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Hello,

There are more and more turorials “how to play the Hang” on the internet. For example on youtube. I heard that more videos and also DVD are coming soon.
What we see on a lot of those videos are only well known drumming techniques. I played drumset and drums for a long time. I understand the fun to practice polyrythms, irregular beat (time signature), paradiddle and so on and on…
A good drummer can impress me, with such techniques. I know the feeling to learn such things.
My eyes are focused on the notes. I am counting 1 e + e, 2 e + e, 3 e + e, 4 e + e,
trying to tapping a steady beat…
“Not very difficult, not very difficult, not very difficult… “ yeah that’s a 4 against 3 polyrythm. A beginner must concentrate a lot.

Is this useful for Hang playing? Where I can learn to listen? On the tutorials I can learn to apply the intellect instead of listening to the sound of the Hang and the sound of my inner self.
Where I can learn to listen to my personally internal sound?`

What means “Free” on the Free Integral Hang? There are many aspects, but this “Free” means also, that you are free from pressure to perform. You are free to discover the richness of sounds… you need no rules or tutorials for that. Your hand is your best teacher.
Hang is a very complex not-linear system. If you touch the Hang it will answer different each time. Listen to your hands and find your own way to discover the Hang. You are free to do that.

I just came back from a visit in Bern. I have spoken with the Hangmakers about that topic. They don’t like the idea of Hang tutorials for similar reasons.

The Hang is like a mirror. Maybe it could tell you something about yourself. But this will not work, if you play the song from other people. Play your own song and that makes your Hang playing realy “free”.

Only my opinion.

Greetings

Frank

I totally agree with you!

To bring the mind into the process kills what is most appealing and incredible about the hang.

If you have no quiet space, no 'true' listening (with your heart more than your mind), then you miss the magic.

I remember when I first got my hang, my mind was keen to create some structure....but I was watching for that and told it to mind its own business! I believe that if I had not been committed to being fully in the moment, unattached to any outcomes and leaving a lot of space, all the miracles of divine inspiration I have had since would not have been possible...

As I play for about 8 years now on a daily basis. I have to say that it takes both. The mind and the heart. You practice a figure until you can dream it. Than with your heart you mold it in the form that the moment of NOW will inspire you to make it.
I have times that i hear a musical loop in my head, during my dreams. When I wake up I start to find it on the Hang. And when I do, it can turn in a wonderful soundlandscape...

To me, the things that come into your head, like the loops in your dreams - is divine inspiration. The mind is involved - it has to be, though in a beautiful way as a servant to the heart, not as the leader which can so often be where the ego takes over and the heart is ignored.

We recently released the DVD that Frank referred to.
You can check out a part of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvuqpiZrOTM

David,

Even though I still have no Hang, I purchased your DVD from Colin Foulke last weekend at Handpangea. I have watched about half of it, still without any handpan of any kind.

Despite my lack of suitable instrument, I have found the DVD lessons to be clear, understandable, well presented, and valuable.

I think that I am learning many useful skills that will help me immensely when I have the good fortune to obtain a Hang.

I wish you and Colin success and hope you continue to share your music and music instruction with beginners like me.

Be Well,

Mowgli

I watched the linked part and the trailer for the DVD on your website. You introduce the DVD with the following words: "Hello and welcome to the DVD about the Hang and the instrument family of handpans."

So we are awaiting a tutorial that is relevant for Hang playing. Is it relevant for Hang playing? I think not. Why?

Watching the trailer and the lesson "Playing on the Central Note" we can recognize your understanding of these instruments. For you a Hang or handpan consists of an isolated central note, a circle of isolated notes and not tuned parts of the instrument that can be used to play percussive sounds. And playing means for you using these parts to play rhythmic-melodic patterns.

If we look for example at a BElls this is a correct understanding. But exploring the sound landscape of a Hang I must say this is a very reduced understanding. If you excite the Hang at any area the whole instrument including the air resonance in the body will sound. There isn't any isolated note on the Hang. The whole instrument is tuned. There are not only seven notes in the circle and the central note, there is an uncountable richness of sounds emitted from many places on the instrument. Not playing with these properties means playing a castrated Hang.

Your reduced understanding of the Hang is explainable as you are quite new to the Hang and your playing focus is obviously on handpans and not on the Hang. I had this reduced understanding too when I was a beginner six years ago. But as a beginner I never thought it was a good idea to publish a Hang tutorial. Another reason may be that you don't play an Integral or Free Integral Hang.

I watched in the trailer and in the lesson "Playing the Central Note" what you are teaching your students about the "central note" (and as the DVD is meant as a Hang tutorial this means: about the Ding), how you play it to show how to use it. And I must say: There is nothing what a Hang player could learn from you. You play only bong tsing bong tsing bong tsing... (dome and rim). I understand that this may be everything that can be played on an instrument like the BElls. But on a Hang it is very poor playing ignoring the richness of sounds that can be excited on the Ding of a Hang. Also the Hang player learns nothing from you about playing the Gu on the Ding. The main focus of Hang playing is integrating the sounds. You teach your students how to play a little number of isolated sounds.

Another reason why your tutorial is not helpful for Hang players is your didactical approach. Your focus is the training of rhytmic and melodic patterns. Students have to do exercises to learn these patterns. This may be an applicable method for percussion but the Hang is not a percussion instrument in this sense. Learning playing the Hang doesn't mean training patterns and melodies but learning talking with your hands. How do little children learn talking? By exercises? Hang playing means walking through a soundscape. How do children learn to walk? By exercises? I play the Hang for almost seven years now and I never did any exercise. It isn't necessary. In contrary it will hinder you to become familiar with your Hang.

There is an important statement in the Letter from the Hangbauhaus November 2009: "Our concepts, developments and implementations are far from the musical norms of modern times which require study, practice and performance. Playing with this Hang can lead to a form of freedom, an intimate conversation that can only unfold without pressure and coercion."

In the Hang Guide you can find a longer description of this approach of Hang playing (in German, English, French and Italian).

Michael

Dear Michael,

I understand your response. However, the section of the tutorial linked in this topic is not the entire 3 hour lesson series. I assume you have formed your opinion based on one brief excerpt of a lengthy progression of instructions?

I understand the assertion FIH is outside the standard concepts of musical structure and therefore requires a personal immersion with one's FIH to bond with it, listen and learn in isolation; just player and instrument without intrusion of pre-existing music or instrument theory. OK, fine.

But, what about early HangHang? Couldn't a beginner or new owner of an old Hang learn something to bring him or herself pleasure in the playing of their instrument?

I have an idea. If you can arrange for me to purchase a new FIH I will sell, give away, or destroy my copy of the video as a good faith gesture from me to you and by extention to PANArt.

Will you accept my proposal?

Respectfully yours,

Mowgli

Dear Michael,

so much talk about "freedom" in hang playing and so little tolerance for other approaches to the instrument…
Actually I think the "free" approach that you support is great.
But forcing it on people makes it kind of a mockery of the philosophy itself.
Obviously we have different approaches to the instrument and music in general. Don't worry, that's ok.

Just have some trust that other players will find their own way.
"Different" doesn't mean "wrong".

(And who knows, maybe you are right and when I reach your level of experience, I will see the truth in your words and will exclusively have intimate conversations with my Hang by myself and behind closed doors. For now I enjoy intimate moments, but also to practice and play music (which for me is no contradiction). )


PS: Actually my friend Luca said everything beautifully in this video (though this is from a different musical instrument family): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wzUnzYW48w

Hi David,
you offered your product to the readers of this forum. And I wrote a critique about it. This is something what usually is done. This has nothing to do with freedom or forcing. You come to the forum and say: I am a Hang expert, learn from me. I commented about this on the basis of seven years experience as a Hang player an knowing very well the properties and requirements of the Free Hang that people nowadays buy from PANArt.

You don't have to join the discussion that I opened with my comment. But you should accept that your didactic approach and your playing technique are discussed. This is not mockery. You offer yourself as a model for Hang players. To find their own way of Hang playing people must know that you show only a reduced way of Hang playing.

Michael

As I wrote I based my comment on the lesson linked above and the trailer on David's website.


This is only one part of my critique. My main critique is that the tutorial shows a very reduced use of the Hang. What would you think about a Piano tutorial that shows only how to play on the white keys and that doesn't mention the use of the pedal? Piano experts would say: We don't recommend this tutorial for piano students.


Even earlier Hanghang than the Free Hang have possibilities not shown in the DVD. I think following the training offered by the tutorial can discourage Hang players when they watch the virtuosity presented by David and Colin that they are not able to meet. My experience in the early years of Hang playing was that I had to free myself form the concept of training and representing composed songs. My 2nd generation Hang helped me very much in this as it refused to be played in the way advised in the tutorial DVD. Formerly I was used to worry about that my playing is not good enough. I thought I must prepare something when I played for others. The absence of teachers and tutorials like the one offered by David and Colin was a great help on my way. Today I reached the freedom not be forced to think about what I am playing. I never know what will happen when I take my Hang on my lap. I have learned that not preparing and trusting the moment is the key for the best and most satisfying Hang playing.



A funny offer (although usually people have to offer me the right hand of their grandmother in order to get arranged a Hang purchase ) But you have obviously not understand the target of my comment about the tutorial. The target is not to satisfy me or PANArt. It is just an information for you. You can do with it whatever you want.

Dear Michael,

Since you have not rejected my proposal; merely changed the terms of inducement, please allow me to inform you that both my grandmothers are long buried in the ground. I can not compete with such creative inducements.

Unless, perhaps, you are in need of a kidney, bone marrow, or some fine red blood. I do have half a brain available--or so says some that know me--.

Might any of these very personal sacrifices suffice for your word of support to Felix or Sabina in connection with my Autumn Letter?

I hope you understood the subtle irony. In fact no sacrifice is necessary to obtain a Free Hang, neither a DVD nor the right hand of your grandmother. As a serious answer to your question: I cannot assist you in purchasing a Hang. If I did something like this I would be flooded with emails. I'm quite happy not be involved in the decisions of Hang distribution.

Michael

Yes. I understood and I was enjoying some small humor between us. For me, humor is like music. I enjoy both. I admire those who are skilled at them and aspire to create my own humor and music. Sometimes just for my own pleasure, sometimes with the intent to please another person. Alas, my efforts often fall short of my intentions.

Michael,

I find your post very humorous, and the analogies are filled to the brim with fallacies. A tutorial is meant to be guidelines or basics to an instrument, you can pick and choose what you learn, but you are never constrained to those teachings, only as aids to further explore the instrument. When a person plays an instrument, they are expressing their emotion. Certain techniques can only be learned through practice...utilizing these are very powerful tools to furthering expressing a person's inner self where they were blind before. Like a child learning new words, when before they could only cry. Eventually they get what they want if they cry enough, but we grow up and learn to speak.

Learning new music techniques and theory applies to any instrument or handpan, including Panarts. I find myself humbled when I watch these professionals play, and only find greater inspiration to play. To be able to achieve new sounds to further express myself, where before I was constrained. Though it may sound crazy to you, there is a lot of joy in sharing with others and experiencing together, just as much as there is alone and locked away. There is exponential growth for all.

But because you believe for some reason that one instrument is beyond physics and nature and exists in another dimension where having knowledge constricts a person, doesn't mean you should spread these absurd claims as facts. The techniques expressed in the DVD have helped many many hang players, be it a Bells or a Panart. That is a fact.

Obviously you are not very familiar with my contributions in forums regarding the Hang. Otherwise you would know, that I am an anti-esoteric person with a naturalistic world outlook and much interest in scientific knowledge and understanding.

My comment is based on knowledge. Scientific knowledge about the physical functions of the Hang and its differences to other handpans as well as knowledge gathered from my experience as a Hang player.

If you don't understand that playing bong tsing, bong tsing, bong tsing on a Ding and calling this a lesson about "Playing on the central note" is a quite reduced understanding of the Ding leading beginners to a path of castrated Hang playing, I think there is lack of knowledge on your side.

Maybe BElls players are able to learn something from this tutorial because the Ding imitation of the BElls provides nothing else than playing bong tsing, but Hang playing begins where BElls playing ends. Therefor this tutorial is not a good advise for Hang beginners.

I think the philosophy behind this tutorial is to create a new musical instrument standard of handpans and to propagate playing techniques that function with all handpans. So players can play all these instruments with the same techniques. This philosophy completely ignores the sound-scape provided by the Hang of the recent years.

You need another playing and listening approach to deal with the richness of Hang sounds. The tutorial advises beginners to learn certain techniques and apply them to the instrument. My advise for Hang beginners is to go to a quite place, put the Hang on the lap, listen to the sounds and let the hands follow. This is contrary to the didactic approach of the discussed tutorial.

Michael

I think a critique about something usually involves having actually seen it, not a 10 minutes clip.
What you criticize seems to be more the general approach to the instrument. And I appreciate it .


Where was that?




So who says "I'm an expert"?


I absolutely accept it. I also don't mind that you don't like it. Different people - different opinions.


I would say that each approach by one person is in a way reduced, but that is a whole different discussion. If you had actually seen the DVD that you criticize, you would know that right in the opening sequence we make it very clear that we don't show any "correct", or "best" way of playing, just some of the endless possibilities. We never tell anyone how a Hang "should" be played, just give some examples that we like. What about you?



I would propose you speak for yourself, and simply let other players decide for themselves.



We actually thought quite a bit into the names we use on the DVD. We wanted to respect pan arts trademarks, intellectual property and definitions, so we didn't call the central note "Ding". In the youtube clip it is anyway an SpB that I play, which I'm sure you were already aware of. So if I had called the central note "Ding", you would have criticized that I use the word "Ding" incorrectly for another instrument.



I know this is blasphemy to you, but from my perspective, a Bells and earlier Hang (before FIH) are not fundamentally different instruments (Although there can be big differences in sound and quality)
Each of them has unique characteristics, but they can be played in similar ways and you can play similar melodies and musical pieces on them, if you use them as musical instrument.
You will probably say that this simply demonstrates my limited understanding of the Hang, and that's ok. I appreciate your opinion.


I used the work "mockery" in a different context. To avoid language-based misunderstanding (english is also not my native tongue), I'll try to re-write more clear what I mean -
stating that there is only one valid approach to hang playing, which should be absolutely free and without pressure - but at the same time giving so many rules and prohibitions (don't use musical forms, rhythms, certain playing techniques, don't play for other people, not on the street, don't use gloves and don't mix it with other instruments, etc.) imo contradicts itself.


Let me ask you directly - do you really think that you know what is the "right" approach to the Hang for anyone else except yourself?

What makes panarts so different? Do the demons themselves come and infuse it with their greed and desire for control? If I play a steinway or a yamaha piano, I don't go and find a steinway teacher or a yamaha teacher, I find a piano teacher. Same goes for guitars, violins, harps, cellos, steel pan and any other instrument. It is then up to me to decide which teachings I keep, which I grow upon and develop, and which I reject.

A person sitting and playing an instrument and just following the sounds is an essential part to playing any instrument. But to follow the sound, you must know how to play that sound. Your hands must innately see the path the sound and instrument wish to guide them.



No. The instrument can speak for itself. The makers, on the otherhand, and the cult surrounding it, have developed this philosophy. Art, once it is shared with the world, no longer belongs solely to the artist, but the the world as well. When this decision is made, the world can either accept or reject the philosophies of the artist. But who is the artist to hold a person by their desires to either demand worship, or deny them? This messianic thinking is the root of all the problems in the handpan world. Because the artist has failed, new artists will rise up to create a balance between the world and the art.

If the whole philosophy is based upon being free, you must be wary not to become slaves to the freedom. By telling people what to do, how to do, when to do, you consider this freedom? The DVD set-forth gives people opportunities to develop, should they choose to accept or deny. It is no secret who wants freedom, and who wants control.

Hello Tzevaot,

i am on holiday and I am not in the mood for an longer answer. I am sitting on the La Gomera Beach (Valle Gran Rey) waiting for the sun goes down, and the next can of Dorada beer
i know, that you want to make a Handpan.
Maybe you could learn something from Michael?
Here is my first tip. find out something about the GU - Ding relation and the best way to hold the Hang for the best sound.
As a Hang beginner I wondered often, why the Hang sounds sometimes so unbelievable rich and full and some times not. Today I know the answer And that would be my first lesson, if i would made a "hang lession". Of course I will not make something like that.
But this has only! to do with physics and not with esoteric, or something else.

So, there is a way to play the Hang castrated. An good teacher will make that as the first lession.
After that, you have learned everything you need to learn....

Prost...

Frank

You call yourself Tzevaot (the army of God) and blame the PANArt tuners and me for controlling you and all Hang players and for "messianic thinking".

Consider the following please:

I am not your father.
I am not your God.
I don't want to control you.
I don't want your worship.
You can do whatever you want to do with your Hang.
But take your own responsibility on this and don't ask for my applause.

This here is a professional discourse, not a kindergarten.

Michael