The History of Handpans: An Exploration of Hang Drum, Pantam, and Drum Origins

It was created in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer of the Swiss company PANArt. The Hang melody and the strange shape of the instrument caused all listeners to migrate to the Holaus and DESA hotels to understand the origin of this sound. This interest in the pioneering Holaus and DESA Hang melody of PANArt and the type of instrument itself made “Hang” a household word, and soon, “handpans” were made. Through this new formation, the cultures of various regions met, creating a new standard of music in perfect harmony.

One of the more popular handpans is the Hang, which was created in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer in Bern, Switzerland. The soulful, tracky, and frankly extraordinary sounds conjured by this wonderfully artistic invention have been permeating far and wide into the serenades of the artistic domain. The handpan is made with metals cemented between two absolutely opposite-shaped engraving systems in order to sound a variety of beautiful tunes and tonal properties. At the center of the Hang is called the “ding,” which is a good, strong note, and then come the relaxation notes created by tones which form harmonic scales when played.

These fine handpans are working all over the world, made even by hand by some of the most highly skilled craftsmen. Tuned with local cultures and tunes to enhance their performance and radios for ability usage, handpans have healing functions and have been used in music therapy ever since. Nowadays, handpan glorification is being funneled into festivals and online platforms. Students joining the handpan fraternity then have an opportunity to attend various programs with the sole aim of establishing networking among similarly passionate people.

The genesis of the handpan is closely linked to the steel pan, an unforgettable instrument created in the 1930s, and which represented the ingenuity of the people residing in Trinidad and Tobago. The steel pan is a drum made from an oil drum and is made from recycled drums. The steel pan made its first turn as part of the country’s carnival, and was a wonderful, unique sound of rhythm and melodies. The invention of the steel pan led to the perfecting of resonance and showcased the different shapes of the instrument. Stell pans use a stick to be played by. Tuning the instrument’s surface in a specific way makes it concave and is hand-played.

In fact, the fervent spirit to create and showcase culturally innovative instruments resulted in a monument that defined the Trinidad and Tobago carnival culture. That culture, in turn, helped to bring into being a global anthem that represented a rich culture that had always been on the brink. far from the hands of the global music network. Handpans, on the other hand, do fewer resonator tricks.

The Swiss Reto Weber, after all, is the celebrated percussionist ranked among the architects of modern handpan evolution therein. Fateful in the late 1990s, he had proposed to PANArt founders Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer to design an instrument that would combine the harmonious resonance of gongs with the sharp and precise pitch of steel pans. This was the very first project that led to the essential formation of a handpan, which was finalized in 2001. It was highly unusual in that it placed tonal fields so strategically as to allow composers to easily build harmonic melodies; it was the primal foray into a soothing ambience world music trademarked by handpans through the next two decades. New techniques were developed for the manufacture of melodic percussion, that is, handpans, not just for active but for ambient and meditative music, which in turn became a cultural product recommended for hospital recovery programs.

Handpan is an evolution of the Hang, which was invented in 2001 by Félix Rohner and Sabina Schärer. The primal shape and sound of the Hang used to be the stepping stone towards the handpan because it was so simple and soothing. Soon, the Hang became a handpan because different manufacturers worldwide were pondering directions they had never considered for their crafts. They thought about the materials, the tuning, and most of all-their shapes and forms-so they could produce several styles of the handpan. Now these days, the evolution of the handpan proceeds, manufacturers coming up with all sorts of new ideas toward forms and improvisations, and just trying things out, being a brand new instrument born only two decades ago.

The Swiss PANArt has retained some rights over the Hang. The instrument was set out of the private circle and into the public sphere in the early weeks of the year 2001 at Musikmesse Frankfurt, a major international fair for trade articles connected with musical instruments and music libraries. The Hang by PANArt attracted attention mostly because of its non-conventional design and perfectly beautiful echoes. The Hang is the first and, to this day, the only one of its kind. Unlike all other traditional sound mixers and drums, the Hang is transparent and cannot be hammered for harmonic sounds. Therefore, the construction of tunes out of melodies is direct for the players.

The presentation of the instrument in 2001 created a stir. The instrument still remained very close to being a flat steel sheet with a central dome on its upper side (called the Ding) and a resonating hole on the lower side (called the Gu). This gave reason to believe it was a revolutionary invention. With the fusion of a steelpan’s and an idiophone’s morphologies, the Hang was the first new category of musical instruments to be brought into existence on earth. By 2006, during the formative years, PANArt was proud to boast of at least a thousand Hand instruments, totally different from the programmatically produced instruments commercially available. Their limited handmade production would be a huge step for the Hand instrument, for it bore the whole PANArt stamp and was not reproducible. This signified the coming of an altogether new kind of instrument, a complete HandPan, and gave rise to a new genus of ethno-cultural music instruments. This constructive innovation remains dependent to this day on the worldwide spreading of the music therapy beauty, which includes performance as well as Hang meditation.

An unusual dome shape is placed above the tone fields of the Hang Drum. The Hang Drum consists of two convex metal shells, and these two shells are joined together. A central note, the Ding, is atop the instrument. Around the Ding, there are numerous tone fields set to various pitches. This instrument allows for a wide array of sounds and also features a Gub, or resonance hole, on the bottom shell. This very feature of the Gub is what affords the Hang Drum the ability to keep a rich and harmonious voice all its own. This merging of rhythm and melody in an extremely versatile setup with quite a variety of tones is a player’s dream come true.

YouTube has been the main source for the worldwide popularity of this musical instrument. Compositions admired by the melody and calming tunes of the handpan, posted by musicians worldwide, captured the hearts of millions. One example of going viral on handpans was the majestic serenity with rhythmic fingers providing a feeling of ’roundedness.’ The exposure has increased demand for such rhythms, which is understandable. From the huge media and performances base, the handpan has grown to become an integral part of the music industry, while handpans are instantly recognizable for their unique shape. Today, it is somehow trendy to have handpans appear in the media, and the handpan has registered on nearly every conceivable media platform, making it the most effective advertising. Now, handpans are not merely relevant as an instrument for making music; they are well known for mixing it, which, on the other hand, further increases the number of members in the community for handpan.

The handpan came up as an easier method through which to foster musical innovation when cumbersome steelpan innovations threatened this act. Following this logic, musicians combined various features from the steelpan to create the handpan. This new instrument was inaugurated in the early 2000s and captured both the intrigue of professional steelpan players and beginners. Steelpan players were especially attracted to how intuitive and enhanced the sound of the handpan was. With the passage of time, handpan players acquired a facet of the cultural imagination of free-spirited creatives, along with their handpans.

The Hang began to cease production with PANArt, as Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer decided to focus on other things after making this decision in 2013. The reasons for the PANArt halt of business for the Hang were both philosophical and practical reasons. PANArt Hang sales had reached their peak, and the company decided to move on with innovation and close the legal chapter of the highly personal and delicate instrument Hang and its unique sound.

To begin with, the increasing demand for the musical instrument globally was good news, but for PANArt, the demand was bad. The demand for the Hang was worldwide, eager musicians were requesting the Hang worldwide, and PANArt was required to stop the process due to the many requests that were stored for musicians who appreciate the deeper musical inclinations. The Hang was being put on offer with a line of steel semi neighborhood, the Gubal. The album was too honor-bound and was created partly for the wish of the Hang, and was a good dialectical entertainment. Gubals were there to improve the Hang.

Soon after PANArt declared to close the chapter for the Hang, the reasons for stopping the production became clear. The Hang was increasing in value as the scarcity was on the rise. The second-hand market for Hangs showed immense activity, with some offers reaching the escalations of the original worth of the instrument. By acknowledging the global curiosity and the desire to hold for one, the instrument gained yet more value.

Following the discontinuation of Hang’s production, many Hungai and Pantam (spelling, term revision) makers began inventing their own unique variations of the Hank Drum. As an umbrella term, “handpan” organically caught on for marketing purposes. Today, “handpan” is now a universal term when referring to steel or metallic percussion instruments that were inspired by the Hang or the Hank Drum. Using the label “handpan” in this way creates a kind of collective umbrella that enables worldwide recognition and distinguishes it as a product or a concept.

Greater benefits have been given to the artisans and musicians of the world due to the rise of independent handpan makers. Indeed, the production of Hang makers has long ceased, paving the way for new and innovative ideas concerning the independent builders. Different solutions have been posed, are posed, and are to be posed with respect to materials being used, sound, and tuning. Hence, an era of handpans is being developed insofar as other scales are used, such as traditional scales, first-level scales like D minor, as against the standard C major first-level scale, not to mention second-level exotic tuning-style-type-first-level scale-like-second-level scale of another culture.

Another great development has occurred for the independent handpan builders. The handpan’s affordability issue used to be addressed until very recently, by now an abundance of builders being able to prop the market. Initially, Ill-gotten prices were placed on handpan sales, with one handpan being priced at more than $3,000. Now, doable-priced handpans are in the market, ranging from $800 to $3,000, while not compromising on their quality.

The handpan community around the world extends its mutual contribution to the betterment of the art with colorful festivals, workshops, and online platforms that enable collaboration and knowledge sharing. In addition, thanks to social media and dedicated websites, every handpan enthusiast can now easily find a builder to compare instruments and place an order for a handpan built customized to his or her handpan-related specifications. These struggles help in giving a new life to handpan music, along with the attempt for dignified acceptance of crafts.

Of this handpan world, a unique calming ambiance reverberates into a cultural and music scene. All sorts of musicians and all kinds of genres are merely starting to take advantage of it in making the relaxation of sounds for meditation and soul-relieving sounds. The existence of the instrument gave rise to this growing world, along with exquisite craftsmanship. The very name ‘handpan’, being easy to spell and pronounce, is a driving force beneath the instrument. A lot of adulation has come in the wake of the handpan. Discussing how easily handpans are made, fashion films, lifestyle shots, and even show and event background music gush about it. Surprisingly, walking downhill, maybe even with no fixed destination in mind, can make the whole ambient sound embrace one; it certainly washes over you. This sort of thing needs constant ensuring of love and care for the delicate tuning. This sort of thing is simply handed down for granted. With all the praises flowing in, just as with hands, the ways in which one might play it are endless. The tuning curve combines the chirps of a squirrel and the rustling of leaves. The bent shape provides a significant rise, with an abrupt change of tone corresponding to vocal modulation.

In sound therapy research, handpans are considered unique due to the production of resonant, soothing sounds that could either formulate or calm a mind. Other sound therapies, such as handans, assist in stimulating sacred states of consciousness and mindfulness for the particular frequencies that an individual handpan can generate with help. These frequencies are especially helpful while relaxing or when used for sound healing and meditations. Besides, handpans are also believed to be exceedingly valuable for alleviating one’s pains and sufferings.

In recent times, handpans have gained more attention and reach. Before, handpans had only very limited usage in music genres, except classical music, but have now moved to becoming an integral part of the music world. Handpans are generally used in chanty music to generate or intensify a merry atmosphere with a very unique and enchanting tone quality. Handpans are used both in live performances and in studio work with electronic music. I guess one should be checking these streaming platforms now; handpan music is getting increasing exposure-they are quite a catch nowadays and with good reason.

Handpans are capable of inspiring and stirring emotions, earning them a place among an ocean of musical gems. According to Janet L., a noted musical composer, it is an instrument that can: “Heal human spirit on a transcendental level.” That never fails to charm innumerable audiences, and no one is more willing to convey her wonder than Alex P. As a peripatetic percussionist, she had referred to it as “one of my best accompaniments—how the distinguishable notes would blend with my entire set is still such a beauty.” For most of its followers, the word is small, relaxing, and calming, along with that of a yoga teacher, PRIYA R., who explains further: “the sound blends with her movement, and everyone in the room focuses on the yoga, something that I love—peacemaking.” The handpan’s sound is just as bright and warm as the impact the instrument has on both creative and personal tasks, according to users and their words.

The handpan adds a lot to music with its different and unique sounds, and it makes people and musicians think and also feel something special. If you listen to the music, you will feel as though nothing is impossible or unattainable, and if you play with it, you will get a lot of music ideas. Something that handpan players and their audience both enjoy is meditating to and playing to its resonating tune. Now handpan has a special place in personal and modern music wellness, and a player can also specialise in meditation to its rich tune.

The more the name of the handpan remains renowned globally, the more the inventiveness and worldwide influence the instrument offers. A custom-made handpan is thus usually made with techniques and materials easy to source. The present handpan makers need extra special skills and materials to maintain durability and utmost craftsmanship in custom builds. With the growing market for handpans and the number of requests increasing, the instrument makers are also being pushed into inventing new and different alternatives. Given that the handpan requires construction techniques composed of hand entries in addition to a unique alloy mixing, one of the solutions for the handpan that is currently becoming popular is electronic technology for sound augmentation. Handpans are grossly played alone. From the received feedback, the outlook for the handpan market is that it will develop in the forthcoming years. The technology for enhancing the sound of the handpan relates to yoga or meditation practice and instruments from different cultures; thus, it will give rise to a community of handpan players, and the makers themselves will make either improvements or modifications to the handpans. In some instances, the handpan modification practice is related to sustainability-conscious ideas upon tune-up services.

The steel drum and steelpan served as inspiration for its birth during the early 2000s, and since then, it has become a great icon of peace, serenity, and world-type music. Over the decades, with the artistic innovations of many, the traditional handpan has greatly evolved to numerous designs utilizing differing materials suited to the various playing techniques; hence, the handpan stands not only for the ever-changing ingenuity of music but also in display stands for the unity of craftsmanship all over the world.

The groove and space provided by the handpan appear to open into a manner of playing and being that moves gradually into meditative and self-cognizing processes. Rich artistic expression is assured in that unique tunings and sound systems exist, suitable for school students or seasoned persons. Store-and-play handpans or dismantling workshops and online resources make the usage ever more popular. Particularly for the handpan, the entire running stream of music employs positive therapy to reduce stress and aid mental wellness- now drawing attention from professional meditators. There are countless ways to play the handpan-using it in the form of a solo performance, half-hour jams, cooperative band performances, and audio recording sessions. All these avenues open, suggesting new facets for creativity and expression, something music is not confined to.

• Wikipedia – Handpan
  Provides a detailed history of the handpan, including its invention by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer of PANArt in 2000.
• Kita Pantam – Handpan History
  Explores the origins of the handpan, its connection to the steel pan and Ghatam, and the role of PANArt in its development.
• University of Queensland – Finite Element Study of Handpan Design
  A bachelor’s thesis analyzing the geometric and design variables of handpans, providing insights into their construction and evolution.