Handpan Music

Have you heard of a musical instrument known as a Hang (or, generically, a "handpan")? It was invented in 2000 by two Swiss steel drum makers, Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, who called their creation a Hang (Bernese for "hand"). Similar to a steel drum turned upside down and played with the hands, this description gives no hint of the amazing sounds that come out of these 21st century instruments. As one mother put it to Daniel Waples, "I love how the moment you started playing my kids stopped their fuss and just stood mesmerized by the sound." In the hands of a master, the sounds that come from these laptop UFOs range from drum-like slapping to synthesizer-smooth ringing tones. The sounds at times remind me of an mbira, an African thumb piano, but the Hang seems to have created a genre of music all its own—as if the instrument has certain songs latent within it and is using us humans to get that music out. What follows is a collection of some of my favorite handpan videos. Click the picture below to start the slideshow, have a listen, and enjoy!

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