HANDPAN DRUM - The Magic Instrument
What is a Handpan Drum?
The Handpan Drum, Hang, Steelpan (or simply, handpan ), is a metal percussion instrument with a unmistakable oval shape in the form of a UFO, inspired by the ancient drums of different Caribbean cultures such as Trinidad and Tobago.
This enigmatic musical instrument is so special that you can not buy it easily in the typical instrument store on the corner of your neighborhood, but because it is so exclusive, in most cases, if you want to buy a Handpan Drum you must do it through the Internet in specialized sites such as hangdrum.es
This kind of "metallic drum" shaped like a UFO, is a really special instrument since, in 99% of cases, they are manufactured in a completely handmade way. The Hang has some membranes in the upper part that are sculpted by the use of the hammer. By hitting these membranes with the fingers or the palm of the hand, they create a very pleasant harmonic sound to the ear that produces a magical attraction.
Another very distinctive feature of the instrument is that it has two metal shells in the shape of a shell, which leave a gap inside that produces resonance and that characteristic sound when hitting it.
It is important to clarify that the Hang Drum, despite having that name, is not a drum as such, and although it is the most accepted and popular name among most people, the generic name would be HandPan. The use of the term "Hang Drum", derives from the original instrument called "Hang" of the Swiss manufacturer "Panart".
How a Handpan Drum is made
Making a handpan, whatever the brand, remains extraordinarily difficult and expensive compared to other instruments. This has not prevented the instrument from becoming popular recently among street artists, especially in Barcelona, where it is the instrument preferred by street musicians due to its resonance capacity in halls and tunnels.
From the outside, it may not look like it, but the manufacturing process of a Hand Pan Drum is really complicated and laborious, and its preparation requires a lot of experience and a lot of work. Making this instrument is an arduous and totally artisanal process, with a great component of physical work through precise hammer blows that will define the final result, as if it were a sculpture. In the end, these instruments are authentic pieces of art, and therefore their price is usually somewhat high.
These instruments are not manufactured in series in a factory. They are made by hand, by real people who put many hours into creating a unique and genuine instrument. Its creation requires expensive materials, machines and tools, and above all, a long time of elaboration.
In this Time Lapse video, you can see in summary what it takes to make one of these instruments. We encourage you to watch it to understand everything we talked about before, and how complicated it is to make a HandPan Drum.
If you are a handyman and you feel capable of doing a handpan yourself through your own means, we encourage you to read our entry on how to make a handpan that will be of great help to you.
The Sound of the Handpan Drum
A Handpan Drum probably has, along with other musical instruments replete with mysticism such as the Tibetan Bowls the most magical and hypnotizing sound that exists. The genuine unique characteristics of the handpan, allows to generate an extraordinary sound that transcends beyond the music itself, and not only comes into contact with the ear, but actually establishes a greater connection touching the spirit and the soul itself.
That is why the sound and music of the Handpan Drum have proven properties to submerge us in deep relaxation states, which allow us to efficiently combat frequent health problems such as anxiety or depression.
The sound of the Hang Drum, is characterized by that unmistakable "color" that you identify blocks away from that street artist who hypnotizes countless passers-by in the busiest streets of cities like Barcelona, Madrid, London or Paris.
The Hangdrum, is composed of several scales in harmonic tones that have evolved and improved over time and the popularization of the instrument. Its sound is reminiscent of the marimba but with more personality, and usually has between ten and twelve notes.
The correct position to play the Hang is to place it between your legs or holding on a specially designed support . They tend to be tuned in D minor , but can vary slightly from one Handpan to another, so it is better to use the instrument as you used to and avoid mixing several Handpans at the same time, since their sounds can be intermixed and confusing, and the result may be not too pleasurable.
Some use a mallet to play - mainly in smaller versions of the instrument, such as Steel Tongue Drum - or the palm of the hand, but the most common way to play the Hand is with the fingertips tapping gently with small taps, as you can see in the following video:
Parts of the Handpan Drum
The top: The Ding
The upper face of the Hang is known as Ding. This upper part of the insturmento is made up of circles containing the nine differentiated musical tones that surround the larger central circle, which is also known as Ding.
The Ding has a sound reminiscent of a Gong .
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The bottom: The Gu
The lower part is known as Gu. It is the part of the instrument that creates the resonance through a hole or circular groove located in the base, which extends the sound generated inside.
The vibratory box can produce up to twelve notes. The sound emitted is different according to the position of the legs, on which the instrument rests, and the type of more or less smooth beat, with the fingers or with the palm of the hand, which generates the sound.
The Magic of the Handpan Drum
Touching a handpan is practically inviting magic to enter our lives. If we let the instrument guide us, our creative musical potential is exploited in an easy and fun way. Its presence fills our minds. We deviate, we flow, we feel restored and alive. The Hang Drums are intuitive and easy to learn instruments even for people with no musical background. A change of paradigm, and a truly universal instrument for our times.
Buy a Handpan Drum
If you are looking to buy a Hang Drum, you may have difficulty finding these "UFO percussion instruments" at your local music and instrument store. However, the good news is that there are excellent alternatives such as Amazon, which guarantee excellent quality, a cheap shipment (most of the time, even free) to the door of your house, an unbeatable price, and the possibility of returning the product and recover your money at any time if it does not comply with your claims.
If you are looking to buy a Handpan Drum, we strongly encourage you to visit the wide range of Handpans and Hang Drums Amazon has for you. We assure you that you will be surprised!
SEE THE BEST HANDPANS IN AMAZON
SOURCE: http://hangdrum.es/handpan-drum-el-instrumento-magico/