Happy
Joy, openness, a bright outlook on the day. The scale everything starts with.
G · C · D · E · G · A · B · D
Hear Happy →
The 2027 series · Handmade in France
Six moods. One instrument. No wrong notes.
Beat Root is back. Pre-order a tongue drum from the new series at exactly the Kickstarter price, straight from our workshop in France.
from ≈ $390 · €349
- Ships from April 2027
- Secure payment by Stripe
- Cancel any time before it ships
Prices in euros, as on Kickstarter, with an estimate in your currency. Shipping and import taxes for your countryDeutsch? Deutsche Seite →France ? Page française →
Kickstarter or here?
Same price. Same place in line. Your choice.
The 2027 series is also on Kickstarter, at exactly the same price. Both routes share one delivery queue: the first 300 Beat Root ship in April 2027, whichever way they were ordered.
On KickstarterHere
Price, options, shippingKickstarter rewardsidentical
When you’re chargedwhen the campaign ends, if fundedtoday
If the series isn’t madenothing is chargedfull refund within 14 days
Change your mindnot after the campaigncancel any time before it ships
Accounta Kickstarter accountnone · card, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Gift certificate—printable, in their name
What is Beat Root?
A handcrafted French steel tongue drum with six moods in one.
Play real melodies in minutes. No experience, no wrong notes.
We're really proud to bring this one back. Beat Root is a steel tongue drum we design and build by hand in France. Rest it on your lap, let your hands fall, and out comes a melody that's already in tune, within minutes, with no experience at all. No theory, no lessons, no wrong note possible.
What makes it special: it holds six different moods, and you switch between them in seconds. Beat Root adapts to where you are, calm one minute, bright and rhythmic the next.
Today we're relaunching production, and we'd love you with us for this next chapter.
Just play it
You already know how to play it.
That's the whole idea. Every note is tuned to harmonize with the others, so whatever you play sounds right. Close your eyes, follow your hand, and you're making music almost immediately. No wrong note is possible, and that one fact opens the door to everyone, musician or not.
It answers you
Rest it on your lap and you don't just hear it: you feel it. Each note vibrates gently against you. A few minutes in, the room feels softer, and so do you.
Hands, mallets, or both
Bare hands for a soft, organic touch, the included mallets for a clearer sound, or one of each to find your own way.
For everyday moments
A few minutes in the morning to set the tone, a creative break, an evening to let the day go. It asks nothing of you but to play.
Six moods, one instrument
With a little trick of our own.
Most tongue drums are fixed on a single scale. Not ours: Beat Root holds six, each with its own color, and we designed a very simple system to switch between them in seconds.
Zen
Deep calm and inner quiet. Our favorite.
G · C · D · E♭ · G · A · B♭ · D
Hear Zen →Tribal
Exotic and lively, with rhythms that take off.
G · B · D · E · G · A · B · D
Hear Tribal →Melancholia
Soft and introspective, beautiful behind a voice, a guitar, a piano.
G · C · D · E♭ · G · A · B♭ · C
Hear Melancholia →Space
Cinematic soundscapes, as if weightless.
G · B · D · E♭ · G · A · B · D
Hear Space →Nature
The calm of a forest, the softness of a stream.
G · C · D · E · G · A · B♭ · C
Hear Nature →Change mood in seconds
Inside the drum: a small diagram, three magnets and five color stickers. Place the magnets as the diagram shows, and you move from calm to energy, from depth to joy. No tools, no tuning.
The workshop
More than ten years of making.
In 2012, at a festival, Julien Puget, a percussionist for more than twenty years, laid his hands on his first steel tongue drum. Love at first sound. He started making his own from gas cylinders, but every cylinder sounded different: no two instruments were ever alike.
He never gave up. A year of work and dozens of prototypes later, he finally found the process that guarantees a stable, repeatable sound. In 2014, the first series of 30 Beat Root came to life, already thanks to crowdfunding. Beat Root was born from crowdfunding; today, the loop is closed.
- 2014 Musikmesse Frankfurt: international distributors take notice.
- 2015 The electro-acoustic model arrives; Yamaha becomes our exclusive distributor in Japan; Audiofanzine gives us its “Valeur sûre” (safe bet) award.
- 2018 Six scales in one instrument.
- 2020 The 432 Hz version, for wellness and relaxation practitioners.
Every Beat Root is handmade in France, with an obsessive care for tuning, resonance and sustain. The French touch, and a lot of heart.
What it brings
The words that matter most don't come from the press.
They come from living rooms, children's bedrooms and kitchen tables. We hear the same thing, again and again:
- A few minutes of calm a day, that simply feel good.
- Real melodies, played by people who were sure they never could.
- An evening with the kids. A moment alone. A memory the family keeps.
The reason is always the same: no wrong notes, nothing to fear, only something to feel.
Pre-order · The 2027 series
Choose your Beat Root.
Every Beat Root comes with a pair of mallets and in four finishes, on every reward. Two options: 432 Hz tuning (+€30) and a carrying case (+€39).
- Prices in euros, excluding import duties. Tracked shipping to the United States: €110 for one Beat Root, €150 for two. US import duties (currently about 10% for an instrument made in the EU) and the carrier’s clearance fee are paid on delivery.
- Retail price after the campaign: $526 (€478) for a 440 Hz Beat Root, $576 (€518) tuned to 432 Hz.
- Ships from April 2027, at the latest by June 30, 2027 (depending on your order’s place in line, confirmed before payment). Cancel any time before it ships; 14-day right of withdrawal after delivery.
They talk about it, they play it
The Beat Root Family.
Audiofanzine “Valeur sûre” (safe bet) award, 2015, drums and percussion category.Yamaha trusted us as its exclusive distributor in Japan.
The Beat Root Family is a community of artists who have made the instrument part of their music. The range says it all: from deep relaxation to a live set by a world beatbox champion.
Specifications
Thought through in every detail.
- Six scales in oneHappy, Zen, Tribal, Melancholia, Space, Nature, just by moving magnets.
- TuningStandard 440 Hz, or fully 432 Hz (your choice).
- Electro-acousticBuilt-in microphone and 6.35 mm jack output.
- FinishMatte, with a decorative band.
- FinishesAll Black · All White · Black · White.
- In the boxThe instrument, a pair of mallets, 3 magnets and a quick-start guide.
- Dimensions30 × 30 × 17 cm (11.8 × 11.8 × 6.7 in), about 5 kg (11 lb).
- Warranty2 years. Made in France.
Sound, and much more
Beat Root isn't only acoustic. Its built-in microphone and jack output let you record your melodies straight into a track, plug into an amp or speaker to fill a larger room, or run the sound through your favorite effects. We chose the steel itself for its acoustic properties, precisely so this tone is captured faithfully. An intimate instrument that's also ready for the stage and the studio.
Why this pre-order
We'll be honest with you.
We chose the slow path: an instrument designed, tuned and finished by hand in France to reach real depth and clarity, rather than a mass-produced one. We stand by that choice, but it also means we can't move at a factory's pace, and our production has, for now, come to a pause.
We've been through a hard stretch. The market has been flooded with mass-produced, low-cost tongue drums. Their price is unbeatable, but the depth, the clarity of the notes and the harmonic richness are nothing like an instrument that's thought through, tuned and finished by hand. All our models and colors are currently out of stock.
This pre-order has one simple, honest goal: to restart a new production run of Beat Root and rebuild on solid ground, with you. By pre-ordering, you help a French craft adventure, begun in 2012, come back to life.
Timeline and delivery
- Dec. 31 The campaign and the launch prices end.
- Then Production starts at the workshop as soon as the campaign ends. We'll keep you posted with photos and videos.
- April 2027 The first 300 Beat Root ship, Kickstarter backers included. The next 300 ship in June 2027, the rest by August 31, 2027 at the latest.
Tracked shipping to your door. Import duties are paid on delivery, exactly as for Kickstarter backers: no surprise, we tell you the amount in advance.
The real challenge isn't the instrument, which we've been making since 2012: it's restarting a production run (supplies, workshop planning, deadlines kept). A supply or shipping delay could push a delivery back by a few weeks. If that happens, you'll hear about it early and honestly; and if delivery were to go past June 30, 2027, you could cancel and be refunded in full.
What's next
What we'll build together.
If the campaign succeeds, we'll finally build the idea closest to our hearts: a community space to share music. A place where every Beat Root owner can share their creations, find beautiful melodies to play in minutes, and learn with a simple tablature system, open to all.
The whole Beat Root community together: for us, that would be the real reward.
Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask us.
Do you really need no musical experience at all?
No experience is needed. Every note is tuned to harmonize with the others: whatever you play sounds right from the very first minute. There's simply no wrong note to hit.
With hands or mallets?
Both work beautifully. The included mallets are the easiest way to start and give a clear, deep sound; playing with your hands comes next, with a real sense of freedom. Avoid hard xylophone or drum sticks, which can mark the instrument.
Is it suited to relaxation, meditation and the whole family?
Yes, that's its heart. Its soft tone makes it a popular companion for meditation, relaxation and music, and a lovely first instrument at any age.
How do you switch from one scale to another?
Inside the drum you'll find three small magnets, color stickers and a diagram. Place the magnets on the colors of the scale you want: it takes a few seconds, no tools needed. Happy is the instrument's natural tuning; the other five scales use 2 or 3 magnets. All are in G, so you change mood without losing your bearings.
Can you create more than six scales?
If you like to experiment, yes. A magnet placed under a tongue lowers its note by a semitone: starting from the original G major, dozens of scales are possible. Ask us, we'll be happy to guide you.
Does it need an amplifier to be heard?
No. Its deep, melodic sound comes from the instrument's resonating body: play it on your lap, in the forest, anywhere. The built-in mic is a bonus, never a requirement. It lets you record or amplify through the 6.35 mm jack output (headphones connect through an amp or mixer).
Will it go out of tune over the years?
No. The alloy we use and a heat treatment after tuning make it remarkably stable: no retuning needed, even after years. And the laser-cut tongues handle small knocks.
440 Hz or 432 Hz?
440 Hz is the standard tuning used by most instruments: ideal for playing with other musicians. 432 Hz is popular with wellness and relaxation practitioners, who describe it as softer. Same instrument, same six scales; the 432 Hz option costs €30 more.
Shipping and import taxes: what will I pay?
Shipping to the United States: €110 for one Beat Root, €150 for two, tracked, door to door: the same rates as on Kickstarter. Import duties are not included and are paid to the carrier on delivery: currently about 10% for an instrument made in the EU, plus the carrier’s clearance fee.
Which currency will I pay in?
Your choice, on the payment page: in your own currency (dollars, pounds…), at Stripe’s exchange rate, which includes a small conversion fee (usually 2 to 4%), or in euros, at your card’s rate (many cards charge no foreign transaction fee). Prices on this page are in euros, like on Kickstarter, with an estimate in your currency at today’s European Central Bank rate. Just before you pay, the summary shows the range you can expect. Beat Root is a French company: your invoice is in euros.
When am I charged, and when will it arrive?
You’re charged when you pre-order, in euros. Production starts as soon as the campaign ends; the first 300 Beat Root (Kickstarter backers included) ship in April 2027, the next 300 in June 2027, the rest by August 31, 2027 at the latest. Orders are served in order of payment: your date is shown before you pay and in your confirmation email.
Can I give it for Christmas if it arrives in spring?
Yes. After payment, you create a gift certificate in their name: print it and slip it under the tree, or email it on the day. A QR code on the certificate opens their page, where they can already listen to their future Beat Root. We can ship straight to them, with no price in the box.
Can I cancel?
Yes. You can cancel your pre-order at any time before it ships, and you get a full refund within 14 days, shipping included, to the same payment method. If for any reason of ours the 2027 series could not be made, you would be refunded in full. Everything is in the pre-order terms.
Where do you ship?
From this page: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the European Union and most other countries. In the EU, prices include French VAT (20%) and there are no customs duties; elsewhere, Kickstarter rates apply. Switzerland and Liechtenstein: please back us on Kickstarter, which ships there. Living in France or Germany? You also have a page in your language. You can also back us on Kickstarter.
What’s in the box, and what’s the warranty?
Your Beat Root arrives ready to play, in the finish and tuning you chose, with a pair of mallets, 3 magnets to switch scales and a quick-start guide. It comes with a 2-year warranty.
News from Beat Root
Not ready yet? Let’s stay in touch.
Behind the scenes at the workshop, a melody to play each week, and the key dates of the campaign. About two emails a week during the campaign, then a short note on Sundays.