Best Hand Drums
Handpan is a musical instrument similar to a steel drum which produces a very soothing, peaceful and mystical sound. You might have come across it in a therapeutic center or videos with people playing in a very green and quiet looking place. This is because it is a great stress reliever and usually performed as a therapy for your mind. You can also get the Best Drum Mutes.
Handpan has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, but despite earning so much name and fame, it can be quite overwhelming to buy a handpan. The reason is that these handpans are not readily available. You have to book a handpan before you can get your hands on it and most of the companies manufacturing handpans have a waiting time of about 12 months. Yes, that is correct! 12 long months!
If you are looking to buy a handpan for yourself at this very moment, then you have stumbled upon the right article. In this article, we are going to introduce you to the best handpans in the world that you can buy without waiting for months. You can also get the best drum set for teenagers. So, without any further due, let’s get to it.
Best Hand Drum
Reviewed and Compared
| Picture | Name | My Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tzevaot Aeolian | Rust resilient | Check Price |
|
Bali Steel | Strong bass-note resonance | Check Price |
|
Shamanicshop Hand Pan | Highly durable | Check Price |
|
Hapi Tongue Drum | Attractive | Check Price |
|
Meinl Sonic Energy STD1BK Tongue Drum | Durable | Check Price |
 |
Pyle professional Steel Drum | Extremely portable | Check Price |
Best Handpans – A Brief Review
First, let’s take a look at some readily available handpans.
Tzevaot Aeolian
- Rust resilient
- Comes with a rough and tough case
- Very convenient to play
- Extremely portable
- You will not find much-ringing overtones
- Will cost much
Where many companies have waiting times of months, Tzevaot Aeolian is a handpan that has no waiting list. The product stands tall against rust due to that fact that it is carburized with nitride and nitrogen. This handpan is certainly not going to cost you less but as it is expensive, the company has made sure that they provide you with everything essential to keep it safe from any damage. You may check out this if you’re looking for Pelican Case Alternatives.
The product comes with a tough casing, which features a lot of attributes, including resistance to damage by impact. It is effortless to carry this model, thanks to the cushion-gripped handle. Each unit comes with a serial number which bears the evidence of authenticity.
The Tzevaot strictly makes sure that their handpans withstand rust. This is why each model goes through a treatment process which involves heating. This process is known as steel nitriding in which the case of handpan is covered with nitrogen. This results in the final product, which is not only rust-resistant but also sturdier and more vigorous. You will find most of the companies following this process, but still, you should check before buying any handpan and ensure that it has gone under nitriding or not.
Bali Steel
- You can get the scales of your own choice
- Shipped directly from the makers
- Strong bass-note resonance
- Has a soft carrying case in the package
- Pretty Expensive
There is no doubt in the fact that this handpan is a lot more expensive than other handpans available out there. But this model has so much to offer that you will truly forget what it cost you once you get your hands on it. And the fact that it is handmade makes this model a lot more superior to its competitors.
One prominent feature of Bali Steel is that you can order it for custom-built as well. The cherry on top, it takes just about two weeks to get the manufacturers ready your handpan for you. Quite a quick turnaround time for a handpan that will have a scale of your own choice, right? So, it is pointless to compare this beauty with other handpans available in the market that are mass-produced; Bali Steel will always have an edge on them.
This 11lbs handpan, produces impeccable sounds without the need of using any mallets. Your bare hands are enough to make those soothing and magical sounds. Need to take your handpan to somewhere else? No problem, it is portable and comes with a nice smooth carrying case which will make sure your nothing happens to your precious.
Shamanicshop Hand Pan
- Highly durable
- Sleek design
- Great sound
- Comes with a carrying case
- Comes with a stand that helps you to play it on ground
- It's a bit pricey.
This is a handpan for those who prefer their instruments to be visually beautiful. This small and attractive handpan has nice detailed embellishments. You can even hang it on a wall as an art piece; it is such a beauty.
Although beauty here is not much relevant, as everyone would want their handpan to rather sound great, so, there is good news, by using patented technology, it sounds even better than it looks. You won’t be having any issues regarding the tuning of the drum at all.
You can play it by placing it in your lap without any inconvenience. But unlike other manufacturers, Shamanicshopp includes a stand as well, which will help you to put the pan on the floor and play your heart out. It comes with a great soft and easy-to-carry case that acts as a backpack. Place your handpan in the backpack, and you are all set to take it anywhere you want.
Steel Slit Tongue Drums
Now let’s take a look at some steel slit tongue drums. These are usually less expensive than the handpans and have proved to be their best alternative. They are smaller in size and include mallets to play them.
Hapi Tongue Drum
- Comes with a carrying case to make lugging easier.
- Overall beautiful tone.
- Rubber Mallets included in the package.
- Attractive and Durable.
- One or two off tunes.
- Some people might find it to be tiny
An adorable little guy, this drum by Hapi is probably one of the cutest drums to have by your side. With great looks and a wonderful copper finish giving it an amazingly shining texture, Hapi Tongue Drum will be your perfect meditation company.
Coming home to the relaxing sound produced by this cute drum, can make you forget any stressful emotions. With cool, calm and soothing sound produced by it, Hapi Tongue Drum is something that can work like magic for depressed souls.
As already mentioned, the sound produced by it is great and soothing, but it is not flawless. If you play the drums, you will notice that a couple of tones are not on point. And the worst part is that you cannot get rid of this as this is an untune-able drum. But that does not mean it sounds terrible overall. Considering its price and availability, it is quite a good bargain.
You are also going to receive two rubber mallets in the package. But if you are fond of playing with your bare hands, Hapi Tongue Drum is not going to cause you any trouble at all.
Meinl Sonic Energy STD1BK Tongue Drum
- Comes with a carrying case
- Comes with rubber mallets
- Durable
- Overall Beautiful Tone
- Good price
- Might be too small for some people
This drum exhibits the perfect balance between quality and price. It is one of the best drums available in the market in such a price. It is not only a well-made and beautiful piece but also features fantastic tuning and tone. Keeping versatility in mind, this drum comes in a minor key, which is a very common scale as it can be used in many genres and styles. With excellent sound quality it also comes with aa pair of mallets and a carrying bag.
Pyle professional Steel Drum
- Extremely portable
- Comes with rubber mallets
- Comes with a carrying case in the box
- Might be too small for some folks.
The incredible thing about this steel drum is its compactness, which makes it great for traveling. Going on a trip? Take the Pyle drum with you and play some peaceful music to ease your mind in your spare time. It is not only compact, but it is also very light weighted, and you can place it in your lap without any discomfort. Just like all the other models discussed above, this drum also comes with a carry bag.
You will not find any uneven tones in the drum, so overall, this drum produces some flawless sounds. It also comes with rubber mallets, but if you like to play the drum in the traditional way, it won’t be a problem.
What is Handpan?
From the name, you might think it is some kind of a cooking pan, but in actual, it is a musical instrument. Yes, you read it right! A musical instrument which is played with bare hands just like a drum and it was invented by a Swedish company back in 2001. Each handpan is tuned to a particular scale like major, natural minor, harmonic minor, mixolydian, etc. If you happen to see a handpan you will find it looks similar to a turtle shell or a UFO.
Handpan is designed in a way that by beating each of the hammer marks present, will emit its own sound effect. Its sound is very soothing and pleasing, which is why handpan is very well suited for meditation and music therapy. Control your sound and effects with the Best DJ-Mixers. And choose your Best Mini Acoustic Guitars for comfort and easy playability.
It might seem challenging to play handpan but the reality is opposite. It is relatively easy to learn and play as it does not require you to have any knowledge of notes of other things related to making music. It does not matter if you are a musician or not, with your hands on the handpan, you can make your music within minutes.
History of Handpan
In the early 70s, there was a new musical instrument introduced in Europe, which was known as Trinidad Steelpan, originated in Trinidad and Tobago. Many people started taking an interest in playing this instrument. You can say that the very first or famous player of Steeldrum was Felix Rohner. He is known to play this instrument for twenty years before he started his own company in 1990. The company was named as PanArt, and Sabrina Scharer became his business partner, and the company launched the manufacturing of dental instruments.
Reto Weber was another steel drum enthusiast from Switzerland, who approached PanArt in India, to find out ways to play steel drum with hands and this was the inspiration behind the creation of handpan. Flipping over the steel drum from concave to convex, gave birth to the handpan.
Germany 2001, the year when Felix and Sabrina officially announced the launch of the musical instrument they invented. Although the new handpan was getting popular among the masses, the name handpan was not initially recognized. Everyone knew it by the name of hang, which means hand in Bernese German dialect.
Since then, the instrument which is now known as handpan started to climb the stairs of popularity. By 2007, it had gained quite a fan base that many other manufacturers from Europe and the US popped up in the game.
PanArt never saw this instrument as something to be manufactured at a mass level. They thought it as a work of art, and they never produced it in numbers so that everyone could buy it quickly. Still, after so many years and with so many manufacturers, getting a handpan for yourself is not easy. And if it is, you would surely have to pay a lot more for it.
What Does A Handpan Sound Like?
As you already know handpan was inspired by steel drum which was played with mallets but the plan was to come up with an instrument which could be played by hand. PanArt succeeded in inventing such an instrument which produced softer buttery sounds just like raindrops. Handpan has proved to be a great stress reliever, which is why it is considered to be a therapeutic tool which will elevate your mood like magic. When you play a single tone on a handpan multiple overtones are activated, which gives this instrument a magical and soothing sound. Enjoy the full performance of Ion Electric Drum.