hang drum
A steel percussion instrument shaped like a flying saucer, producing ethereal, bell-like tones when struck with the hands.
In Depth
The Hang (pronounced "hung") was created in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer in Bern, Switzerland, at PANArt Hangbau AG. Fashioned from two half-shells of nitrided steel, the instrument features a central dome (the "ding") surrounded by a ring of tone fields, each tuned to specific pitches. Players hold it on their lap and strike the tone fields with fingers and thumbs, producing a resonant, harmonic-rich sound. PANArt ceased production of the original Hang in 2013, making authentic instruments extremely rare and valuable. The concept inspired numerous manufacturers to create similar instruments under the generic term "handpan." The Hang's sound — simultaneously percussive and melodic, metallic yet warm — has made it ubiquitous in street performance and new-age music, despite its scarcity.
Original Hang drums by PANArt can sell for over $10,000 on the secondary market, as the company produced only a limited number before discontinuing the instrument.