Origins of the Handpan

The handpan is a relatively modern invention in the grand timeline of global instrumentation, yet its sound feels entirely ancient. Characterized by its ethereal, deeply resonant, and mesmerizing overtone-rich sound, this convex steel drum has captured the hearts of street musicians and acoustic therapists alike.

The Hang and Its Lineage

The direct predecessor to all modern handpans is the Hang, developed in the year 2000 in Bern, Switzerland by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer of the company PANart. Inspired by the Trinidadian steel pan, the South Indian Ghatam, and the Indonesian Gamelan, the inventors sought to create a melodic percussion instrument that could be played with bare hands rather than mallets.

"To strike the steel shell is not an act of force, but a gentle coaxing of the spirit trapped within the metal."

Due to the immense labor involved in hammer-tuning the rigid steel shells into a harmonic scale, true handpans remain scarce and highly prized. Each tone field is meticulously pounded out and tuned to a fundamental note, an octave, and a compound fifth, giving the instrument its choir-like resonance.

Ancestral Drums

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