About the Harmonic
The Schlagwerk Harmonic Art handpan is a handcrafted, hand-tuned steel instrument built from high-quality materials. This unique sound sculpture produces a captivatingly clear tonality while maintaining a cathedral-like, heavenly and relaxing sound. The Harmonic's unparalleled tonal quality, stable dynamic range, and crisp tones work perfectly in various settings for performance, improvisation, sound healing, meditation, yoga and developing skills in playing percussion.
The Harmonic is forged by hand and detailed in a tuning ring until the correct note, pitch, and form are achieved. The steel used for the Harmonic is exceptionally resilient, resulting in an instrument with a perfectly soft yet durable and long-lasting sound. The Harmonic design produces a sonic range that combines to enhance the overtones throughout the whole instrument. Simultaneously, the unique features also make the instrument's tonality remarkably clear and pure. The Harmonic is typically positioned on the musician's lap or mounted on a stand, while the fingertips and thumbs are used to strike different zones on the instrument surface to create distinct tones. Harmonic Art handpans are mesmerizing musical instruments built for free improvisation and self-exploration while also providing a wonderful complement when played alongside other musical instruments.
Constructed with the utmost attention to detail, every Harmonic Art is a true masterpiece.
Harmonic Art offers the largest handpan collection available today. At our Harmonic Art Campus located in Medellín, Colombia, we create the finest handpans in the world made with the best premium materials and quality craftsmanship. Our headquarters is the Harmonic House (middle of the picture, point “C”), purpose-built as a dedicated handpan workspace only. Every detail of the Harmonic Art handpan in our workshop is carefully considered and meticulously crafted to meet each customer's discerning eye and ear. Harmonics are built using very strategic hammering, a strobe tuning device, well-trained ears, and years of experience!
The Harmonic upper shell has a central note and individual tone fields around the outer circumference, all hand-tuned. It may sound like a harp, bell, or steelpan, depending on how it is played. The notes are constructed in a “zig-zag” sequence from the lowest to the highest on its outer circle. This allows performers to ascend or descend the scale by alternating the notes with their right and left hands. Each tone field has multiple overtones on a flat area around an inverted oval in the middle, with gaps between the notes for percussive slaps. The materials used for the Harmonic are carefully selected for the beautiful sound they produce and to ensure the instrument is an impressive sculpture. Unlike other instruments, there are no musical modalities or methods to learn or memorize or pre-written musical scores or songs. This instrument marries rhythm, melody, and harmony in a single flow.
The Harmonic is a straightforward and effortless instrument to play. Since there are no “wrong” musical notes in the scale, it is fully capable of generating a prolonged, serene, and hypnotic sound. This instrument provides the rarest of gifts - creative freedom for all musicians.
The original Harmonic lower half shell is a simplified surface with a round opening in the center and Ghatam / Udu attributes that use Helmholtz resonance. This shell is tuned to produce a long sustained tone when the player strikes the edge of the opening. It can also create a low tone when slapped with the palm of the hand. The outer circumference has a protective trim ring made of high-quality rubber, and the lower shell opening is shaped with a double curvature to provide a more comfortable grip during transport.
Each fundamental tone has an overtone tuned to an octave above, and an additional compound fifth above the octave. The overtones can be highlighted or silenced depending on how and where the musician strikes the notes. The player can activate the octave note when striking the long side, and the compound fifth can be activated when striking the short side. The overtones can be heard as an integral part of the note played, between different overtone levels of overtones that float around the the main notes. Every note on your Harmonic should be finely tuned, with overtones that give each note a rich, layered quality. The Harmonic is truly capable of conducting a small orchestra on your lap, bringing the music up from the depths of your body.
The Harmonic is a fascinating and enchanting musical instrument. It represents the union and requirements of an excellent quality sound sculpture, genuinely unique and powerfully exclusive.
