Written by Ambre Montespan on Sep 21, 2026 · Updated on Oct 15, 2026
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Have you just bought a handpan and wondered which accessories are truly essential? Did you open the box without knowing what all the items that came with the instrument were for? Is there any additional gear worth getting for your metal percussion instrument?
After playing the handpan for more than 10 years and having well over a hundred instruments pass through my hands, I’ve come to know what’s inside a handpan box by heart. As a result, I can tell you not only what’s typically included with the instrument, but also what is sold separately and what may be worth the extra expense.
Most of the time, a handpan comes with a padded carrying case, a stand, a pair of drumsticks, and a cleaning cloth. It can also be worthwhile to add a sheet music book, sturdier protective accessories, a display stand, a microphone, and steel care products.
As you read through this article, you’ll learn exactly:
- The benefits of getting a sheet music book or handpan instruction book
- What the different options are for better protecting your instrument
- Which stand or tripod to use for playing your hang drum comfortably
- Everything you need to know about caring for your precious musical
instrument - What drumsticks and playing gloves are really worth
This way, you’ll learn everything you absolutely need to know about handpan accessories and will be able to decide whether buying one or more makes sense for your personal situation.
Let’s start right away with the first of these accessories.
Is it worth buying a handpan instructional book or sheet music?
Among the most useful handpan-related accessories, I absolutely recommend a training book and/or sheet music. Any handpan master who has been playing for more than 10 years will tell you that back then, there were no courses available, yet that didn’t stop them from learning, even without spending hours studying music theory or solfège. Still, they all would have loved some help to save time. Instead, they spent hundreds or thousands of hours exploring the possibilities of this new metal instrument invented in the early 2000s.
So, training material and sheet music should be seen as a shortcut to learning the handpan more quickly and easily than if you were left entirely on your own. Especially since this kind of resource rarely costs more than NZ$80 and pays for itself very quickly. There’s just one caveat about sheet music: it is relatively rare for the handpan. Also, if you don’t have a model tuned to a D Kurd scale, it may be difficult to find any. As a result, if you haven’t bought your handpan yet and want to play sheet music for well-known tunes, I personally recommend choosing a D Kurd model. As for the book, I personally recommend the one below, which offers both video training suitable for all handpans and 25 sheet music pieces for an instrument tuned to D Kurd:
How can you best protect your musical instrument with various accessories?
When it comes to protection, there are two types:
- A case for transporting and storing your instrument
- The protective braided wrap, which goes around the handpan to provide extra protection and, as a bonus, a stylish look
As for the case, a standard model is often included with the handpan. In the vast majority of cases, this is a soft case primarily designed to provide light protection for the instrument while allowing you to carry it on your back, since two straps are usually included. Its advantage is that it is fairly inexpensive and lightweight, which suits most percussionists. However, if you plan to travel regularly with your handpan, especially by plane, this case will not be enough to protect the instrument from the impacts it will take when placed in the cargo hold. In this situation, it is recommended to invest in a hard case, which is essentially a shell that forms real protective armour around the handpan. This type of case also contains reinforced foam on the inside, but it is very heavy (between 5 and 7 kg) and quite expensive. You can find one right here.
As for the protective braid, it is a handwoven jute fibre ribbon that wraps around the rim and tightens with cords. It is usually designed for handpan models measuring about 53 to 63 cm in diameter. It cushions impacts on the rim and decorates the instrument while absorbing moisture, a detail that matters more than it might seem. In fact, a closed case does nothing against moisture, so you should wipe the steel before storing it to prevent corrosion from appearing.
Is there a good stand or tripod for playing the handpan?
It turns out that the resonance changes as soon as the instrument leaves your lap. In my experience, a hang drum placed on a stand resonates more freely and sounds clearer. This is because your thighs are, by nature, a relatively soft structure made mostly of water, which dampens and absorbs sound vibrations. By placing the instrument on a tripod or stand, in addition to preventing it from accidentally sliding onto the floor, you’ll also be able to play standing up and enjoy more crystalline tones.
There are two main types of tripods. The first resembles a camping chair and can be used either to sit on while playing the handpan or to rest the handpan on. It is fairly small and has the drawback of a piece of fabric stretched between its three legs, which tends to muffle the acoustics of the Gü, the opening usually located underneath the handpan. The second is a larger stand made of three legs that open into three balanced points to support the instrument. This is the model I particularly like, and it unlocks the handpan’s full potential. It comes in several heights to suit every body type, and it is clearly a complementary accessory that I recommend. Here’s a video showing the stand I’ve described:
You can find a handpan stand here. We should also talk about cushions. Some players use them by placing the handpan on top. To be honest, I don’t particularly like the sounds this produces, and you can create exactly the same effect with a towel or a standard sofa cushion. So I don’t recommend spending your money on this kind of accessory.
What additional tools will help you maintain this percussion instrument?
This may be the most important part of the article because it directly affects the integrity of your handpan. For that purpose, the microfibre cloth is the most cost-effective accessory on the entire list, and it is the step people skip most often. Wiping down the top, side, and underside after each session takes two minutes and removes sweat and salts that eat away at the steel without being visible. It is recommended to have three cloths: one for dry wiping, one for oil, and one as a spare. You don’t need a special cloth, but microfibre is best to avoid small scratches. This way, you’ll keep the steel clean with just a few minutes each month.
Maintenance oil is the most important accessory and the one most often overlooked by amateur percussionists. In fact, to prevent any corrosion, especially on nitrided steel models, it is recommended to polish the instrument with oil regularly. To learn how often to do it and which oil I recommend, visit my article dedicated to handpan maintenance. There, you’ll find everything you need to know.
Finally, as an optional step, you can slip a desiccant packet into the case and replace it every month or two. Any silica gel will do, and oven-rechargeable versions are available. Note that a case is not a storage space, because air does not circulate inside and moisture settles in. Most manufacturers therefore recommend taking the instrument out of the case and placing it on a stand in the open air or on a soft surface.
Do you need drumsticks or gloves to play the handpan?
Drumsticks are the accessory that often divides handpan players. Some recommend them while pointing out that you need to be careful not to strike too hard and knock the instrument out of tune, while others ban them for that very reason. Personally, I believe that reasonable use can’t do any harm, especially with felt-tipped models that bring out new, more muted tones. Think of drumsticks a bit like your hands: if you strike your handpan too hard with them, you will also knock it out of tune. So it is important to be careful about the force you apply to this musical instrument.
Handpan gloves are also available for purchase. In reality, these are often simple synthetic or cotton gloves. Their main advantage is that they keep sweat off the handpan’s metal shell. But gloves are also chosen for their effect on sound. They soften the attacks, shorten the notes, and give the overall sound a muted feel while also lowering the volume. Some manufacturers offer them as an option on stainless steel models with long sustain, precisely because this long resonance can sometimes become overpowering.
Focus on the accessories your handpan is really missing
As it happens, half of a handpan’s accessories are usually included with the instrument. The rest should be chosen mainly according to your needs, but also if you want your instrument to last for many years by improving the regular maintenance it requires. Thanks to the information in this article, you now know what your handpan is really missing so that its setup can finally be complete.
However, there is one last accessory I haven’t covered in this article: a microphone specifically designed for the handpan. While any standard microphone can record everything, handpan microphones work through magnetism and attach to the metal shell to capture every vibration perfectly. As for a specific model, I personally recommend the one from the online shop Instruments du Monde, which is known for its reliability and precision.
Come discover this excellent microphone right now by clicking on the image below:
Now that you've gone through all the accessories, are you sure the instrument you've chosen is really right for your skill level? That's what I'd like to help you find out in this article, which will guide you in choosing the perfect handpan for a beginner. By reading it, you're bound to make the right choice.
