In the hands of musician Phang Jian Hao, however, its tuneful qualities quickly become apparent. As he strikes its surface with deft, dexterous strokes, a series of ethereal-sounding tones drifts into the air.
It seems improbable that such an unassuming device could give rise to such beautiful, delicate sounds. But such is the magic of the handpan.
Through modern and classical art forms, the beauty and versatility of this instrument will soon be showcased in “Ondo!”, a concert presented by Ondo Handpan Studio and produced by the multiple award-winning Malaysian ensemble Hands Percussion.
Speaking with FMT at the Hands Percussion Studio in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, recently, Phang said: “The handpan is really very interesting. You can create both melodies and rhythms with it, which you can’t do with many other instruments.”
“And because it’s a very new instrument, there’s no ‘traditional’ way to play it,” the 28-year-old added.
The handpan is a relative of another percussive instrument, the steelpan. Handpans first emerged in the late 2000s as an alternative to the Hang, a similar trademarked invention.
Its basic form consists of two attached metal half-shells around a centre tone field (named Ding), surrounded by a circle of tone fields on the upper side, and an opening in the bottom side (named Gu).
Instead of being struck by sticks or mallets, they are played by hand – hence their name.
Phang was introduced to the handpan in 2014 after attending an international drumming festival, and immediately fell in love with its distinctive sound. After procuring one for himself, however, he encountered difficulties finding someone who could teach him how to play it.
So, like many others would do in his position, he turned to the internet. “I found videos on YouTube. I had to slow them down, zoom in and out, to discover how these handpan players could make such sounds. All through self-learning.
“Luckily, though, I have experience as a percussionist and drum player, so I tried to use my previous knowledge to help me with this new instrument.”
He has been playing the handpan for about three years now.
Phang, who joined Hands Percussion in 2016 as a full-time drummer, started Ondo Handpan Studio in December 2020. The name comes from the Japanese for “temperature” and is a reference to fire and heat, which are necessary to shape and stabilise the sound of the instrument.
“Ondo!” is the first concert for Phang’s studio, and will also mark the biggest audience he’s played the handpan for.
The show will feature Phang and five of his students, as well as several guest artistes, namely Hands Percussion members Jimmy Ch’ng, Jack Wan, Kok Wei, and Zhe Hao, as well as cellist Chong Eugene, ruan (Chinese moon guitar) and flute player HowZ, and trumpeter Isaac Marvin.
Expect to hear 10 songs of different styles and genres, from classical to bossa nova, as Phang and friends demonstrate just what this oddly shaped instrument is capable of. Listen out for renditions of the traditional Bulgarian folk song “Bucimis”, as well as the evergreen P Ramlee hit “Sri Bulan”.
Another highlight will be “Kumpul-Kumpul”, one of Phang’s original musical compositions, which will feature six handpan players at once.
“The music of the handpan is very soothing, very zen,” said Bernard Goh, who founded Hands Percussion in 1997 and is the concert’s artistic director. “You come to the show after a long hard day of work? Wow, let me tell you, you’ll feel such a relief.
“But there’s a lot more to it. Some people think of it as a busker’s instrument, like the didgeridoo. And they’re not wrong. But we’re going to give a twist to the music and show how the handpan can also sound quite edgy.”
He and Phang ultimately hope that “Ondo!” will help foster in audiences a deeper love and appreciation of this relatively new form of musical instrument.
“Because of its soothing sound, those who are familiar with handpans often associate them with yoga, or sound meditation,” Phang added. “But there’s so much more we can do with it. Its music has so many layers.
“I can’t wait for people to come and experience it for themselves.”
‘Ondo!’
Nero Event Space,
Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC),
S611, Second Floor, 1 Utama E,
1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
When:
- April 14 & 15 at 8pm
- April 15 & 16 at 3pm
Tickets:
RM124 and RM84. For bookings, click here.
Find out more about Ondo Handpan Studio via its Facebook profile. Also check out Hands Percussion’s website, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.