What is the best hang drum?
There is no set answer for which hang drum is the absolute best. However, some hang drums are obviously better than others. They have higher-quality production processes that make them sound better and last longer.
The best hang drum is going to be one that fits into your musical vision. Does it have a sound that you are absolutely in love with? Is it a good size for your practice space? Can you comfortably afford it? If you answer yes to these questions, then that is the best hang drum for you.
How do I choose a hang drum?
The first thing to do when choosing a hang drum would be to listen. Listen to as much hang drum playing as you can so you can discover what kind of sound you’re going to like. Every hang drum and handpan has unique qualities. You need to make a decision on which qualities you love and want.
The next thing to do is establish a budget. Hang drums can get pretty expensive. So, you need to decide how much money you’re willing to spend and then find an instrument that fits within that frame.
Hang drums work in scales. Different drums have different scales, meaning you’ll have to choose one that has a scale that you can work with if you’re going to play with other instruments. There’ll be no use in getting a drum that doesn’t fit together with other instruments sound-wise.
What is the difference between a hang drum and a Handpan?
Hang drums and handpans are visually and sonically similar. The one big difference is in the name. In the year 2000, a company in Switzerland developed a new instrument called the Hang. It is sometimes referred to as a hang drum. However, the company that made it discourages people from calling that because they think the name associates with other drums like bongos and djembes.
The Hang is meant to be played delicately with your fingers. Having the term ‘drum’ in its name could lead people to think that it needs to be played hard and aggressively.
In summary, Hangs are produced by PANArt from Switzerland. Every other pan produced by different companies is called a handpan.
There are a few small differences other than the name. Hang drums are generally smaller than handpans. The sizes of Hangs make them easy to travel around with. The bigger sizes of handpans allow for a wider range of tones.
Hangs and handpans are made differently in factories. Hangs use a heating process called gas nitriding, enabling sturdy tuning and giving very stable notes. Some handpans don’t heat treat their steel.
Is it hard to learn hang drum?
Handpans and hang drums are one of the easiest instruments to learn. This is thanks to the way that they produce notes. All the notes on the instrument form scales or modes, meaning that they’re all in tune with each other. This stops you from playing any wrong notes.
Literally, anyone could sit with a hang drum and play a beautiful sounding tune by tapping around on it. The tricky part of the instrument is learning to play different rhythms. If you’re a drummer, this won’t be a problem. It may take a bit longer to learn different rhythms if you’re not a drummer.
Another aspect of learning to play a hang drum is the way that you strike the notes. The more you play, you’ll start to figure out how different finger pressures affect the sound. So, a seasoned hang drum player will sound a lot more proficient than a beginner because they’ve mastered the way to hit the drum.