Are you someone with a deep love for music and relaxing sounds? Creating your own melodies has become so much fun and easier with handpan drums. If you’ve fallen for its melodious music, you being a newbie won’t matter. Even if you’re just starting out or have been playing the hang for some time, composing your own music can become one of the most exciting and satisfying experiences ever. In this article, you can learn all about how you can create your songs and enter the world of peaceful and mesmerizing music, right from your heart!
Step 1: Get To Know Your Handpan
Before you jump into the groove and start composing songs, it’s best to take some time to explore the hang drum’s sound. Different types of handpans are tuned to a certain scale, with each note harmonizing beautifully with the others. What you can do is play every note slowly and get yourself familiar with all of the tones, noticing the way they resonate with each other.
You can also listen for natural patterns since you’ll notice that some notes naturally feel like they belong together. Another great technique is to experiment with rhythms by tapping lightly, then with some more force to see how the dynamics change. Consider this step an official “meeting” with your hang instrument. The more you play, the more you’ll understand its unique voice.
Something else that you can do here is try closing your eyes while you play to completely draw your focus on the sound and vibration. It’ll help deepen your connection with the instrument and help you notice nuances that usually go unnoticed. Make sure to play in different environments, like in a quiet room, outside in nature, or with some gentle background noise in the atmosphere.
Step 2: Start With Simple Patterns
Once you’ve become familiar with your instrument, it’s time to look for a starting point for your song. Begin by playing a couple of notes and observe the ones that sound good together. Make sure not to overthink it and let your fingers move naturally on your handpan. Repeat the shorter sequences and tweak them just a bit until you finally find something that sounds good to you.
One great way for you to find a pattern is to set a timer for five minutes and improvise from there. It’s completely okay if you keep making mistakes, just continue playing. Once the timer stops, go back to listen to what you’ve played and choose the parts that you like the most. This helps keep the process exciting and spontaneous, keeping you hooked on song composition.
Step 3: Expand On Your Idea
Once you get your hands on a basic pattern, it can be expanded by changing the rhythm, i.e., playing the same notes slowly and then increasing the speed. Connect different sections smoothly by adding nearby notes. You can introduce depth into the mix by playing some notes softly and the others with intensity. You can always go back and play it again if you feel stuck.
Multiple handpan players also utilize looping pedals to construct layers. However, even without one, you can continue repeating your phrase and explore smaller variations. You can also try reversing the order of the notes by introducing an additional beat or changing the way you strike them. Making those small tweaks can make a massive difference in your journey.
One other useful tip is to experiment with various time groupings, so instead of always playing in sets of four beats, you can try to use five or seven beats for a unique rhythm. Feel free to also switch the order in which you hit the notes because there are many times when only moving your hands differently can completely change the entire feel of your overall melody.
It’s important to remember that taking breaks is also a part of the process, and an essential one at that. You can step away for a while, then come back with fresh ears since this can help you hear your composition in a whole new way. It’s also a good practice to listen to other handpan players or different styles of music to get some inspiration. Anything can spark a new idea!
Step 4: Experiment With Dynamics & Emotion
Good music isn’t all about the notes, it’s actually about how you play them. Make sure to play some notes gently for a calm and relaxing feel, then from here on, you can try more powerful strikes for excitement and energy. Silence is equally as essential as sound, so utilize pauses to the fullest in order to create and bring some emotion and anticipation into the process.
You should also try breathing in rhythm with your handpan playing, so inhale as you lightly tap and exhale once you play with more intensity. This link between breath and music makes the entire handpan playing experience feel a whole lot more natural and expressive.
Step 5: Structure Your Song
You can now shape your ideas and patterns into a complete song. Here’s a simple structure you can follow:
1. Intro – Begin with soft, slow notes to set the mood.
2. Main Theme – Clearly play your core melody.
3. Variation – Change the rhythm or add extra notes.
4. Climax – Build excitement by playing faster or louder.
5. Outro – Slow down, go back to the main theme, and fade out.
This structure helps make your song feel more complete, but you don’t have to exactly follow it. If another format fits your playstyle, then you can go with it. The most important thing is that your composition flows naturally and feels satisfying to you when you play.
Step 6: Record & Reflect
When you play through your entire song a couple of times, make sure to record yourself. Once you listen back, it helps you hear what’s working for you and highlights the areas where you can improve things. Don’t aim for perfection because music is a whole journey. Therefore, your song will naturally evolve the more you play it.
You can record several takes and layer them together with the help of simple recording apps. It’ll help you hear your song’s different angles and enhance the parts you might not have noticed while you were playing the instrument.
Conclusion
Creating your own Cosmos handpan song is among some of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences you can have with this instrument. It doesn’t have to be that complex, you can just start with a simple idea, build around it, and let your emotions pave the way. So, grab your handpan, start playing, and allow the music to flow through you in this song-making journey!
