Buy Handpan

Congratulations, you have decided to purchase a handpan! A handpan is an investment in yourself and your journey as a musician, and if you choose it wisely, it will bring you joy for many years to come.

Are you a beginner, or already an advanced or experienced musician? Do you want to buy your handpan - just for fun, to learn, to compose or to realize a musical project? Depending on the answers you give, the choice of your handpan could be different. That's why it's very important that you ask yourself the following questions: "Why do I want a handpan?" and "In what context do I want to play it?".

To help you answer these questions, we would like to educate you about the different handpans available. We will particularly cover the topic of “ buying a handpan for beginners ” .

It is a significant investment and there are many things to consider. The questions we hear time and time again are:

  • Which handpan should I buy ?
  • Which manufacturers offer high-quality handpans?
  • How much should I pay for a quality handpan?
  • Can I buy a handpan cheaply ? Maybe I should buy a used handpan first ?
  • What scales are there? And which scale should I choose?
  • What materials are offered?

These are all excellent questions, and we recommend that you have an answer to all of them before making a purchase. That's why with this article we will help you get clarity and be able to buy the handpan that is right and most suitable for you!

It is now possible to buy a handpan with home delivery, whether directly from a manufacturer, an online retailer or a specialised music store. Buying a handpan is becoming easier and easier, but unfortunately not all instruments offer the same high quality. We will clarify some of your questions and misunderstandings and help you to buy your perfect handpan !

Buying a handpan - what should you pay attention to?

Buying a handpan for the first time can be a difficult task. Some people save for two years until they have the money together and then the courage to buy such an instrument. We will help you with this difficult decision and at the end of the article you will be able to choose your very own handpan. Let's start with the different features and talk about tips that you should consider when buying a handpan for beginners .

Product tips - Buy Handpan

Don't worry... with a little thought and research, you can make the right decision for you. Here are our top five tips to help you on your way:

Trust your mind: What makes a good handpan? It's all about the sound quality

Before buying, it's really worth researching what makes a good handpan. These 7 features are crucial for good sound quality - you should know them when buying a handpan for beginners :

  1. Mood
  2. sound
  3. Sustain (duration of each note)
  4. balance
  5. Absence of crosstalk (overlapping of sounds)
  6. Dynamic range
  7. P racision of overtones

Trust your ears: Listen to as many handpan videos and performances as you can.

Search for handpan videos on YouTube (just type "handpan" into the search bar) and navigate from link to link to listen to many different videos. It's best to wear good headphones to hear the subtleties of each instrument: tone, tuning, sustain, balance between notes, dynamics of the instrument, etc. Make note of the differences between each instrument you hear.

This will help you sharpen your ear. Once you get used to listening, you will find the video or videos you like. The more videos you watch, the quicker you will be able to hear the difference between instruments that sound like cooking pots and ones that are top quality. Now you can make a better decision about which handpan to buy.

Trust your fingers: If possible, it is always better to try before buying

Ideally, you should always try it out before you decide which handpan to buy . Attend festivals, ask handpan friends, post on forums for local players and/or contact reputable manufacturers to see if you can arrange a visit. After that, you can also buy it online, as most online retailers will provide you with videos of the handpan (as is the case with Sonodrum). A good handpan should be easy to play and make sense, even as a beginner. Take your time, have fun with it and explore everything, keeping the list of features to look for above in mind. This will make buying a handpan for beginners a lot easier.

Trust your instincts: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If the price is too good to be true, if buying a handpan is only possible without any protection/guarantee, if the manufacturer has a bad reputation... don't be tempted. - It's worth taking a closer look at our great reviews.

If one or two notes don't sound right, if the reality of trying it out at a festival is disappointing compared to the video, or if it just doesn't feel right when you play such a model, then don't do it. Conversely, if you become obsessed with a certain YouTube video, if you get goosebumps when you attend a certain workshop, if you can't stop listening to that D minor beauty at your local festival, it's a good sign. Before you commit, give yourself some time to think about it and see if the feeling lasts - it's too dangerous to get carried away on the spot!

Trust your needs: There are so many options when choosing a scale!

The range of handpan scales is huge. The names may sound strange to you, which makes buying a handpan particularly difficult for beginners . Even if you want to buy a handpan used , you need to know exactly what the scales are and what their names are. Maybe you prefer different

  • minor or major scales,
  • the gentle or the lively,
  • the serious or the acute,
  • the oriental,
  • the bassy or the bright,
  • jazzy,
  • Celtic,
  • bluesy, etc.

To narrow down this list, ask yourself: What do you need or want to buy this handpan for ? Is it for jamming with others, for composing, for relaxing after work, as a complement to your current instrument setup? Your handpan should fit you and your life. Your answer(s) to these question(s) will help you filter out the best options.

Handpan from Sonodrum - buy the Handpan online now

Now let's take a closer look at the Sonodrum handpan. After all the research you've done, you've probably noticed that handpans, although they look similar, can sound very different from one another. When buying a handpan, you have to take into account that it doesn't have many scales like a piano, but only one. It's a chromatic musical instrument. You can't tell from the outside, when you're studying a handpan for beginners , which scale or scale this particular handpan has. You have to hear it.

And to be able to hear them, we have numerous tools, including on our website. We have put videos online so that you can get a precise idea of ​​the sound of the handpan. With us , buying a handpan cheaply doesn't mean that you have to compromise on quality.

Since we make each handpan individually after you have ordered it, we will make a video for you after production and before shipping, in which you can see and hear your handpan. Now you can decide whether you are satisfied with the result. At this point you have the opportunity to have the handpan modified again.

The Sonodrum Handpan is an instrument in D minor and sounds soothing and magical. You can buy the handpan cheaply if you order from sonodrum.net, and you're definitely playing it safe. The question " Which handpan should I buy ? " has an answer - Sonodrum!

The best handpan price only online!

A 9+1 note handpan usually costs between €1,500 and €2,500 , including bag and cover. The price depends on the brand, model and distributor. If you want to buy the handpan cheaply , but don't want to risk buying a used handpan , you can find the best price online.

Take a look around at Sonodrum, because we have offers for you that are hard to beat, as it is also a handmade product of excellent quality! Buying a handpan for beginners ? You've come to the right place and you'll be on the safe side! This isn't always the case when buying a used handpan , but you can also find them online at good prices.

Handpan test - how good is our handpan

There are certain selection criteria for the quality of a handpan. What do we think characterizes a good handpan and what do we particularly value in our products?

First and foremost, we want you to be able to buy a handpan cheaply without having to forego the quality of an expensive handpan. Many users refrain from buying a used handpan , but still want to find a good price. The price-performance ratio at Sonodrum is always right.

You can find various handpan tests online, but be careful, many of the tests tar tongue drums and handpans with the same brush - and that's not correct! Our Sonodrum handpan is a product of the highest quality standards. It is made by hand, which is why each handpan is unique. As soon as you pick up the instrument at home, you'll notice how impressive the handpan is, even before you've heard or played it. One look at our reviews is enough to convince you!

Buy the most popular handpan in Germany now

You ask yourself: “ Which handpan should I buy ? Should I buy the handpan used , is that an option for me?”

The most popular handpan in Germany that you can buy online is our Sonodrum handpan. We are based in Germany, offer the best quality, customer service in German and even our music books are in German. What more could you ask for if you want to buy a handpan cheaply , and from a German company?

Buy handpan instruments in different materials and colors

There are 4 different materials for handpans, each with their own advantages. Manufacturers can be creative with the color and make them in different finishes, with or without coatings.

1. Crude steel

Advantage : Untreated, therefore generally the most cost-effective.

Cons : Tends to rust and therefore requires the most care/maintenance.

2. “Steel-coated” handpan

Advantages : They weigh less than others, so they are easier to handle and transport. They are also inexpensive.

Cons : Prone to rust if the surface is damaged. Generally less responsive and with lower dynamic range.

3. Handpan made of “nitrided steel”

Advantages : Treated, therefore rust resistant. Less sustain, therefore better for percussive players.

Cons : They still need maintenance and anti-rust treatment. Not the best choice for those who play slow/melodically.

4. Handpan made of “stainless steel”

Pros : Exceptionally resistant to rust (including surface damage), so little to no maintenance. They have the longest sustain, so ideal for melodic, slower players.

Cons : Harder to work with, so quality/stability may vary depending on manufacturer. Generally more expensive to purchase. Long sustain, not the best choice for fast, percussive players.

Handpan with sound hole - buy the Sonodrum Handpan

The sound is created by influencing the air inside, which escapes through a hole in the lower half of the pan.

The top of the handpan contains all the tones. The so-called dimples are inverted depressions in the steel in specific sizes. When struck, they produce a tone. In German we call them sound fields. The sound fields are arranged in a choir.

In most cases, the lower part is smooth, without dimples, with a hole at the bottom through which the sound, the notes produced when the upper part is struck in the choir, escape. The Sonodrum handpan has this layout, i.e. 9 sound fields + 1 ding and the sound hole in the lower part.

Buy a handpan to combat stress

When it comes to the question: “ Which handpan should I buy ?” it also depends on whether you want it for yourself and your loved ones, or whether you want to use it as an instrument in public.

The handpan is perfect for personal use against stress. Take a look at the following stress-relieving areas in which the handpan can be of wonderful use:

  • Awareness - The handpan frequency of 432 Hz provides instant relaxation during mindfulness sessions and personal meditation . It helps achieve an expanded state of awareness and promotes emotional balance and concentration.
  • Yoga - It is believed that the sounds of the handpan heal and energize the centers of prana, the chakras, life energy in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. The handpan thus helps in spiritual awakening and a certain enlightenment.
  • Healing - The synergy of rhythm and melody makes handpan music a powerful therapeutic tool in traditional and alternative healing practices such as Reiki treatments, music therapy, personal healing rituals and sound baths.

Should you buy a handpan used?

Some of the best manufacturers today have a waiting list. Or they only sell their instruments through a lottery in which a limited number of customers are randomly selected each year.

It can take a long time to buy an instrument this traditional way. Some manufacturers have waiting lists of only 1-3 months (the time it takes to custom make your instrument). If you want to buy a handpan used , you have to check the ads every day to see if one is available and snap it up quickly. But then you can't be sure what condition it will be in. You're better off buying a new handpan.

Conclusion: Buy a handpan

If you like, you can buy your handpan online. This is a safe and easy way to get a high quality and reliable instrument if you follow our advice given above.

Nowadays you have so many options to buy your handpan . However, always remember that you need to get all the information available about the product, so take your time, try different models, compare and choose the right instrument for you. When you try an instrument to buy it, please don't be too happy. Don't be too quick to say: Yes, I'll buy it, it sounds good!

Here again are the most important things you should analyze before you buy the handpan:

  • Do I like the sound - is it stable, balanced?
  • Does the handpan allow me to vary my style?
  • Does it have a wide dynamic range?
  • What bothers me about what I hear?
  • Do I have many tones that sound harmonious?
  • Is there too much crosstalk - unpleasant activations?

With our guide, you will be able to buy the right handpan and enjoy it for many years. Have fun buying and playing your handpan!

FAQs: Frequently asked questions about buying a handpan

What is a handpan?

It is a relatively new family of percussion instruments that have a distinctive, fascinating sound. The shape is determined by two metal shells brought together.

Which handpan is the best?

The best handpan is the one you are happy with. Unfortunately, there is no other answer, as it is a very personal instrument that should be tailored to you.

How much does a handpan cost?

A handpan with 10 sound fields (including ding) can cost between €1,200 and €2,500.

Buying a handpan, what should I pay attention to?

There are so many other things to consider when buying a handpan. Here is a short list:

  •       Scale: major, minor or exotic?
  •       Geometry: Apex - sound fields to the outside, or Inpex sound fields to the inside?
  •       Register: High or low notes? Deep or lyrical?
  •       Timbre: Ceramic or rather metallic sounding?
  •       Sustain: Long or short? Meditative or percussive?
  •       Material: raw steel, nitrided steel, stainless steel, powder coated?
  •       Aesthetics: Polished or matte?
  •       Diameter: 19", 20" 21" 22"?

How do you play a handpan?

You play a handpan with your fingers and hands. You place it on your lap, but you have to be careful not to cover the sound hole of the lower bowl.

Which handpan should I buy?

If you want to buy a handpan as a beginner, you should choose a D minor handpan, which can express many different moods.