The purchase of a handpan is often accompanied by the desire to use it to accompany meditation. The sound of the pan is known to be melodic and soothing. It has the ability to put the mind into a deep state of meditation.
However, not all handpans are the same. Some are more suitable than others to accompany meditation. This is especially true for the D minor tuned handpans offered by Zenapan. We will explain why and how you can use your pan in music therapy.
The importance of music therapy
Music therapy is a recent addition to the field of non-invasive therapies. The role of music in the brain is increasingly being studied and research is yielding surprising results.
For example, one study suggests that music stimulation in stroke patients improves not only gait speed, but also gait speed, gait length and gait symmetry.
Music therapies are now known to improve the quality of life of those affected. They reduce psychological and behavioural disorders and significantly improve mood by reducing the effects of depression and anxiety, boosting self-confidence, encouraging the expression of emotions and improving communication.
Music therapy has become so promising that it is now even included in the curricula of leading universities.
Handpan and music therapy
Not all handpans have an identical sound. The musical structure of each instrument depends on the tuning made by the handpan maker and therefore on the chosen scale of notes.
Since the handpan is a diatonic musical instrument, the craftsman chooses which notes of the chromatic scale are heard on the instrument. Therefore, some handpans are more suitable than others for deep, melancholic sounds.
These are handpans tuned to D minor and handpans tuned to F minor. These two types of handpans are particularly suitable for introspection and therefore for music therapy. In contrast, handpans tuned in E or B, for example, offer more oriental scales.
However, studies have shown that mournful sounds are best suited to accompany people out of a depressed or anxious state. It is therefore important to choose the right handpan to make the most of the depth of its enchanting notes.
Which rhythm to choose with the handpan?
Now that we have highlighted the importance of music for our psychological balance and shown which type of pan is best for music therapy, let's talk about rhythm.
Once again, it is the scientists who enlighten us. In their studies, they have highlighted the importance of rhythm in neurological rehabilitation. Which rhythm is the right one?
For scientists, the best rhythm is the one that responds to the listener's expectations. In other words, for it to work optimally, the rhythm must be ‘individualised’, to use the exact term of the study.
Therefore, there is not just one type of music therapy, but as many ears as there are listeners. Buy yourself a handpan and let yourself be guided by the expectations of your listeners.
