Learn PanTab

PanTab is plain text for handpan music. Play any example, or tap a beat to hear it.

Full reference: every rule, with examples.

Notes

Numbers, not note names: a tab plays on any pan, each number on that pan’s note. Each one takes a beat.

D
The Ding, the big centre note, struck on its dome.
d
The Ding struck on the flat ring around the dome: brighter and crisper.
1–20
The notes on top, from lowest (1) to highest.
B1–B20
Notes on the underside, if your pan has them, lowest first.
D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Timing

Each thing separated by spaces is one beat, one cell of the grid.

-
A rest: nothing new, what’s ringing keeps ringing.
.
A ghost note: a finger barely touching the metal, a very quiet tick.
|
A barline. Just for reading; takes no time.
(1 2)
Split one beat: 2, 3 or 4 sounds share it evenly. Rests too.

Percussion

Capital letters are sounds without a note. Each takes a beat.

S
Slap: flat, relaxed fingers on the rim, like a snare.
T
Tak: a sharp tap on the Ding’s shoulder.
P
Palm: a flat palm on the Ding, stopping it ringing.
K
Knuckle: a bent finger joint knocks the shell.
N
Nail: a fingernail flick on the shell.
F
Fist: a loose fist on the shell, a heavy thud.

How to strike

A mark goes right after the note: 3x, not x3. Several can go together: 3ox is a muted harmonic.

3x
Mute: struck, then cut short.
3*
Damp: stops a 3 that’s still ringing. (D* is the same as P.)
3o
Harmonic: an octave up.
3v
Harmonic: an octave and a fifth up.
3^
Knuckle on the note: tight and metallic.
3t
Tak on the note’s edge. (Dt is the same as T.)
3'
Flam: two quick hits.
3"
Roll: fast repeats filling the beat.
S' K"
Letters take only the flam and the roll.

Chords

Sounds joined with + play together. No spaces inside.

3+5
Two notes at once. D+5 includes the Ding.
3x+5o
Marks belong to their own note.
3'+5
A flam in a chord: 3 lands just before 5.
D+S
Letters join chords too. Up to 4 sounds, or 2 in one hand’s row.

Dynamics

Volume is set only here: in braces, on their own line or after a section name. They last until the next one; mf is the default.

{pp} {p} {mp}
Very soft, soft, medium soft.
{mf} {f} {ff}
Medium loud, loud, very loud.
{cresc} {dim}
Get louder or softer, up to the next marking.
{p}
1 2 3 4
{cresc}
1 2 3 4
{f}
5 6 7 8

Structure

How a tab is laid out.

L: R:
Rows for each hand. Rows next to each other play together, beat by beat.
[Verse]
A section name, on its own line.
|: … :|x2
Repeat. x2 means play it twice in all.
[1. [2.
First and second endings of a repeat.
{loop}
Loop the rest of the tab while playing.
# …
A comment: notes to yourself, ignored.

Headers

At the top, one per line. @tempo can also change the speed partway through.

@title
The name of the tab.
@composer @arranger
Who wrote or arranged it.
@scale
The scale it was written for, e.g. D Kurd.
@tuning
e.g. 432 Hz.
@tempo
Speed, in beats (cells) per minute.
@time
4/4, 3/4, 8/8…: how many beats in a bar.
@feel @notes
How it should feel; anything else.

Ready? Write a tab.