Different types of Handpan drum with details

 

Handpan drum is one of the most popular musical instruments which is a kind of steelpan and is similar to ‘ghatam; of the Indian subcontinent. It is a new kind of musical instrument which was introduced last century. This instrument belongs to the idiophone family which refers to a kind of musical instrument group where sound is created through the vibration of the whole instrument. There are various terms to this type of instrument but the name ‘handpan’ became very popular.

 

Types of handpan

 

The Handpan drum itself is one of the popular musical instruments in the handpan type category which is made of two half-shells glued together and it is played by your fingers. The music created through it sounds more dreamy and compelling. Kyle Cox has coined the term ‘handpan’. 

 

The idea of the hang drum is associated with the idea that it can be played like a traditional drum but it compromises the type of tunes it produces.

 

The tongue drum has its name from its tongue-like shape, it is kind of a hollow tank. When you strike the tongue like a portion, it creates a bell-like sound. This is also made of steel but before it used to be made of wood. But nowadays many plates address their tongue drum as a handpan drum.

 

Electric handpan is a kind of electrical instrument that produces a handpan drum-like sound. But an electric handpan is not a handpan but it is created with some electrical programs of different scales that allow you to discover and experiment with the sounds.

 

What is the actual definition of a handpan drum in terms of size, shape, tunes, notes? It cannot be defined but the basic formation of various types of handpan drum is the same at its base. 

 

Formation of handpan drums

 

The structure of the handpan drum is very simple, you can try to make your own. You need a steel sheet and hammer it to a bowl shape and attach the two sides of the handpan with glue. You have to make it in such a way that it can create three different frequencies with harmony. You need a standard handpan drum to enhance your skill.

For some people the sound created by handpan drum is joyful, for some it is not soothing but for some, it produces meditative sound. So, there is a personal element in type sound and vibration created by the handpan drum. The experience is not the same for all.

 

One more thing is every one of the handpan drum is created by your own hands so every drum is not the same, it is different from one another. But if there is a perfect alignment among frequencies, then it produces a good sound. So, you have to master the skill to produce the best.

 

Playing the handpan drum is not a difficult task compared to other instruments as the number of notes is very few. There are many both online and offline inexpensive lessons available to support your passion. 

 

To summarize we can say that if you want to produce a soulful tune from a handpan drum then try to range between 432 Hz, because handpan 432hz sounds calmer, and studies also claim that it makes your mind more peaceful.