{"id":20250,"date":"2025-04-21T18:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T22:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=20250"},"modified":"2025-09-03T11:32:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:32:41","slug":"handpan-history-sound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/handpan-history-sound\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a handpan? Exploring its unique history, anatomy, and sound"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Illustration:<\/strong> Daniel Batista<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a handpan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hang, pantam, UFO drum\u2014these names all belong to the handpan, a relatively new family of percussive instruments that share a unique, hypnotic sound. Coming in numerous shapes, sizes, and tunings, these domed metallic drums produce smooth ambient tones when played with both hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, let\u2019s explore the history, features, sound, and future of the handpan family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The history of the hang<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The modern handpan is closely related to and based on the traditional Caribbean steel drum or steel pan,<\/a> which originates from Trinidad and Tobago. The hang<\/strong> (meaning both \u201chand\u201d and \u201chillside\u201d in Bernese German) was a term coined by longtime steel pan manufacturers Felix Rohner and Sabina Sch\u00e4rer as they embarked on a new project. After building steel pans for decades, they sought to merge its characteristics with those of other instruments like the gamelan of Indonesia, the gong of Thailand, and the ghatam of India<\/a> to create something that could be played with just your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its creation in 2000, the hang has gone through multiple changes and sparked widespread interest which has since led to the development of other similar instruments that fall into the handpan family. Well over 300 handpan makers exist across the globe today, and each one offers a slightly different product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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