Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on May 8, 2026
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Do you own a handpan and dream of playing beautiful melodies on it? Want to learn how to read and understand the sheet music and tablature written for this instrument? What do the numbers, letters, and symbols on these musical documents actually mean?
Iâve been playing handpan, including the Hang, for over 10 years, and I still use sheet music from time to time. So I can walk you through it, step by step, so you can do the same.
Handpan sheet music uses numbers to represent the notes you need to play, plus letters that often indicate a specific percussive effect. Tablature is even simpler: it shows you visually which note or notes to strike on the instrument.
Once youâve read this article, youâll know how to interpret:
- Handpan sheet music
- Tablature for this percussion instrument
This will enable you to play any song that comes your way in the form of one of these musical documents. Whatâs more, youâll also be able to write your own compositions down on paper so you can share them with the world.
Now, letâs dive right into how to read sheet music for the Hang drum.
How to read handpan sheet music?
In theory, you could play the handpan using traditional sheet musicâthe familiar five-line stave, treble or bass clef, and notes like quavers, crotchets, or minims. However, the handpan is designed to be played even if youâve never studied music theory. Most handpan players havenât spent years studying music theory. Thatâs why handpan sheet music is simplified into a sequence of numbers, with a few symbols borrowed from standard notation to add precision. Below is an example of handpan sheet music:
The score is read the usual way: from left to right and from bottom to top. To make it easier to follow, the bars are numbered. These are the numbers placed above certain vertical lines. In this example, there are 9 bars. In music, a bar is a unit of time that divides a score into equal segments. Bars help structure the rhythm and organise the music to make it easier to read and perform.
Within each bar, youâll notice shorter vertical lines that are the same height as the bar linesâthese mark the beats. A beat is the basic unit used to measure musical duration. In the example above, the first bar has three beats. The smaller vertical lines are subdivisions of the beat, helping the player know exactly when to strike each note. In this example, every beat is divided into 3 equal parts. Itâs worth noting that, in some songs, not all bars contain exactly the same number of beats. In the example above, you can see that the first bar has 3 beats, while the seventh has 4.
What determines how long each beat lasts is the tempo. Here, itâs represented by the number next to the crotchet note at the top left. In this example, the tempo is 80 beats per minute, sometimes abbreviated as BPM. The higher the tempo, the faster the percussionist will play the melody. A tempo of 60 corresponds to one beat per second. So, if the bar has 4 beats, it should last 4 seconds. The tempo can change during a song. Sometimes the change is sudden, with a new tempo shown using the same crotchet symbol. Other times itâs gradual, and the marking ârall.â indicates the tempo will progressively slow down.
The horizontal bar on the score shows what should be played with the right hand versus the left hand. Everything above this bar is intended for the right hand, and everything below it should be played with the left hand.
Finally, and most importantly, the numbers correspond to the notes on your instrument, not including the ding. The â1â will always be the lowest note on your instrument. The ding is simply written as âDâ when it needs to be played. If you have a 10-note handpan tuned to D Kurd, here is a table showing the correspondence between the numbers and the musical notes:
| Notation on the score | Notes on the handpan |
| D | D3 (2nd octave) |
| 1 | A3 (2nd octave) |
| 2 | Bb3 (2nd octave) |
| 3 | C4 (3rd octave) |
| 4 | D4 (3rd octave) |
| 5 | E4 (3rd octave) |
| 6 | F4 (3rd octave) |
| 7 | G4 (3rd octave) |
| 8 | A4 (3rd octave) |
| 9 | C5 (4th octave) |
So, following the example above, youâll first play note 3 with your right hand, then that note again, then note 4 with your left hand, then note 3 again with your right hand, and so on. Sometimes youâll see several numbers in the same time subdivision. In this case, play the notes together. Hold each note until a new number appears in the score, unless otherwise specified, and adjust how softly or strongly you strike to match the requested dynamics.
In some pieces, you may come across letters other than âD,â which means to play the ding. These will always be percussive effects. Here is a description of each of them:
- d (ding tonefield): a strike on the shoulder, the flat area surrounding the ding.
- F (fist): a strike made with the base of a closed fist on the inter-note (unpitched) area of the handpan. Use moderate force with this effect to avoid deforming your instrument.
- K (knock): a knuckle strike on the inter-note area of the handpan.
- P (palm mute): a strike with the palm on the ding, producing a very low, muffled sound.
- S (slap): a strike with the flat of the fingers on the inter-note area of the handpan.
- T (tak): a sharp strike on the ridge between the shoulder and the inter-note area of the handpan.
- âą (ghost note): touch the handpan very lightly on the inter-note area without producing sound. The goal isnât to play a note or create an effect, but to help you stay in time. Itâs not essential for playing the melody.
- M (muted): this symbol appears next to a note and means it should be muted. In other words, youâll briefly leave a finger on the handpanâs surface to dampen the vibrations.
- __ (finger roll): the underline may appear beneath a note or beneath a percussive effect such as a slap. In the latter case, it will be noted âSâ. A finger roll means repeating the same note or percussive effect very quickly using 2 or 3 fingers, like a drum roll.
How to read Hang drum tablature?
Handpan tablature is an even more stripped-down form of musical notation than sheet music. Itâs a visual system that shows the notes to be played using a simplified diagram of the instrument. Here is an example:
While this approach may appeal to beginners, handpan tablature is very rare. In addition, you need to find tablature that corresponds to the number of notes on your handpan. Also, tablature takes much longer to create than sheet music. A song that would only take one or two pages as sheet music generally takes up much more space in tablature, which isnât very practical. Thatâs why most musicians choose to learn to read sheet music instead. Itâs far more flexible and precise for playing a melody because, as you may have noticed, tablature doesnât indicate note duration or tempo.
Play more than 25 songs with your instrument
Reading sheet music for the handpan was truly designed to be simple, intuitive, and accessible even if youâve never studied music theory. With the tutorial youâve just discovered, you now have everything you need to decode handpan notation and play a wide range of melodies.
However, while itâs fairly easy to read sheet music and tablature for the handpan, itâs much harder to find. Even though the instrument has been growing in popularity for several years, sheet music remains rare. Thatâs why I recommend the book from the Instruments du Monde store. It includes 25 sheet music arrangements for 9- and 10-note D Kurd handpans, plus a 16-video course with a teacher to help you learn how to play.
Play dozens of melodies and treat yourself to this book of sheet music by clicking on the image below:
Now that you have the skills to play many melodies, why not share them at a handpan festival? These gatherings are a unique opportunity to meet other enthusiasts whoâll be happy to listen to your compositions.
