The Handpan is by far the most soothing instrument on Earth

When you picture a tropical beach, drinks with speared fruit in them, and comfortable lounge chairs, you probably also hear handpan music playing in the background.

Since its invention in the year 2000 in Switzerland, the instrument has become synonymous with a calm, laid-back setting.

What is a Hang or Handpan?

The instrument is made by hand out of steel with divots the player taps on to create certain notes, depending on how hard the player strikes the body of the instrument and where on the instrument they play, the note will vary.

It is fashioned into a convex, dome-like shape when made and allow the musician to play notes in a diatonic scale.

The original Hang was made in Switzerland by PanArt in 2000 and the design was inspired by the Trinidad steel drum popularized in the 1970s, which was convex instead of concave like the hang.

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PanArt no longer make the instruments but there are now many new makers around the world and the generic name for these instruments has now become Handpan.

Bringing the instrument to more ears.

Since the hang hit the scene, people have taken to the instrument to create calming, ethereal music, and a few of them got enough attention to be picked up by mainstream eyes.

One of these bands is a duo called Hang Massive.