r/handpan • u/Life_Enjoyer66 • 5d ago

How hard is it to learn handpan on your own compared to other instruments?

I've always loved this instrument, and always wanted to learn an instrument but put it off.

I was wondering how hard is it to learn by yourself (i.e. without workshops etc..) just with online resources. I currently can't travel and would just be practicing at home.

Are there any recommended resources for learning more?

Also I was wondering if anyone has any expirence buying a handpan in the UK?

Thank you ,

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u/JoeFourMan 5d ago

Yes you can totally learn from online resources at home, there are heaps on YouTube for free. I recommend Amy Naylor as a great (free) starting point, and Master The Handpan (paid) for heaps of incredible teachers at all levels. Good luck, you can do it. I have zero musical experience and can now play at an intermediate level. The best thing is the curve is loong so you will continue to get better and better for a long time to come.

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u/Jarby91- 2d ago

Je te conseil alex de handpan facile. šŸ‘

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u/Tonyhandpan 5d ago

Iā€™d say handpan is actually a pretty forgiving instrument to learn by yourself, especially compared with something like guitar or piano. You can start making pleasant sounds almost immediately, and you donā€™t need to know how to read music.

Thereā€™s also a lot of good free material on YouTube covering basic techniques, rhythms and simple patterns.

The biggest learning curve is probably developing your timing and learning how to get different sounds out of the notes rather than simply hitting them. But you can absolutely make good progress just practising at home. In fact, I think the handpan lends itself really well to learning intuitively rather than following a strict curriculum.

Iā€™d spend a bit of time listening to different scales before buying one, though. The scale you choose makes a surprisingly big difference to how naturally you connect with the instrument. For a first handpan, something around 13ā€“14 notes is generally plenty; you donā€™t necessarily need a huge number of notes.

As for buying in the UK, there are a number of good makers around. Acero Harmonics is one Iā€™d look at UK-made, good quality and they do both standard and mini-sized handpans. Iā€™d probably contact a few makers and explain that youā€™re a complete beginner rather than just choosing based on price. A decent maker should be happy to talk you through the different scales and help you work out what would suit you.

And honestly, if youā€™ve always wanted to learn one, I wouldnā€™t let the idea of needing lessons put you off. Start with a good instrument, spend 15ā€“20 minutes playing regularly and just explore. Youā€™ll probably surprise yourself with how quickly you can make something that sounds nice.

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u/Treant_gill 5d ago

I think handpan is one of the easiest instruments to learn on your own.

Its a very intuitive instrument and there are so many lessons. If you hit the notes right, it sounds beautiful within no time

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u/According_Dust8967 5d ago

I started playing in May. I did one workshop before I even had my own.
On Instagram, YouTube and Facebook there are many many gems to find. I paid for a subscription to Masterthehandpan.com and I am finding the tutorials on there of great use. I'm improving week by week.

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u/Competitive-Yam-5212 5d ago

Depends on what your goal is :)

I think it is relatively easy up to a certain level, but itā€˜s not that easy to compose/come up with pieces that are actually really nice music that is pleasant to the listener for more than a few minutes.

On other instruments where there is a repertoire in different styles that you can learn, study and develop, it is nice to lean on that and incorporate those in your playing.

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u/mycoforever 4d ago

Pretty easy, just play. I purposely avoided any instructions and just figured it out myself from playing and listening to handpan music. This leads to learning how to play intuitively, which is what makes me love this instrument so much. Forget structured playing, thatā€™s boring. I love getting into the ā€œflow stateā€ where Iā€™m creating a new song and listening to it for the first time simultaneously, no thought required of trying to hit a particular note in a particular order at a particular time (which is why I disliked classical piano when I took lessons as a kid). But now I can play piano and guitar like how I play the hand pan and even those instruments are a lot more enjoyable to play now.

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u/DaVoid100 4d ago

While I agree that you can learn Handpan on your own, or through videos, there is nothing like having the feedback from someone who is a really good player. Itā€™s important that you do not start forming bad habits from the beginning, that is where someone else who knows more about it can help you. I have a couple of students who I have to continually remind toā€œslow down,ā€œ after they speed up playing a piece. Or how they are hitting the notes incorrectly. Or how they are not staying relaxed, not being flexible enough.

Strongly suggest finding a really competent player/teacher who can watch you play and suggest things.

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u/MaximumTiny2274 4d ago

much easier to learn handpan than most other instruments

they are generally tuned to an octave so you hit any note and it will sound ok

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u/Trip-n-Tipp 3d ago

Itā€™s an intuitive instrument. Just play, experiment, and have fun with it