The history of handpans
The handpan is a fairly recent instrument on the global music scene, but it has captured the hearts of musicians and music lovers around the world. Its otherworldly voice, a beguiling alchemy of melody and rhythm that forms the very fabric of many diverse cultures around the world has been building bridges between people for over one thousand years; it's an instrument like no other. This testament to human creativity and the unity of music throughout people from every walk of life is so instrumental.
The concept of the handpan had taken its birth in Switzerland during early 2000 by none other than Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer. They dreamed of making a hand-played, portable melodic percussion instrument, to introduce people fresh and exciting music. What they could never have guessed is that this would lead to the ripple effect we know today as The Recycled Orchestra, producing musicians across all parts of the world with a newfound love for an instrument unheard before.
Swiss innovation: Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer
At the start of this century, talented steel pan maker Felix Rohner and musician-artist Sabina Schärer set out to change all that. Guitar players in Trinidad and Tobago were inspired by the traditional steel pan drums, aspired to engineer a more portable alternative that was be played using fingers.
After years of trying and failing, they created a proprietary method to form and tune steel shells to create the handpan. The initial prototype, the Hang was a pioneering creation that forged together melodic steel pan-like characteristics with portability and handheld intimacy.
Handpans On The Rise
At first, the handpan was an obscure musical instrument that had only a few dedicated players. But then, videos and recordings of its entrancing song started to populate the internet — sparking off a worldwide sensation. Artists of different genres, such as ambient, world and new age musicians saw in the instrument's unique timbre a way to include it into their records and live performances.
The handpan quickly became a highly sought-after instrument by both professional and amateur musicians, in an apparent resonse to the resurgence of overtone music. Its scope was wide enough for both hushed ambient zones and more uptempo, rhythmic constructions. This power of the handpan to bring out emotions and take listeners into a peaceful, wondrous mental place further helped in making it popular.
Handpan Drum Specifications, Features and Construction
The handpan is possibly the coolest musical instrument in terms of its design and construction. At its heart is a deep, concave steel resonating body with tongues of different pitch all located around the central playing area. Arranged in a circle — this scale or melody of harmonics.
Are you curious about how a handpan is built? Each tone field is painstakingly shaped and tuned by skilled artisans who use techniques like hammering, stretching or heating them to the right tuning just as you would in a land journey. The outcome is a device that not only mesmerizes the ear however likewise pleases the eye with its detailed patterns and elaborate designs.
The handpan experience is all-encompassing and meditative. You strike the tone fields with your hands very gently to produce its enchanting tones, using different ways that allow you to create various sounds and rhythms. This area of the central playing surface, which is frequently ornamented and even tooled in hundreds of different designs, serves as a sound chamber to heighten various pitches.
A fascinating thing about this instrument is the manner in which harmonic overtones and resonances can be produced by using different pressures as well as positions of your hands on it. That means it is capable of a vast variety of different types transcriptive possibilities to create complex free from compositions including elaborate melodic construction, rhythmic patterns and ambient noise.
5 Tips on Choosing the Handpan that Feels Right for You
The handpan market has become quite saturated with the variety of options available to you — from custom builds by individual makers, going all the way down to a large quantity of non-artisan built models. Selecting the best handpan for you may feel like a tough decision, but keep in mind that there are only some core factors that must be taken into account before finalizing on one.
Scales and Tuning: Suspende scales can come in both major, minor or pentatonic scale with a unique tonal character. When selecting a scale to work on, think about the kind of music you want to play and select a corresponding tuned.
Size and Weight: Handpans come in various sizes; larger handpans produce deeper tones along with expanded resonance, whereas smaller sized ones can be easily moved around from place to spot. Before choosing the smallest option, see how your needs and playing environment shape what works best for you in terms of sound versus portability.
This can also be attributed to the fact that most high-quality handpans are made by talented artisans and often with premium materials like stainless steel or nitrided steel. Like a musical instrument, these are hand-made graciously and provide sound quality that is significantly better than their competitors. And we have all been invested with lots of bonus life points!
Cost: There is a wide range of costs for handpans, as there are both handmade versions and machine-made alternatives. Decide how much you want to spend, and then be willing pay more if it means getting a great, proper handpan rather than spending less on one that won't offer the same kind of pleasure in playing.
Community & Events of Handpan
Certainly the most incredible thing about this whole handpan phenomenon is the beautiful soulful community that has grown from it. Since then, handpan groups have formed on forums and social media all around the world along with local meetups every place a strong following emerged across most continents; built upon community spirit to share knowledge insights and support one another.
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of handpan festivals and gatherings in various parts of the world that host players, makers as well as enthusiasts. The events take a particular interest in highlighting the sound characteristics of this instrument and also serve as workshops, performances, sharing of ideas and interchanges on techniques.
Conclusion
Its path from invention to global stage is a lesson in the magic of imagination — and the one language all cultures understand: music. Since the birth of this beautiful instrument, it has spread across nationalities and traditions wooing listeners and firing up an ocean-spanning following of players who also lie awake lost in dreams.
The future of the handpan, as this impactful instrument continues its evolution and growing reputation is secure with much innovation yet to present itself in artistic feature. The wide, varied and colourful sound of this unique instrument will tug on the heart strings as well speak to your soul; creating a bridge between minds both very much in place where audible notes are around but also new souls ready for some other voice from distance bell like landscapes.
If you have fallen under the spell of that magical handpan sound and are starting to think about adding one to your collection, then we recommend our range of finest sounding handpans for sale today. We have picked a selection of handpans that are handmade by some of the best craftspeople around, meaning you get something beautiful to look at as well. Take your music journey to the next level by discovering a fascinating way of handpan musci circuits. Check out our online shop today and find the handpan of your dreams by heart!
