 3 - Browse
Browse the options in the Shop to get an idea of how many singing bowls you might want to begin within.
Step 4 - Talk
It can feel daunting when you’re new to sound healing. A free consultation offers an opportunity to discuss your needs with me, ask questions and get the guidance you need on finding the right bowl/s for you.