If you are a lover of music, then your soul must have always been mesmerized by the handpan drum.
Easy to fall in love with, whether you are a beginner or seasoned musician known for its deep, melodic tones and soothing sounds, the hang drum is hypnotic. But it takes practice and technique and learning all the things you can do with it in order to play it like a professional. If you’ve just purchased your first handpan or are hoping to upgrade your skills, here are a few practical tips for playing the hang drum like a pro.
1. Master Proper Hand Technique
Knowing the right-hand technique is one of the first things you have to learn if you want to play your handpan drum like a professional. The hang drum is also unique in that it is a percussion instrument that is played with the hands and fingers, and the way you play it affects the sound you’ll get.
Use your fingertips: A handpan has sweet spots that are sensitive to touch. When you’re producing the best tone, you’re using the pads of your fingers or fingertips to hit the notes. Try not to use your palms, as they can create muffled sounds or actually harm the surface.
Soft, controlled strokes: Try to give a gentle swing rather than a heavy hit. And, of course, a professional sound is characterized by a clear, resonant tone — this is just what you’d expect of a sound produced with a soft touch. Practicing light, controlled taps will practice the longevity of your hang instrument.
Use the thumbs for the center note: The hang drum is an instrument with the central note or “Ding” usually larger than the surrounding notes. The best way to play this note is to tap using your thumbs, getting a clean, rich-sounding note.
2. Developing a Solid Rhythm Foundation
Having rhythm is very important when trying to master the handpan drum. Though it can be melodic, this instrument requires a very rhythmic feel of rhythm and timing. With rhythm and rhythm, a professional handpan player can perfectly integrate the two attributes into an experience that is dynamic and immersive.
Start with basic patterns: Start by playing simple rhythms with both hands. Practice to become more consistent and develop even timing. It is intended that you play a note with your left or right hand with purpose and precision.
Use a metronome: A metronome will be really helpful when you’re starting to play more complex rhythms. The hang drum is really easy to get lost in, but having a steady pulse running in the background will ensure your rhythm stays tight and professional.
Practice hand coordination: The more you get up, the more rhythms you will be playing with both hands at the same time. Begin slow and then build speed. The key to playing professional-level handpan rhythms is coordinating the two hands independently.
3. Learn How to Read your Handpan Layout and Notes
The first part of learning to play your handpan drum with precision and skill is understanding its layout and notes. Usually, each handpan has a specific scale tuned to it, and each note has a particular pitch. Whether you’re playing a traditional hang instrument or a modern handpan, grasping the layout will enable you to play beautiful melodies and harmonies.
Know your scale: All handpan drums are tuned to specific scales (D minor, C major, for example). Find out how to tune your hang drum, so you know how to play within the context of the available tonal framework. By reading what you need to play or sing, you won’t hit off-key notes, and you will end up producing melodies harmoniously.
Understand the tonal relationships: Each handpan has a specific arrangement of notes, allowing you to move from note to note seamlessly. Find out the relationship of notes and how they resonate with each other. If you know which notes fit together, you’ll be a lot freer creatively when you play.
4. Focus on Dynamic Play
How often do you hear a hang drum player vary in their dynamics and intensities during a performance? A professional one does. The way you play and when you play, lack of or overabundant application of power (or dynamics) right up to your very last breath. Controlling the dynamics of your playing gives music emotional depth and makes for a more engaging listening experience.
Play with the expression:
1. Learn to hit more than just the notes.
2. Make them sing.
3. Change the hit from light-tapped sounds to the deeper resonant kinds.
It will become more soft and meditated or more energetic and lively for you to express your feelings.
Experiment with different techniques: You can do more than just tapping. See if you can try other playing techniques, like rolling your hands over the surface of the handpan drum or gliding your hands out toward the edges of the notes. These give you texture and variety in how you play.
5. Practice Improvisation
Improving the ability to do so is one of the most exciting things about playing the hang drum. For this reason, many professional handpan players are masters of improvisation because of the layout of the notes on the handpan.
Experiment with scales: The handpan is tuned to specific scales, so along with experimenting with different scales, you can improvise in totally different ways. You can try playing with different keys or working with modes and other alternate tunings to hear how they can change the overall sound.
Play with intention: Improvisation is about freedom, but it’s about playing with intention. Play to reflect the mood or emotion you feel within you. While it’s fine to explore new musical ideas, don’t be afraid to keep it clear and focused.
6. Listen to the Professional Players
Listening to professional players is one of the best ways to lift your hang drum skills. There are tons of videos and recordings of handpan performers out there, providing a whole spectrum of styles and hands.
Learn from others: Everyone watches as professional players and tries to recreate things they do. Take notice of their hand positioning, dynamics, and their ‘approach’ to the instrument. Not only is this useful for you to understand how to refine your playing, but it can also give you some helpful insights into something you can do yourself.
Join online communities: Engaging with online handpan communities can also be a great way to learn. You can post about your progress and ask questions to both other players and more experienced ones. Challenges, tutorials, virtual jams… These communities often host these and give you a chance to grow.
Conclusion
There is a lot to understand in order to become a virtuoso on the hang drum. Focus on the proper techniques and dynamics, the right rhythm, and also on improvisation, and you will play professionally. But no matter if you’ve just started or even bought a handpan for sale and want to hone your skills some more, you can apply these tips to unlock this instrument’s full potential. Time and effort will have you playing your handpan drum like a pro, and every time you play, you’ll wow them with the beautiful music you’ve created.
