handpan history when , where and how?

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Handpan history, when, where and how?

Handpan history, when, where and how?

Handpan, Pantam, hang drum or sound-sculpture are the names for a rather young musical instruments family. They are made with steel and are consist of 2 convex steel shells that are glued together. In this article we are going to look at this instrument history and explain some interesting information about it.

When and where was handpan/pantam invented?

The path of hang drum development is a combination of a few historical instruments, some of which are very old and some are more recent. In fact we can call handpan/pantam a global instrument because many countries’ musical culture have been involved in its development journey.The first hang was invented by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer from PANArt Hangbau AG in Bern, Switzerland. The two were steel pan builders and invertor of different musical instruments. In the late 1990’s, Reto Weber, a musician, contacted Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer and explained his idea about a new instrument that is made of steel and looks like a pot with some notes on. He wanted to combine the sound of Ghatam, which is an Indian instrument and the steel pan. The experiment began and they made something which was called “Mother Hang”. The word “HANG” came from Bernese German word for Hand. The output was surprisingly good so Felix and his colleague stopped making steel pans and started focusing on creating the First generation of handpans which was originally called HANG (between 2001 to 2005). They presented the very first instrument at Frankfurt and it became viral later on 2005 when people found some playing videos of it on YouTube. 

The HANG was being offered in approximately 45 different scales and sound models, which were focused mostly on ethnic musical scales like Ake bono, Hijaz, Pygmy, Melog and Zhi Diao.  The first generation Hangs had 7 to 8 tone fields on a circle around a center note being tuned only on F3, E3 and Eb 3. Later on some new generations with many changes were release up until 2013 when PANArt announced that the Hang would no longer be made.

As of then, many makers around the world started creating these musical instruments with the same concept but some changes and called them Handpan, Pantam or sound-sculpture.

The way the invention of this musical instrument influenced the world of the music enthusiast was so astounding and the market faced a big volume of demand in the years right after PANArt stopped making them. The first makers received so many requests in a way they also had to stop getting more orders and will be making the requested line of orders for many years after. Since then, the number of the makers are increasing everyday all around the world responding to the demand for this magical instrument globally.

Kita also, as one of the first makers in this region, started making Handpans since 2017 and has showed continuous growth in terms of quality and manufacturing capability since then.

Handpan history

If you are thinking to join the club and start this wonderful journey of learning and playing Pantams together with this raising number of enthusiasts all around the world, KitaPantam is ready to offer what you deserve, world class quality Handpans with fair prices and rather short waiting time. For more information please visit our available instruments page or send us an inquiry on the Order page. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask, you may contact us via the contact form below or send us an email to [email protected].

 

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Tips to motivate yourself to practice your Handpan

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Tips to motivate yourself to practice your Handpan

Tips to motivate yourself to practice your Handpan

Learning a new musical instrument is always challenging, it takes time so you should be patient, plus you have to stay motivated to have a continuous improvement so you can enjoy your playing. Well, Handpan is not an exception, here are some tips to help you stay motivated while learning and practice handpan instrument:

  1. Set a goal: as an amateur learner, there are many achievements that you like to attain, so set goals and try to achieve them one by one. For example, “I want to play this music by the end of the month, do a concert, or record an album by the next summer. It is easier to have a routine when you want to achieve something BIG.
practice handpan
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2.Draw a periodic schedule: there is no shortcut to all the good things. Try to schedule your day time and follow that, if you analyze your times, you’ll be amazed at how many spare minutes you can find in a day that you can use.

3.Make mental and physical space: learning and playing handpan must be away from distractions. A dedicated quiet place is where you need to practice. Furthermore, you need a focused mind too. Try to get away from your laptop, smartphone, and other non-related stuff and create a comfortable learning space both mentally and physically.

practice handpan
practice handpan

4.Find a partner: set up training sessions with Handpan player friends. Try to practice together, this can reignite your passion and enthusiasm when you are down, or running low.

5.Watch professional players: watching professional players are always motivating knowing that they had been just like you a while ago. Their skills can show how far you can go and how you can do with your hands and mind.

6.Remember your dreams: Always remember the reason you start. To become a professional player? to play in a band? Just for fun and as a hobby? Whatever you start playing handpan for is valuable, try to always remember your dreams and fight for them, because if you can dream it you can achieve it. 

THESE ARE SOME SMALL TIPS THAT CAN HELP YOU WHILE YOU ARE IN YOUR LEARNING PROCESS, HOPE YOU CAN USE THEM IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY. We would be honored to have your experiences while learning your Handpan, please share them with us. Also, if you just want to start, the first thing you need is an instrument you deserve, so when know you want a high-quality Handpan with a fair price, please visit our available instruments page or send us an inquiry on the Order page. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask, you may contact us via the contact form below or send an email to [email protected].Stay tuned😊

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Handpan vs tongue drum

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Handpan vs tongue drum

Handpan vs tongue drum

Handpan or togue drum? This is one of the most frequently asked questions that we face every day, many people want to know what are the differences between these two instruments and which one fits their needs better. In this article, we are going to provide some points in this regard.

Basically, in spite of some similarities, they are two totally different musical instruments. Pantams have more clear tone and magical bright ceramic and smooth sound with mid to high range of sustain (resonate), while tongue drums have more like a blur sound with long sustain. handpans are made with different materials being suitable for different playing styles and environment vibes including indoor fast professional playing to outdoor slow meditative styles, while tongue drums are known for only more slow and meditative playing. Moreover, Handpans can be more flexible than tongue drums, for example you can get up to 22 notes on a Handpan but the notes on tongue drums are limited.

Handpan vs tongue drum
Handpan vs tongue drum

Although Tongue drums are in general smaller in size but much heavier than Handpans (hang drums) since they are made of thicker steel sheets. Besides the Handpans standard size range is 18-23 inches, so sometimes a small Handpan (mini handpan) can be in a size of a tongue drum but still much lighter and having of course a different sound.

Due to the much more complexities in making Handpans, their price is much higher than the tongue drums, but as mentioned at the beginning, these two are totally different instruments and paying less doesn’t mean you will be able to get the same thing.

Tone Fields

This is where handpans and tongue drums become different in a noticeable way. The tone field or the notes that you play will look completely different. The handpan containing dimples and dings, with no piercing of the steel, while the steel tongue drum tongues will be cut into the steel, in a variety of shapes.

Overall, Handpans and tongue drums comparison seems like comparing apple and orange, both round and almost same shape but completely different fruits with different taste and nutrition. We want to say, if you are interested in Handpans, then you should get one and never think that you will be able to get something similar while spending less. Likewise you might be interested in tongue drums and again in this case a Handpan cannot be an alternative.

We hope you find these information useful and this article can help you decide if you are thinking between a Handpan and a tongue drum.If you know that you want a high quality Handpan with a fair price, please visit our available instrument page to see our latest available instruments for sale. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask, you may contact us via the contact form below or send an email to [email protected]Stay tuned😊

Handpan vs tongue drum
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For more information, please visit our Makers Shop page or contact us at [email protected]

stay tuned for further notice, our team has some amazing news for handpan lovers.

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