57 Romantic and Soulful Songs for Adults - 8-Note Tongue Drum in C-major

Designed for Adult Players

Standard 8-note tongue drums are often considered simple instruments, and most songbooks offer limited material for adult players. In response to popular demand, this collection features 57 carefully chosen traditional folk songs and romantic ballads, covering a variety of moods and themes. Each piece is arranged to fit within the 8-note C-major scale, making it accessible for smaller tongue drums while remaining enjoyable for adult musicians. Additionally, all songs in this book can also be played on 11-note, 13-note, or 15-note tongue drums. The repertoire includes beloved tunes from England, Ireland, Scotland, the United States, and Australia, offering a rich and diverse selection for players of all levels.

C-major Tongue Drums

Tongue drums are versatile and intuitive instruments, capable of producing beautiful melodies with various note arrangements. This book is specifically designed for the most popular and widely used models, which are typically tuned to C major.

If you have an 8-note tongue drum and aren’t sure of its tuning, it is most likely in C major. To confirm, check the chart in the book’s introduction to match your drum’s notes. The standard notes for an 8-note C-major tongue drum are:

C (1), D (2), E (3), F (4), G (5), A (6), B (7), C (1)

Learn to Play with Ease

Playing by Numbers

This book uses a diatonic scale numbering system, where each note is represented by a number from 1 to 7. Dots above the numbers indicate whether a note belongs to a higher octave. The number of notes on your drum determines the range of songs you can play.

Techniques for Beautiful Sound

Most steel tongue drums come with mallets, which are a great way to start:

· Use mallets first—they produce clear, resonant tones with minimal effort.

· Experiment with hand playing once you're comfortable. Remove rings or jewelry for the best sound.

· Strike lightly and quickly to let notes resonate fully.

· Hit near the tongue edges (not the center) to enhance overtones.

· Use your palm to create dynamic strikes or mute notes.

· Explore freely! There’s no wrong way to play.

Enhance Your Learning with QR Codes

Each song page includes two QR codes for additional resources:

Audio Recording – Hear the song played on a tongue drum.
YouTube Video – Watch a professional performance of the piece.

These recordings aren’t exact replicas of the book’s arrangements but serve as helpful tools to better understand melodies and rhythms.

Start Your Journey Today

With this songbook, you can explore 57 classic tunes and unlock new possibilities on your tongue drum—whether you're a beginner or an experienced player.

Song List

Alabama Gal  

Bayou Sara

Beautiful Brown Eyes

Big Rock Candy Mountains

Blood on the Saddle  

Bound for South Australia  

Butcher Boy  

Butcher Boy - Alternative Version

Come Back Liza  

Daddy Fox

Down by the Salley Gardens

Drink to me with thine eyes  

Drunken Sailor

East Virginia Blues

Fire in the Mountains

For He Is A Jolly Good Fellow

Get Along, Little Dogies

Henry My Son

Hi'ilawe  

Hopping Dance

Isn't It Grand, Boys  

Isn't It Grand, Boys - Alternative Version

Italian Waltz  

James Connoly

Land of the Silver Birch

Lavender's Blue  

Little Bessie

Man Of Constant Sorrow  

Marianne

Molly Malone  

My Home's In Montana  

My Paddle

My Wild Irish Rose  

New River Train

Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be

Oh How The Lovely The Evening Is

Old Jim Slack's Grey Horse

Peace Like a River

Peace Round  

Salty Dog Blues

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon  

Shenandoah

Skibbereen

Sweet Betsy From Pike  

The Boys of Fairhill  

The Kerry Recruit

The Meeting of the Waters  

The Northern Lights of Aberdeen

Three Score and Ten

Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ra

Town of Ballybay

Trees Grow Tall

Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree

Wanderin  

Weile Walia

Weile Walia - Alternative Version

Whiskey in a Jar