Handpan

Handpan is a generic term for a group of musical instruments that are classified as a subset of the steelpan. Several handpan makers and brands emerged following growing worldwide interest in the Hang after it was introduced in 2000.^[1]

A musician displaying the use of the handpan in 2020

A handpan from the first production run of Pantheon Steel

The basic form of a handpan consists of two metal half-shells glued together, a centre tone field surrounded by a circle of at least seven tone fields on the upper side and an opening in the bottom side. Differences between manufacturers include the materials used, the manufacturing processes of the raw forms, the shaping of the tone fields, and the tuning methods.

History

The term handpan first appeared in 2007 on the website of American steelpan producer Pantheon Steel and was used to describe their development of a new instrument that was launched as an alternative to the Hang,^[2] whose name had been patented by PANArt Hangbau AG.^[3] It later found its way into discussions on the now-defunct online Hang-Music Forum.^[4] The successor of this forum was founded in 2009 and was called handpan.org,^[5] Subsequently, "handpan" became a generic term referring to similar and related instruments.^{[citation needed]}

There are numerous handpan builders around the world, and the specific instruments vary in material, manufacturing techniques, shape, sound, and quality.^[6][7]

See also

• Steel tongue drum