A Beginner’s Guide to Purchasing Sound Bowls

Everything you actually need to know (without the overwhelm)

If you’re just getting into sound bowls, welcome to the world of frequency, vibration, and pure magic. Buying your first bowls can feel confusing — notes, sizes, frosted vs. gemstone, sets vs. singles… it’s a lot.

This guide breaks it all down in simple, friendly language so you can choose your bowls with confidence.

How Many Sound Bowls Should I Buy for My First Set?

Here’s the truth: you do NOT need a full chakra set to begin.

For beginners, i recommend 3 or 4 bowls. I haver personally been working with a set of 4 for the past 5 years! 

Why?

• It’s easier to learn how to play without feeling overwhelmed

• You can create a profound 60 minute sound journey with 2 or 3 bowls if you know how to create dynamics- i teach this in my sound healing course

• Once you get into the world of sound healing, you can expand your set by more bowls to your set and this is where the fun is

• The bowls will fit better inside each other for easier travel and storage

Here is a popular beginner combo: Seen in this beautiful set- Angelic Waves

• 12" (deep, grounding)

• 10" (mid tone)

• 8" (higher tone)

Or choose them based on notes you love (more on that below).

Size Guide: What Size Bowl Creates What Kind of Sound?

One of the first things to understand about crystal bowls is that the size of the bowl determines the pitch it can produce.
Certain notes simply require a certain size — the frequency is so precise that the bowl must have enough physical space (diameter + thickness) to create that vibration.

This is why you’ll never see a tiny bowl in a super low note, or a giant bowl in a very high note. The physics don’t allow it.

The general rule:

Bigger bowls = deeper, lower tones
Smaller bowls = brighter, higher tones

Here’s a clear size breakdown based on what notes bowls most commonly produce:

Suggested Bowl Sizes & Typical Notes

Bonus nuance: Two bowls of the same pitch but different size/wall thickness (for example a 14″ vs a 16″ bowl both tuned to F3) will sound different. The larger / thicker-walled bowl gives deeper resonance and longer sustain; the smaller one may respond faster or be easier to “sing.”

How to Choose Your First Bowl or Base Note

• If this is your first bowl and you’re not sure what you want → go for G3, G#3 or C4  These are popular “starter” notes for relaxation, meditation, and grounding. 

• Once you have a base / low note you like — you can build up by adding mid- and high-note bowls depending on what feels right. 

Pro Tip: You can leave the sound set creation to me and just simply browse and listen to these pre-curated sets
Shop Sets of 3 Here

BUT if you want to build your own customized set by yourself this is how i would suggest you do it. 

Building Your First Set: Step-by-Step 

1. Pick a base (low) note — choose a large bowl with a tone that resonates with you.

2. Listen to mid- and high-octave bowls — check if any 4th or 5th octave notes draw you in. Write down the notes that you resonant with emotionally or energetically. 

3. Add 1–3 more bowls depending on your intention — maybe a mid-tone, maybe a high harmonic bowl, maybe both.

4. Test how they sound together — if possible, listen (video/audio) or play — do they harmonize? Do the tones melt into each other or do they fight eachother?
   

Sound Quality & Tone: What Actually Matters

Sound bowls aren’t just pretty — each one has a personality.

Here’s what gives a bowl great tone:

✔ Long Sustain

The sound should hang in the air, not die off quickly.

✔ Clear, pure tone

Especially for beginners — harsh overtones or buzzing can be distracting.

✔ Ease of play

If you have to “fight” the bowl to get it to sing, it’s not a great beginner pick.

✔ Note accuracy

If a bowl claims to be C4, it should actually be C4.
(Especially important for building sets that harmonize.)

✔ Feel it in your body

When you hear a bowl, notice where you feel it.
Some tones will light you up. Others will feel grounding or emotional.

This matters more than technical specs.

Raw Gemstone vs. Frosted Crystal Quartz

Let’s keep this super simple:

Frosted Crystal Quartz Bowls

• Most common, made of 99.98% Crystal Quartz

• Strong, powerful, resonant sound

• Slightly rough frosted exterior

• Great for all types of healing work

• 

Raw Gemstone / Alchemy-Style Bowls

• Still made of Crystal Quartz however it is mixed with raw gemstone during the cooling process to give it extra healing power

• Higher price point

• More subtle, refined, complex tones

• Amplifies spiritual and energetic properties of the already powerful crystal quartz

• Allows you to stand out in the sound healing world 
  

Shop Raw Gemstone Bowls Here!

How to Create a Cohesive Set

There are two ways to build a set — intuition or music theory — and both are valid.

1. Build a Set Using Intuition

This is how many healers, including me, choose bowls.

You simply:

• Listen to the bowls

• Notice which tones feel good in your body

• Choose the ones that resonate with you the most

• Trust the emotional resonance

When you play them together, you’ll feel whether they harmonize.

This method creates sets with personality and natural synergy.

2. Build a Set Using Music Theory

This method is more structured.

You choose bowls based on musical intervals that pair well, such as:

• Perfect fifths (example: C & G)

• Major thirds (example: C & E)

• Perfect fourths (example: C & F)

• Major 7ths (more celestial/angelic)

You can also create triads like:

• C–E–G (Major chord: uplifting, harmonious)
  Listen here

• F–A–C (Soft, nurturing)
  Listen here:

• D–F–A (Warm, emotional)

This method gives you guaranteed harmony even if you don’t play intuitively.

So Which Method Should YOU Use?

Intuition, 100% this is what make your offering unique. You don't need music theory to craft a set!
What i recommend is to browse the Earth Angel Website, close your eyes, listen and see which set aligns with you the most.

Final Thoughts

Buying sound bowls shouldn’t be complicated. Start small, trust yourself, and choose tones that actually make you feel something.

Have any questions? Contact me! 

jade@earthangelfrequencies.com