Shredding on unusual instruments
Share
A Hang [haŋ] (pronunciation between the vowel sounds in the word ‘Hot’ and ‘Hungry’) is a musical instrument in the idiophone class created by PANArt in Switzerland. The Hang is made from two deep drawn nitrided steel sheets that are attached together creating the recognizable ‘UFO shape’. There is nothing inside the Hang but air. The top (Ding) side has a center ‘note’ hammered into it with 7 or 8 ‘tone fields’ hammered around it. The bottom (Gu) is a simpler surface that has a rolled hole in the center with a tuned note that can be created when the rim is struck. The Hang uses some of the same physical principles as a steelpan but with a nitrided surface and structural change of having two clamped shells with a small opening so that the instrument is a Helmholtz Resonator. The creation of the Hang was the result of many years of research on the steelpan as well as the study of a diverse collection of instruments from around the world such as gongs, gamelan, ghatam/udu, drums, and bells. Metallurgical and acoustic research by the makers has led to significant changes and refinement in structure, design, and process over the years since the first Hang was offered.
The Hang is sometimes referred to as a Hang drum because it is often played by, and associated with, drummers. The ‘drum’ label is discouraged by PANArt and many players as simple drumming can limit the sonic complexity of the Hang. Approaching the Hang solely as a drum can also lead to aggressive playing that can cause injury to the player and detuning of the Hang. There are many ways to produce sound out of a Hang that do not involve what many consider ‘drumming’. The Hang-Makers and many veteran players instead regard the Hang as a complex holistic entity more likened to a “sound sculpture” than a typical drum.
The guzheng, also spelled gu zheng or gu-zheng (Chinese: 古箏; pinyin: gǔzhēng, with gu 古 meaning “ancient”; and also called zheng (箏) is a Chinese plucked zither. The guzheng is the parent instrument of the Japanese koto, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The parent instrument of the guzheng is the se. The guzheng should not to be confused with the guqin (another ancient Chinese zither but a fewer number of strings and without bridges).
