Invented in the 21st century, the Handpan is a very special new percussion instrument. Its appearance is reminiscent of a turtle shell, a flying saucer or even a wok! Considered to be a veritable sculpture of sound, each instrument is unique because of the length of time it takes to make and hammer it.

There are a lot of different names for it. Handpan, Hangdrum, Steeldrum?

First of all, “Hang®” is derived from the Swiss-German word for “hand”: this is the patented name that can only be used by the first version manufactured by PANart. Today, the term most often used to describe it is “Handpan”.

Its captivating sound and distinctive shape make it an astonishing instrument whose popularity continues to grow.

But how does this instrument work? How do you play it? Is it easy to play?

That’s what we’re going to find out in this article.

Everything you need to know about the Handpan!

What are the different components of a handpan?

Like an idiophone, i.e. an instrument that produces sounds by its own vibration, without air, strings or electricity, in the same way as cymbals, bells, tambourines and mallet instruments such as xylophones.

The manufacture of a Handpan is entirely handcrafted, and each one is unique.

Made of two metal shells fixed together, the Handpan is tuned by hammering. It can be played with the hands and fingers, directly on the metal. The sounds it produces are soft and intoxicating, almost magical or even mesmerising. Completely intuitive, it is an instrument with a wide range of sounds, allowing players, even beginners, to express their creativity without any limits. It is an excellent instrument for meditation, sophrology and the whole holistic sphere in general.

A handpan consists of the following components:

• a Ding: the basic, low-pitched sound at the centre of the instrument, which can be convex or concave.
• the notes: arranged around the central Ding
• the shoulder: what links the notes to the Ding
• the edge: the outer edge of the instrument
• the Gu: the resonance hole at the back of the instrument
• bottom notes (optional): these are additional notes located on the back of the handpan.

What material is the Handpan made of ?

The material most commonly used to manufacture the Handpan is DC04 steel. This is a nitrided steel that has undergone several heating and cooling phases. Nitrided steel is most often used by handpan manufacturers, although stainless steel is also very popular, particularly for its stability and resistance to rust.

How does the Handpan produce sounds?

Melodies are created by striking the upper part of the instrument with the hands.

The upper part of the handpan contains all the notes, the “dimples”, which are tuned to the diatonic scale. When this part is struck, it creates a sound: it is the vibration of the various membranes incorporated into the surface of the handpan that produces this sound.

The larger the membrane, the deeper the sound field. On the other hand, a small membrane will produce a high note.

The two shells of the instrument form a resonance chamber, so the notes produced are amplified and then released through the hole in the lower shell, the ‘Gu’.

Frequencies

Some handpans are tuned to the universal pitch, i.e. 440 Hz. With this type of Handpan, you can play with other musicians tuned to the same pitch. Other handpans are freely tuned to 432 Hz. These models are used more for holistic purposes, and it will not be possible to play in a group with a handpan tuned to 432 Hz.

Tuning, notes and scales

Handpans are tuned in the diatonic scale. This means that, unlike chromatic scales (represented by the black and white keys on a piano, for example), there is only one sound spectrum. This means that on a handpan tuned in D minor, you can only play the key of D minor.

This is actually the most popular tuning, but there are many others.

For each octave, a diatonic scale comprises 7 pitches, 5 whole tones and 2 semitones.

Handpans can have 8 notes (7 notes + the Ding), and this is often the model chosen when starting to play the Handpan as a beginner, but they can also have more notes.

There are between 7 and 15 notes arranged as follows: the lowest note in front of you, then the other notes alternate from left to right, from lowest to highest.

The fundamental, octave and fifth are tuned on each of the membranes, giving the Handpan its deep, rich sound.

How to play the Handpan ?

To play the Handpan, you first have to place it on your knee. The handpan is of course played with the hand (hence the name ‘hand’), with or without gloves, but it can also be played with mallets. With the hands, you get a warm, harmonically rich sound.

As a result, the sound produced may vary in tone and duration depending on which part of the hand is used on the instrument and which part is struck.

With gloves on, you’ll get more variations in the sound of the handpan. The notes will be a little shorter, and the volume will be lower than if you were to play directly with your hands.

If you choose to play with mallets, it will be to explore the percussive side of the instrument. This will give you greater precision and speed.

There are several techniques for playing effectively and obtaining the desired sound: the thumb technique consists of hitting the side of the handpan with your thumb and then withdrawing it. Then repeat the gesture and extend it to the different parts of the handpan to find the desired sound.

Another technique is to play with the middle and index fingers. The gesture should then be repeated on different parts of the instrument, while withdrawing the fingers to allow the vibration to express itself. The following techniques are based on the same mechanism.

However, if you play with a mallet, your handpan may go out of tune more quickly than if you play by hand.

Is it easy to learn to play the Handpan?

Unlike most musical instruments, you don’t need any musical knowledge to start playing the Handpan. In fact, it’s impossible to make a wrong note, because each handpan is tuned to a single scale.

The handpan itself is a truly intuitive experience, bringing musicians and non-musicians together. Also widely used in the holistic sphere, the Handpan is said to have curative properties: it is used in the fields of therapy and well-being (music therapy, yoga, meditation, etc.).

If your handpan is properly tuned, it’ll be easy to let all its beauty resonate as you improvise your first notes. You can discover the instrument completely on your own. You’ll be able to explore the sounds of your Handpan on your own, then understand the striking process by appreciating what sounds good and what doesn’t.

These days, it’s easy to find lessons on the Internet, and the handpan is no exception. So it’s up to you to continue learning by watching videos on YouTube or taking online lessons. It won’t take you long to master this fabulous instrument!