There’s a good chance that you have heard the beautiful sounds of the handpan, also called hang (drum) or pantam before, and an even bigger chance that you are in love with the calming, beautiful and peaceful sounds of this instrument. The handpan is quite a special instrument and a very young one as well. It belongs to the group of percussion instruments, but it was developed only 19 years ago under the name „Hang“. In 2000, Swiss people Felix Rohner and Sabrina Schärer developed the instrument to create a steeldrum that one can play with the hands. Since then the interest for the instrument has grown and other, very similar instruments have developed under the name handpan.
Hang, handpan and steeldrums
The handpan uses some of the same principles as the steeldrum, an instrument popular in the Caribbean state of Trinidad and Tobago. However, handspans are modified from the steeldrum in that a steel drum has a concave shape and a handpan has a convex shape. The different form also creates a different sound. The construction of the handpan allows for a phenomenon of air resonance in the body, producing the gentle sounds of the handpan. This resonance the handpan works with is called Helmholtz resonance.
The original Hang stopped production in 2013, as founders Felix Rohner and Sabrina Schärer wanted to preserve the mystique and value of the instrument as well as work on developing other musical instruments. From 2007 onwards, other instrument makers began to create their own versions of the Hang and the name handpan was born. Still, up until now there are only about 100 manufacturers of the handpan in the world, making it one of the most difficult to access but also precious and mystical instruments. And the magic of this instrument is not only linked to its limited production volume, but also to the magical healing powers it possesses, mainly, helping us relax and release stress and tension through the gentle vibrations of the instrument.
Sound healing
In our times, alternative forms of therapy and healing are becoming more and more prominent, one of them being sound healing. Almost everyone can relate to the emotional healing benefits of music when listening to it. But more than that, sound can also be used to assist in the treatment of severe mental health problems such as PTSD, anxiety, depression and chronic stress.
Sound therapy works with the science of vibration, frequency and resonance of the sounds. Everything in the universe is energy. And all this energy, no matter if it possesses a manifested or unmanifested form vibrates at a specific frequency (the speed of vibration). Each sound also possesses a specific vibration and frequency that our bodies (also vibrating at a specific frequency) are able to perceive. We don’t only hear music with our ears, but we also feel the vibrations and frequencies of the music (just think of a bass-heavy tune that shakes up your whole body, but also more subtle sounds are perceived by the body without us consciously noticing it).
Lastly sound also has a specific resonance. The resonance is the length of time a sound is sustained after the cause is removed. In music, resonance would be the length of time a sound can still be heard after striking a drum for example.
The magic healing powers of the handpan
Handpans are one of the most potent instruments when it comes to sound healing as they possess a great resonance and through their convex, round design, their sounds emanate in all directions, filling the whole room with vibration and resonance. Handpans and steeldrums are one of the few instruments where each musical note is tuned into a 1:2:3 frequency ratio, meaning there are three frequencies in each note anytime it is played. Most other instruments only possess two frequencies in each note. The three frequencies of the handpan are a fundamental tone, an octave harmonic and a compound fifth harmonic. The second frequency (the octave) is exactly half the size of the first (fundamental), and the third frequency (the compound fifth) is one third the size of the first (fundamental).
The frequency ratio is important for sound healing, as the frequency ratio is already simplified by splitting the ratios into half and a third. Sense and perception researchers have found out that the human brain loves to simplify frequency ratios when it hears it. Since the frequency ratio of the handpan are already as simplified as possible, it has a very harmonizing and calming effect on our brains. The frequency of the soft sounds emitted by the handpan sends signals to our brain that it is safe to relax and to let go of stress and tension.
The vibrations of the handpan are so healing and stress-releasing for our bodies and minds not only because we perceive the sounds as so harmonious due to their frequency ratio but also because of what is known as ‚entrainment’ in music education. Entrainment happens when an object vibrating at a specific frequency (for example the handpan) is placed close to another object vibrating at a different frequency (such as the human body). Eventually the object vibrating at a lower frequency (our body) will start to vibrate on the same frequency as the more powerful one (the handpan). In this way, the handpan has the ability to release us energetically and physically from stress and tension we are storing in the body.
Join us for a yoga and handpan session
The whole act of learning to play the handpan is a process that is not mastered easily. But those who are able to play the handpan can assure you that it is a very meditative and rewarding experience as such. If you don’t know how to play the instrument but would still like to experience its wonderful benefits, visit us for our next class where we combine the ancient practice of Yoga with the sacred Handpan instrument to create a beautiful, warm, personal and relaxing atmosphere for every participant.
Interested? Reserve your class access here: http://theconsciousclub.com/book-now
Contributor: Clara Malzer