Handpan Bottom Notes

Bottom notes add bass notes beneath the ding or additional high notes to extend your handpan’s range. They give you supporting bass notes and smoother transitions from low to high notes as you move from one side to the other. However, these notes are played less frequently and sound more muted than the top notes, so they are mainly used for low drones and slow bass lines that support a melody. In return, playing them requires greater coordination. You will need to strike them without seeing what you are touching, with your wrist turned over and your hand moving upward against gravity—a technique you will need to relearn. In addition, as the number of notes increases, they no longer follow a simple alternating order, so you will need to memorize your instrument’s layout. Bottom notes do not make a handpan better or worse. It all depends on your playing style, the scale you choose, and your skill level, not to mention the metal: some models in this selection are made of stainless steel, which offers longer sustain.

Bottom notes are added to the lower shell, whereas a mutant handpan has additional notes on top, arranged in a second row between the note circle and the ding. Bottom notes are written in parentheses, while the additional notes on a mutant handpan are written in curly braces. Both can also be combined on the same instrument. Some of the handpans in this collection are both mutant handpans and equipped with notes beneath the shell.

The term “mutant” is sometimes used for any handpan with more than 10 notes, regardless of where they are placed. This is simply a matter of usage. The actual distinction, however, lies in the location of the additional notes.

Yes, it is actually the most comfortable position. Simply sit on a chair or stool with your knees together so the lower shell rests on them. Be careful not to press the opening against your thighs or clothing. Leaving a little space allows the bass notes to resonate fully. If you want to play on a stand, keep in mind that the more bottom notes a handpan has, the more difficult—and sometimes nearly impossible—it can be to use a standard stand. However, tripods designed to keep the bottom notes unobstructed are available. When placing the instrument on a stand, make sure the contact points do not touch the notes.

A handpan with bottom notes is more difficult to tune, and retuning it requires greater expertise from the tuner. The more notes a handpan has, the more delicate the work becomes. When a bottom note has the same pitch as a top note, it makes the tuner’s work more difficult because the notes on the underside must be muted during tuning. Bottom notes are also slightly more vulnerable to impacts, drops, and contact with surfaces when the instrument is set down, which can knock them out of tune. For these reasons, your handpan will stay in tune longer if you never lay it flat on its notes.

The price of a handpan with bottom notes varies primarily with the number of notes. Each note is tuned by hand to three frequencies: the fundamental, octave, and fifth. Every additional note therefore adds to the workload, and notes beneath the shell make tuning even more complex. In our selection, the price increases with the number of notes, but it also depends on the scale, with chromatic models priced higher than the others.

As a general rule, hammered notes beneath the shell are found on the most complex instruments and frequently in rare scales, which explains why these models cost more than standard handpans.

The D Kurd is the most common scale and can be extended with notes on the underside. Pygmy, Hijaz, Aegean, Amara, and Celtic minor scales can also incorporate bottom notes.

For example, a 13-note D Kurd adds F and G at the low end of the scale and D at the high end, all beneath the shell. A 15-note version adds F and G at the low end, followed by D, E, and F at the high end. Note that the layout varies from one maker to another. Other extended versions add a bass note beneath the ding, such as a low G or A, or additional high notes. On a 15 + 1 D Kurd with three bottom notes, the range extends well beyond two octaves. This type of instrument is best suited to experienced players.

The Pygmy gains movable bass notes beneath the melody, while the Celtic minor gains depth. Finally, on a scale missing a high note, such as the Amara, which lacks a sixth (the sixth note of the scale), the underside can complete the minor scale without changing the layout of the top notes.