Handpan Patterns for Beginners: Your First Steps

You’ve got a handpan. You’ve struck a few notes. They sound beautiful - but you’re not sure what to do next.

Random tapping produces pleasant sounds, but it doesn’t feel like music. What you need are patterns - repeatable sequences that give structure to your playing and sound intentionally musical.

The good news: handpan patterns are easier to learn than you might think. You don’t need music theory or years of practice. A few simple patterns can transform aimless exploration into genuine music-making.

What Is a Handpan Pattern?

A pattern is simply a sequence of notes played in a specific order, usually repeated. Think of it as a small musical phrase you can loop.

On a handpan, patterns typically involve:

• The ding (center note) as an anchor
• Tone fields around the edge played in sequence
• A rhythmic structure that repeats

The beauty of patterns is that they’re self-contained. Learn one, and you have something complete to play. String several together, and you’re building a composition.

Understanding Your Handpan’s Layout

Before diving into patterns, know your instrument.

The Ding

The center of your handpan - usually the lowest note and the foundation of most patterns. It provides a bass anchor, like the root note of a chord.

The Tone Fields

The notes arranged around the ding. On a typical 9-note handpan, you have 8 tone fields in a specific scale.

The Numbering System

Most patterns use numbers to identify notes:

• 1 = The ding (center)
• 2-9 = Tone fields, typically numbered clockwise from the lowest

Knowing this numbering lets you follow any written pattern, regardless of which scale your handpan uses.

Your First Pattern: The Simple Arpeggio

Start here. This pattern works on any handpan.

Pattern: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 (repeat)

Play each note evenly, letting them ring. You’re moving up through the scale, then back down - a simple wave motion.

What makes it work:

• The ding grounds the phrase
• The ascending/descending motion creates natural flow
• Repetition makes it meditative

Practice this until it feels automatic. Speed doesn’t matter - consistency does.

The Foundation Pattern

This pattern establishes a rhythmic foundation using the ding and lower notes.

Pattern: 1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 4

Notice how the ding (1) appears between each new note. This creates a steady pulse while introducing melodic movement.

Tips:

• Keep the ding strikes consistent in volume
• Let the higher notes (2, 3, 4) ring slightly longer
• Try different tempos - slow feels meditative, faster feels energetic

Building Patterns: The Three Elements

Most good handpan patterns share three elements:

1. An Anchor

Usually the ding or a low tone field. The anchor is the note you return to, the home base of your pattern.

2. Movement

The notes that create melody. These move through your scale, building tension or release.

3. Rhythm

The timing of your strikes. Even simple rhythms - all even notes, or alternating long and short - transform random notes into music.

When you understand these elements, you can start creating your own patterns.

Intermediate Pattern: The Call and Response

This pattern uses two distinct phrases that “answer” each other.

Call: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 Response: 8 - 6 - 4 - 2

Play the call, then the response. It creates a musical conversation - question and answer, tension and resolution.

Variations:

• Play the call twice before the response
• Add the ding between sections as a bridge
• Vary the rhythm - quick call, slow response

Rhythmic Patterns: Beyond Even Notes

Once you’re comfortable with basic sequences, rhythm becomes your next tool.

The Triplet Feel

Instead of even notes, group them in threes:

Pattern: 1-2-3 | 1-4-5 | 1-6-7 | 1-8-9

Each group of three notes flows together, creating a rolling, circular feel common in handpan music.

Emphasis on the Ding

In this pattern, the ding gets more weight:

Pattern: 1 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 5 - 6 - 1 - 7 - 8

Strike the ding slightly harder. It creates a heartbeat pulse underneath the melody.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Playing Too Fast

Speed feels impressive but hides poor technique. Slow practice builds muscle memory that sticks. Fast practice reinforces mistakes.

Hitting Too Hard

Handpans respond to gentle touch. Hard strikes produce harsh, short tones. Light, controlled strikes create warm, sustaining sounds.

Ignoring the Ding

The ding is your foundation. Beginners often focus on the tone fields because they’re more “melodic.” But the ding gives your patterns weight and grounding. Include it frequently.

Not Repeating Enough

A pattern needs repetition to become music. Playing a sequence once, then moving to something else, sounds random. Loop your patterns until they groove.

Finding New Patterns

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll want more.

Listen to Other Players

YouTube is full of handpan performances. Don’t just enjoy them - watch carefully. Many players use simple patterns repeated and varied. Try to identify the sequences they’re using.

Use Pattern Generators

Apps like DrumFlow can generate patterns for you algorithmically. Instead of copying other players, you get fresh ideas tailored to handpan. Generate patterns, find ones that resonate, learn them.

Generate Patterns Instantly

DrumFlow creates musical handpan patterns you can practice anywhere. Free for iPhone and iPad.

Transpose What You Know

Take a pattern you’ve learned and shift it. If you played 1-2-3-4, try 1-3-5-7 (skipping notes) or 1-4-7-2 (larger intervals). Same rhythm, different notes - new pattern.

Follow Your Hands

Sometimes the best patterns emerge by accident. You’re noodling, and suddenly something sounds good. Stop. Figure out what you just played. That’s your new pattern.

Practice Framework for Beginners

Structure beats random practice. Here’s a simple framework:

Week 1-2: The Simple Arpeggio

Focus on one pattern. Play it slowly, evenly, repeatedly. Build consistency before speed.

Week 3-4: Add the Foundation Pattern

Now you have two patterns. Practice switching between them smoothly.

Week 5-6: Call and Response

Add musical phrasing. Practice the conversation between patterns.

Week 7+: Rhythm Variations

Apply different rhythms to patterns you know. Same notes, different feel.

This progression builds on itself. Each new skill assumes the previous one is solid.

When Patterns Start Sounding Like Music

There’s a moment - maybe a few weeks in - when something shifts. You’re not thinking about the next note anymore. Your hands know the pattern. You’re listening instead of counting.

That’s when handpan playing becomes musical.

Patterns are the path to that moment. They give your hands something reliable to do while your mind develops musicality. Once the patterns are automatic, you can focus on dynamics, expression, and flow.

Using a Simulator for Pattern Practice

You can’t always practice on your handpan. It’s late, you’re traveling, or the instrument isn’t nearby.

A handpan simulator lets you:

• Learn patterns anywhere - Practice the sequence without the instrument
• Build muscle memory - Your brain still encodes the pattern even on a screen
• Discover new ideas - Generate or experiment without pressure
• Prepare for real practice - Arrive at your handpan knowing what you want to work on

Simulators don’t replace real practice, but they extend it. Every minute you spend learning a pattern - on screen or metal - is a minute closer to mastery.

Start Playing Today

Patterns transform handpan playing from random exploration into intentional music. They give your hands direction and your practice purpose.

You don’t need complicated sequences or advanced technique. The simple arpeggio - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2 - is enough to start. Master that, add another pattern, then another. Build your vocabulary one sequence at a time.

Your handpan already makes beautiful sounds. Patterns help you arrange those sounds into something that feels like music.

Pick one pattern. Start practicing. Your hands will figure out the rest.