Rav Vast | Choosing Your First Rav Vast Tongue Pan

The harmonious vibration of the steel tongues on the Rav Vast drum fuse the timbre and sustain of wooden tongue drums, with the steely delight of the Hang and Handpan. 

Some will place the Rav Vast in the Tongue Pan category. Whatever you call it, the Rav drum is perfect for relaxation, musical discovery, meditation and the birth of ethereal musical delights as well as a cheaper alternative to Hang or Handpans.

This article is an introduction to Rav vast and how to choose your first Rav vast drum.

Choose your first Rav vast from 3 scales, namely, D Major, B Celtic, or G Pygmy. These Rav vast scales are the best for beginners, east to play and connect with before moving to more sophisticated scales.

Why Rav Vast is a Great Choice?

Many people discover the Rav Vast and select to buy one after first finding the handpan. In many cases, the cost of a handpan is prohibitive and the waiting time can also be an issue.

Say goodbye to both of those problems with Rav Vast. not only will you pay a fraction of the price for an instrument of equal quality and charm, but you’ll be able to buy right off the shelf and be unpacking in days.

You’ll also discover a longer sustain and the range of tones available based on your playing technique, with fingers, slaps, nails and knuckles, extends beyond your wildest dreams. In this way it is arguable that the techniques with which to play extend beyond your average handpan.

There are a range of benefits for choosing a Rav Vast to look at in more detail.

  1. Price
  2. Availability
  3. Play Straight Away – No Musical Skill Required
  4. Scale Choice
  5. Affordable Video Lessons

There is a good chance that the Rav vast was not your first discovery and you have arrived here after seeing or hearing the handpan, finding out the price, and expanding your search and options. It is the perfect tool as an alternative.

1. Rav Vast Price

One reason that many people buy a Rav vast is that they have found the handpan and consider the price of them to be prohibitive.

By the same token you will not find a more expensive instrument in the tongue drum or tank drum range than the Rav vast but at an affordable level, the confidence in which you buy, knowing you are top of the range and going to receive a top-quality instrument that stands out again all other tank drums and steel tongue drums, is reassuring.

Along with Kindred Spirit and Guda, you are looking at a very high quality instrument.

Expect to pay in the region of $750-$850 for a Rav vast direct from the company. 

Rav vast does hold some stock of the most popular scales and these can from time to time be offered at a discount for promotional purposes where you may save a further $80 or so.

Second hand Rav Drums tend to hold their value well, so still expect $600-$650 for a pre-owned Rav vast

2. How long will it Take to Get a Rav Vast

The waiting time for a Rav vast can often be much shorter than for a handpan, and many scales are available off the shelf. This means you should get your Rav within days of your order, subject to logistics, and how far it is traveling from the distribution base in Estonia.

So with no waiting time, you can expect to get your hands on your new Rav vast within 4-8 days. Rav use TNT express.

If you make an order for a tuning that is not currently held on stock, then you can expect to wait 4-6 weeks fo the instrument to be made.

It’s quite cool knowing you have ordered an instrument and it is being made especially for you. In this instance, the 4-6 weeks waiting time, still is comparably better than the 3-12 months you can wait for a bespoke scale on handpan to be produced for you.

You can also be assured that your Rav will arrive in damage-proof packaging and in perfect condition.

3. Play Rav Vast Straight Away

The greatest thing and one of the huge attractions to owning a Rav Vast is you have in your possession a seriously impressive looking instrument that you will be able to take out of the box and play instantly, with no instruction or music theory knowledge.

Because of the tuning and the scale, you can happily strike away on each tongue and produce a melody with each note fitting perfectly with the next, whichever one you play.

Of course to become a skilled Rav Vast player you may look for some instruction on technique rudimentary rhythms and the like, but you’ll not find the frustration common with instruments like Piano or guitar

You’ll be playing this baby fresh out the box on arrival, and I challenge you to try to put it down!

Beyond the ease with which you can pick it up and play, it is very sophisticated and once you begin to delve deeper into what the Rav can deliver musically, there are some more complicated elements that provide even more musical versatility.

4. Choosing a scale | First Instrument

This will be purely down to personal preference, but I would like to offer some little insight into three scales that are great for rav vast beginners to start out with and assist intuitive playing from the wide variety of scales available.

D Major is the go-to here. It has a bright feeling and for a first Rav vast drum, you will find it approachable and not daunting to begin to create your first melodies.

The D Major scale welcomes you to your instrument. There is no Eastern darkness, no mystery. This scale is all about happiness, joy, and hope

D Major is an 8 note scale with the Ding tuned to D and for playing with Other instruments, it will love guitar or another Rav vast or Tongue drum in B Celtic

Scale choice can be quite important when purchasing your first Rav vast or Tongue drum instrument. There are a limited number of tone fields, and you are not going to be able to retune if you do not connect with the scale.

This is the reason for first-time players to consider the lighter more joyful scale of D Major. Light-hearted, it welcomes you to experiment and enjoy the journey of discovery of this instrument, rather than scales that can be moodier and thought-provoking.

You can always trade-in or buy another Rav vast at another time when you want to experiment with scale, but for an instant newbie connection and a guarantee of enthusiasm to learn more about this instrument, D Major is the no brainer.

Rav offer the Vast in 18 different scales so there are options if you do not connect with D-Major

Take a look at the video below for the D Major scale, and check out my Rav vast Scale Guide page for information and insight into other scales, and how they may meet your sound desires.

Alternative First Scale? (Demo Videos)

  • B Celtic

A really versatile scale, that rests easy on the ear. it doesn’t require any thought but pulls you into the sound and transports you around the notes. The scale is super easy to play has balanced character and beautiful melodies will appear from nowhere as you explore this Rav.

A2, B2, F#3, A3, B3, C#4, D4, E4, F#4, A4

  • G Pygmy

Both the D Major and B Celtic are lighter, brighter scales, but perhaps you already know you want something more thoughtful, meditative, darker, mysterious. The G Pygmy may be for you. It has that mood you want with some brightness in the C4, D4 and F4 at the top end.

G2, C3, D3, D#3, G3, A#3, C4, D4, F4

Check out the complete Rav Vast Scale list and reviews for beginners

5. Taking Rav Vast Playing to the Next Level

If you want to progress your playing, there are a number of lessons and courses available. 

They are inexpensive, thorough, and will elevate you into the advanced musicians playing the Rav vast around the world, of whom there remains very few. 

Click here for a guide and more information on the ultimate RAV Vast course for beginners.

The article includes some information to get you started and comfortable with playing before providing some more in-depth information and links to video courses for playing Rav vast. You’ll learn chords and techniques and improve your mastery level in no time.

Discover the ultimate new sound of the most user-friendly instrument you’ll ever lay hands on.

Related Rav Vast Questions

Let’s take a look at some other questions about the Rav Vast you may still have

Do Rav vast come in different sizes?

The Rav Vast is available in one size only. The diameter of the Rav vast instrument is 51cm and the weight is around 5.9kg. This is thanks to a shell thickness of 1.5-2.0mm

What tuning is best for beginners?

Any D Scale of Rav Vast is a good choice for beginners and the B Celtic or G Pygmy scales are also easy to connect with and play from different positions of the happy/mysterious scale perceptions. Whatever scale you choose you will discover the easiest musical instrument to play you’ve ever picked up.

Rav Vast or Rav Vast 2?

This will depend on the scale you desire, as the only difference between the Rav Vast and the Rav Vast 2 is the thickness of the steel that is used to make the instrument. The thickness affects how good a scale sounds. The sustain, the sound and the loudness are so similar between the pair to be barely noticeable to the ear. There is no difference to the sound quality.

1 or 2 Dings?

The Rav Vast comes with one central note, the Ding. Although there is the B Celtic Minor with two dings available. The ding is really just the bottom note, the lowest note, and doesn’t look any different to other tongues except for being larger. Like a handpan, they are integral to producing incredible music compositions.

Is there a Rav vast Promo Code

You can get 5% off at the Rav vast store using the Code cp2020 or click here for a pre filled code to secure your discount – Rav vast often have ongoing promotions and special sales taking place, and I recommend signing up to the newsletter for information fo when they are available.

Similar Posts