The handpan is a modern percussion-melodic instrument that appeared only in the early 2000s. Its prototype was the Hang, created in Switzerland. The instrument has the form of two joined convex steel half-shells resembling a “flying saucer,” with tuned tone fields hammered into the surface.
The player performs on the handpan with the fingers and palms, and the sound produced is extraordinarily soft, ringing, with a long trail of overtones that creates a calming, almost meditative atmosphere. Each instrument is made and tuned by hand to a particular scale, so the range of notes is limited but the sound is inimitable. Despite its young age, the handpan has gained enormous popularity worldwide — it is often heard on the streets, in relaxation practices, and in contemporary ambient and folk music.
