hangblog

The Hang [haŋ] is a musical instrument which first saw the light of day in Bern Switzerland in the year 2000. It is developed and built by the instrument makers Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer (PANArt Hangbau AG).

Its convex body consists of a hardened steel that the Hang Makers originally developed for the construction of Steel Pans. On top of the Hang there is a central domed note called Ding surrounded by a circle of seven Tone Fields. The lower half shell has a round resonant opening (Gu). The Hang is played with the fingers and hands. This helped to give the Hang its name: Hang in the Bernese dialect means hand. The photo shows the current version of the instrument, the Free Integral Hang, which is built since autumn 2009.

Those interested in knowing more about the Hang can find a good introduction in the PANArt Hang Booklet 2008. The Hang Library contains a collection of continuative publications and an Internet directory.