The propane-tank hank drum is a recent invention of mine & the results of lots of experime
The propane-tank hank drum is a recent invention of mine & the results of lots of experimentation. Although it is not a hang drum, it's scale, pitch & manner of playing using one's hands is similar to a hang drum. Both instruments encourage the same musical inventiveness. The bungee cord reduces the tank's ample ring. This video is just to document the steps in my experimentation & like my other videos, is not intended to be slick entertainment. As in my 2 previous hank drum related videos, the scale here is a favorite - D minor pentatonic (low to high):
Low D (ding); A; C; D; F; G; A; C
The thing is setup just like a Swiss
Hang Drum but the Low D note (ding) is
not central, but is positioned between
the two highest notes (the only way I
could get it to work). Nonetheless, it's
as easy to hit as if it were a central
ding. Building information & a to-scale
template can be found on my webpage at:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
Building one is an easy weekend project.
PLEASE NOTE: A real, Swiss-made hang drum is VERY difficult to obtain these days. A ray of hope is on the horizon however--
Pantheon Steel, a maker of beautiful steel drums ("steel pans") is researching and experimenting -- with the intention of producing hang drums (under a different name) for sale. Please contact them at pantheonsteel.com and encourage them!
They're looking for signs of interest at this time. Thanks.
LATER NOTE: 10-30-07 - I just uploaded another video of this instrument in
action - - on YouTube at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6LYgxb5J9SI
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Added: 1 year ago
Views: 116,073
This is a lower-pitched version of my invention - the propane-tank hank drum, which is on
This is a lower-pitched version of my invention - the propane-tank hank drum, which is on YouTube at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bpMS15kJyOY
Notes here are A(ding),E,G,A,C,D,E,G
which makes it A-minor Pentatonic scale.
I built it mostly out of curiosity to see what a lower pitched instrument would sound like. As might be expected, it isn't as bright as my conventionally-pitched drum -- not quite as loud either. Still, it's fun to play and pretty mellow sounding.
Again, my intent here is not a slick
"performance" but rather just diddling
"out loud". Dennis Havlena
PS: I apologize for the brevity of most
of my videos -- we have only dial-up
internet out here in the sticks of
northern Michigan, with little chance
of high-speed ever coming. Youtube times
out if I try to upload larger videos.
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Added: 9 months ago
Views: 13,599
Just noodling around on an invention
of mine, the propane-tank hank drum,
which is in
Just noodling around on an invention
of mine, the propane-tank hank drum,
which is in the scale
of D minor pentatonic (D/ACDFGac).
This is not a hang drum, but is in the
tongue-drum family. It's notes are
arranged very much like a real hang
drum & it's a terribly fun instrument
to play. I have another short video clip
of this instrument on YouTube as well at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bpMS15kJyOY
Full information on building one of these is on my webpage at:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/for-webpage-lp-hang.htm
Dennis Havlena - northern Michigan
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Added: 9 months ago
Views: 36,899
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: A Long carpet tube
: A pound of nails pounded in randomly
: A Bunch of rocks
= World'
: A Long carpet tube
: A pound of nails pounded in randomly
: A Bunch of rocks
= World's biggest rainstick (?)
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Added: 8 months ago
Views: 3,671
Hi - Here's a short sampling of a few of the simple folk instruments whose
construction
Hi - Here's a short sampling of a few of the simple folk instruments whose
construction is detailed on my webpage at http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
This video was made in my back yard, on the spur of the moment and is not intended
to be fancy music -- just to show some of the instruments, which include -- in order:
- 3 string cookie-tin banjo with weed- whip line strings. Tune is "the Cuckoo".
- "Tambiro" made from a new (never-been-filled) 20 Lb. propane tank.
- My "Fiddle-Gurdy" combination fiddle & Hurdy Gurdy. Much fun! I apologize for the squeak here and there -- I was impatient to get things on Youtube. Tune is an old French Canadian Voyageur's melody, "En Roullant Ma Boulle".
Inspiration from Yuichi Onoue's "Kaisatsuko".
- My 4-string, full sized wash-tub bass. Holds it's own nicely in a band situation.
- Simple Hardanger fiddle conversion. 4 strings playing & 4 strings sympathetic that run through a tunnel carved into the underside of the fingerboard. Tunes are "Road to Boston" (aka "Col. Greene's March") and "Over the Waterfall".
- Low D Tin-Whistle made from a shower-curtain rod for a few dollars. Tune is made up on the spot (& it sounds it!).
- Octave Mandolin (aka bozouki, cittern) converted from an old guitar. Tune is the
"Boys of Bluehill" hornpipe.
PS: I just put another short video on
YouTube of my PVC tubing instrument that
plays like a hang drum, at this web address:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5dD4KkJcAw
PS: Also see my propane-tank hank drum at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bpMS15kJyOY&mode=related&search=
My webpage describing building these instruments is at this URL:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
Thanks!
PLEASE NOTE: A real, Swiss-made hang drum is VERY difficult to obtain these days. A ray of hope is on the horizon however--
Pantheon Steel, a maker of beautiful steel drums ("steel pans") is researching and experimenting -- with the intention of producing hang drums (under a different name) for sale. Please contact them at pantheonsteel.com and encourage them!
They're looking for signs of interest at this time. Dennis
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Added: 1 year ago
Views: 75,488
Simple tongues cut into an empty camping type propane cylinder.
Because of the chance of
Simple tongues cut into an empty camping type propane cylinder.
Because of the chance of explosion
or fire, I suggest no one try to duplicate this instrument. For an
eye-opening example of what an exploding propane tank can do, access:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=I0u-dgueN8k
These tongues do not respond when struck or tapped like with my propane tank "hang drum" -- they must be plucked, kalimba style.
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Added: 1 year ago
Views: 8,900
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Hello-
Here's last week's invention:
a Blue Man Group type PVC
tubing affair with the n
Hello-
Here's last week's invention:
a Blue Man Group type PVC
tubing affair with the notes
arranged exactly like a hang drum.
Complete dimensions and con-
struction info is on my page:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
It's played with dollar-store
flip-flops, or with fingers
(quieter). Scale is D minor,
pentatonic, but the thing
could be made in any key.
Tune is Irish: "Star of the
County Down".
I realize that metal hang drums
have a very beautiful and unique
sound, but so do PVC tube
instruments. By no means am I
belittling anything here --
just experimenting and having
a world of fun in the process.
Please take a look at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLhRtV1xKiM
which is a longer video showing a
number of my other instruments.
By the way - the flat low note has
been fixed.
PLEASE NOTE: A real, Swiss-made hang drum is VERY difficult to obtain these days. A ray of hope is on the horizon however--
Pantheon Steel, a maker of beautiful steel drums ("steel pans") is researching and experimenting -- with the intention of producing hang drums (under a different name) for sale. Please contact them at pantheonsteel.com and encourage them!
They're looking for signs of interest at this time. Thanks.
PS My motorboat died dead, so I
buried it -- thus the frog-pond.
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Added: 1 year ago
Views: 82,781
Hi - Another invention:
Just got this thing figured out
and built -- a four-day project
Hi - Another invention:
Just got this thing figured out
and built -- a four-day project with
a number of challenges, but am happy
with the results. This thing's scale,
tuning and fingering layout is the same as a metal hang drum, obviously with a lot different tone/sound. It uses
bronze-wound guitar strings -- with
same tension as on a guitar. Seven
strings run down the instrument's side
and the central "ding" runs down the
middle. I've just put basic building information on my webpage at:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
should anyone want to duplicate this
beast. One advantage over a metal
hang drum is that the strings can be
tuned any way you want. The tuning here
is D minor pentatonic (same as in my
PVC tubing instrument YouTube video).
Despite the gawky appearance, the
action/mechanism works quickly and is
quite responsive, with no "bounce" and
very little wood clatter.
PLEASE NOTE: A real, Swiss-made hang drum is VERY difficult to obtain these days. A ray of hope is on the horizon however--
Pantheon Steel, a maker of beautiful steel drums ("steel pans") is researching and experimenting -- with the intention of producing hang drums (under a different name) for sale. Please contact them at pantheonsteel.com and encourage them!
They're looking for signs of interest at this time. Thanks.
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Added: 1 year ago
Views: 95,515
Note: This video is likely only of
interest to those into the Hang Drum,
Halo Drum or
Note: This video is likely only of
interest to those into the Hang Drum,
Halo Drum or other unusual instruments.
This isn't intended to be smooth music -- just wanted to illustrate that a lot of
the fun and inventiveness of the Hang Drum can be much more easily had on some other, simpler and more available instruments.
Not being tuned chromatically makes it far easier to improvise.
The scale here is Ake Bono:
D-G-A-Bflat-D-Eflat-G-A-Bflat
but either instrument can easily be
retuned to whatever Hang scale you might want -- a great way to determing just
what Hang or Halo Drum scale you'd like.
My webpage (how to make a bunch of fun instruments)is at: www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
Planning to include building instructions for my stringed-kalimba shortly.
Dennis Havlena
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Added: 1 month ago
Views: 497
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