Playing with others

Jamming, ensembles, busking and performance: how a fixed-scale, quiet, sustaining instrument fits alongside other musicians and in front of an audience.

14 questions answered · 1 guide

Two facts shape almost everything in this section. A handpan plays a fixed set of notes, so harmonic compatibility with other players is something you check rather than assume. And a handpan is quiet with a long decay, so it is easily buried and easily turned to mush.

The good news is that both constraints have straightforward answers. Write your actual note list down and hand it to whoever you are playing with, rather than naming a scale they will misunderstand. Amplify rather than hitting harder, because striking a handpan hard does not make it much louder and can genuinely damage the tuning. And leave more space than feels natural, because the sustain is already filling more of the bar than you think.

The performance pages are deliberately unromantic about money and about what busking is actually like. The instrument is a wonderful busking tool and a wonderful ceremony instrument. Neither of those is the same as a reliable income, and anyone quoting you a typical hourly figure is guessing.

— Ibi

My guides

Playing for people: where it goes after the course Playing for other people, jamming, festivals, and the point where the instrument stops being a project and becomes part of how you are in a room.

Questions and answers

Ensembles and jamming

Playing a fixed-scale instrument with other musicians: who to play with, how to find common ground, and how to be heard.

All 8 questions →

Performing and busking

Streets, weddings, yoga studios and stages: what performing with a handpan is actually like, and how to do it without losing money or your instrument.

All 6 questions →