How to learn to play Handpan? Workhops, courses and more! (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to learn to play handpan? ›

There is hardly any instrument that can be learned as easily as playing the Handpan. After learning the touch technique, which usually takes between 20-30 minutes, you can intuitively start playing right away.

Unlike a piano, where all notes are available, the handpan is limited to a few notes. While Hang® by PANArt was built with 8 or 9 notes, there are now also manufacturers who built handpans with over 20 notes.

For a solid handpan with a standard number of notes (7-8) from a good maker: you should probably expect to pay no less than $1,000-$2,500 (new). For a 'top-shelf' make and/or for more notes: you're looking at around $3,000-$4,000 (new). For anything rare or custom: you can expect to pay more.

The intuitive layout and responsive nature of the instrument make it accessible to most people. The Challenging Part: Developing proficiency and mastering the handpan can be challenging. Hand coordination, rhythm, and musical expression all require time and practice to refine.

Reason #1 - Building a handpan is really, really hard.

That's not to say that building your own handpan is impossible, but the sharp learning curve and high initial investment cost (both financial and time) of handpan building have created a world with far more failed handpan builders than successful ones.

This is what we call “natural detuning,” which is unavoidable. A handpan can also go out of tune immediately due to external influences. These include impacts, falls or hard impacts of solid objects on a sound field.

The most common scale

As already mentioned, about 70% of all handpans are tuned in D-Minor.

Best Handpan Scales for Beginners:

The Kurd scale emerges as a top recommendation, with its rootedness in the D minor scale, making it accessible for creating melodies and harmonies. Other popular natural minor scales like Amara (Celtic Minor) and Integral also provide excellent options for beginners.

Handpans in the key of D minor are the most popular worldwide. Below we'll take a look at some of the most common handpan scale variations you will encounter when looking for a D minor handpan. Sometimes, it can be confusing to compare handpan scales because different scale names can sometimes mean the same thing.

A high-quality handpan not only offers better sound quality and playability, but also longer durability and greater enjoyment of making music. If you want to buy a handpan, you should not only pay attention to the price, but above all to the quality of the instrument.

How long do handpans last? ›

As a rule of thumb, we believe that a Handpan should remain in tune for 3 years when played properly and does not suffer any major damage (such as being dropped on the floor or being thrown around a lot).

Generally speaking, yes, it is definitely possible for someone to teach themselves an instrument and be able to play it well. That doesn't mean it's easy.

Remember that learning to play the handpan takes time and practice, so be patient and persistent. With dedication and hard work, you will be able to master these beginner techniques and create beautiful music on this unique instrument.

No, it's not easy to teach yourself how to play the drums, but after all, there is no such thing as an “easy” musical pursuit. You can still make progress on your own though, and you can raise your level of basic drum and music fluency by a great deal simply through videos, podcasts, and books.