HAPI Drum sellers of the HAPI family of musical instruments since 2008
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Play the HAPI Drum Origin
12″ wide by 8″ high |
Play the Hapi Slim Drum
12″ wide by 6″ high |
Play the HAPI UFO Drum
15″ wide by 8″ high |
Check out the original HAPI Steel Tongue Drum, the HAPI Origin Drum , the HAPI Slim Drum, as well as their big brother, the HAPI UFO Drum, and the little brother, the HAPI Mini Drum, the little HAPI Drum with the BIG sound, all part of the HAPI Drum family of musical instruments!
HAPI Drums are the most popular and best selling steel tongue drums on the planet.
Get happy and hang out with a Hapi Drum! Now available in Hapi Drum Origin, Hapi UFO Drum, Hapi Slim Drum and the Hapi Mini Drum!
With all our different models, scales and color options, that’s 42 different ways to get Hapi !
Check out the Hapi Drum Buyers Guide to easily compare the different models of Hapi Drum musical instruments to best fit your musical horizons.
Go to the new Hapi Drum Media Player to watch videos and listen to music created with Hapi Drums (pronounced: Happy Drum). Demonstration videos from Hapi Tones and also videos and music created by some of our customers and fellow Hapi Drum owners.
Visit the Sound and Scale Samples page to hear Hapi Drums in various keys and styles.
Click to play our virtual HAPI Drums online
When you’re ready to buy a Hapi Drum, visit the HAPI Drum Store for secure online ordering.
Feel free to read some of our many HAPI Drum Reviews and Customer Testimonials.
Thank You to all our Hapi customers who have made the Hapi Drum the best selling musical instrument of its kind!
We’ve sold Hapi Drums to musicians, non-musicians, Hang Drum players, Six Flags Amusement Parks, Warner Brothers and other major movie studios and soundstages, EA Games, Activision/Blizzard Gaming, Sony Entertainment, feature film composers and film scorers, professional session musicians, Grammy winners, hand drummers, therapists and artists. And of course, we’ve also sold many Hapi Drums to people just looking to have fun with a musical instrument that instantly lets them explore their creative musical potential– without having to learn how to read music, study music theory, or even take a lesson!
Our Hapi Drums have been shipped to all 50 states across the USA, and also to Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Iraq, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Uruguay, and even from high atop the Andes mountains, to the tiny Islands of Malta and Gozo.
HAPI Drum (Hand Activated Percussion Instrument)
Can anyone play a HAPI? Sure! Anyone who wants an easy to play intuitive instrument can play one. You don’t need a musical background to enjoy it. The HAPI Drum is ideal for jamming and playing percussive beats. The drum head layout makes it easy to jump right into grooving rhythms. Enjoy creating a soothing harmonic journey with your HAPI. You will love being able to add a melodic component to your beats. An intuitive arrangement to the notes makes it easy to explore new musical horizons. The strong meditative tones are calming and great for relaxing anytime, or kick it up a notch and play hard and fast. And because of its compact design you can take it outside and enjoy it in nature. Your next camping trip will not be complete without a HAPI time around the campfire. The HAPI is just as comfortable outside in the park, as it is in the music studio. See our Customer Testimonials Page to read feedback and reviews from our Hapi customers, from backyard jammers to Grammy Award winning artists.
You can also check out the Hapi Drum FAQ for more information.
How is the tone created?
The unique tone of the HAPI Drum is created by a tuned vibrating tongue of steel. The concept is similar to a wooden tongue drum. When a tongue is quickly and lightly struck with the finger or mallet, it vibrates creating sound waves. By changing the shape and length of the tongue, optimal vibration and perfect tone is achieved. By arranging the notes in our unique way each note when struck excites surrounding notes that are musically compatible with it. This adds to the harmonic spectrum of the tone. Rather than just one tone we can now create a spectrum of supporting sound for each note. The tone is similar to singing bowls or musical bells which create multiple harmonic overtones. The body of the drum acts as a resonating chamber adding depth to the note. We have carefully chosen an opening port in the bottom of the drum that serves three functions. The bottom hole allows the sound to escape and increases the volume. It releases the tone from the body so that the notes do not overlap each other too much. This is especially desirable for faster playing. It allows the player to open or close the port with their lap and chose different resonance levels for a different effect. We have added additional dampening of the notes and drum body to keep the drum from becoming discordant and “ringy”. Our breakthrough proprietary technique built into each drum provides excellent resonance while supplying the correct amount of dampening.
Why is it unique?
We have created some unique design parameters that make the best possible steel tongue percussion drum. Our Patent Pending note layout adds harmonic tones to each note when played. This creates a more complex and musical tone to each note. By placing low notes next to the appropriate higher note we can achieve multiple harmonics. Their vibrations create desirable overtones which compliment the timbre of the tone. We use a compact drum body that easily fits in your lap. The head is 12 inches across allowing for easy reach to all of the notes. A true rectangular shape rather than the usual “Tongue” shape of a note produces a clearer sound. By using an ideal height to width ratio for different notes we have been able to improve the amplitude of the note and create better balance. Tone accuracy is of the utmost importance. Each note is carefully hand tuned using a strobe tuner for complete control of the tuning process. The nature of the vibrating tongue allows for note stability which makes retuning unnecessary. This means each HAPI is a stable and reliable instrument.
How is it played?
We recommend playing the HAPI with the pads of your fingers. A wide range of sounds can be created with different techniques. Playing by hand connects you with the drum in the way that traditional drums are enjoyed. A minimal amount of force creates a big sound on our drums. We also supply each drum with mallets designed to bring out the pure sound of each note. Our mallets eliminate “head slap” creating a very clear tone. The arrangement of the notes make going up and down the scale very easy. Also one hand can reach two or three notes simultaneously for chord playing.
What keys are available? See our Hapi Drum Buyers Guide to compare the different models of Hapi Drums on one page.
The HAPI Drum – Origin is available in 5 different scales, either the Keys of either E or D. We use a Pentatonic scale which allow players with or without a musical background to be able to play any note combination and still produce a beautiful sound. You can choose from the Major or Minor scales for each Hapi drum, or choose a Custom Scale in Akebono, Pygmy or Integral Scale. The Major Scales produce a happy carefree sound and goes well with a variety of musical instruments. The Minor Scales produce a more soulful introspective sound, but like the major scales, they can be played in a variety of styles, from melancholy to very lively. The Akebono scale is a Japanese scale, and works very well for those who want a more meditative or exotic sound, and it also goes well with western and eastern sounding instruments. The Pygmy scale has a charm all of its own, and is a scale from Rwanda and in western context, it is a five note version of the Dorian mode.
The Hapi Slim Drum comes in the keys of F major, F# minor, G major, G minor, A major, A minor, C Major, and in the custom Akebono scales in the keys of G, A and C.
The Hapi UFO Drum has 11 notes in the C Major tuning, and 10 other pentatonic scales can also be played with a single Hapi UFO Drum
What does each HAPI drum include?
Each Drum comes with a pair of mallets and a players handbook that outlines playing techniques. You will learn proper mallet and hand playing techniques, ideal chords, as well as practice exercises. You can also order our padded custom Travel Bag with the stylish Hapi logo, to keep your Hapi Drum warm and safe at home and on the road.
