What should I do if my percussion instrument is out of tune?

If you play a metal percussion instrument such as a handpan, steel tongue drum or steel drum, it is important to know what to do if your instrument goes out of tune. Although these instruments are tuned by their manufacturer, they can go out of tune for a number of reasons. Drops or shocks can cause one or more notes to go out of tune, as can too many strokes of the drumstick or prolonged exposure to heat. Finally, normal use can also lead to gradual detuning over time.

If you find that your instrument is out of tune, the first thing to do is to stop playing to prevent the situation from getting worse. Then contact the manufacturer of your instrument for instructions on how to retune it. If you cannot contact the manufacturer directly, you can also contact a metal percussion instrument repair and retuning shop.

It is important to remember that re-tuning a handpan, steel tongue drum or steel drum cannot be done by just anyone. The instruments must be carefully tuned to ensure their optimal sound. It is therefore strongly advised against trying to re-tune them yourself.

So, if despite all your precautions your instrument has gone out of tune, we advise you to proceed as follows:

What to do if your handpan, tongue drum or steel drum sounds out of tune?

Stop using the instrument

This is undoubtedly the first thing to do. If you hear that a note no longer sounds right, stop playing. If you take the risk of continuing to use your instrument, you can generate a "chain reaction" and see other notes go out of tune as well. Besides, playing an instrument that sounds out of tune is no fun for anyone!

Contact the manufacturer of your percussion instrument

If you think a note is out of tune, send an email or call the manufacturer of your percussion instrument to discuss the issue. They will then explain to you how to proceed according to their conditions.
In any case, either your instrument is still under warranty or you will have to pay for a retuning service.

And if you can't contact the manufacturer of your instrument directly, you should know that the METAL SOUNDS workshop offers a repair and retuning service. Whether you own a Hang®, a Halo®, etc... if your handpan is well made we can re-tune it, as well as tongues drum or steel drum.

What to do if your METAL SOUNDS instrument is out of tune?

If you have a problem with the tuning of your Spacedrum, Zenko or one of our steel drums, we will quickly check if the problem is covered by the warranty and explain the procedure to follow according to the situation you encounter.

Before any work is carried out on your musical instrument, we carry out a study and provide you with an estimate for validation. The time frame for the work to be carried out is generally indicated. In this respect, in the context of an after-sales service or any other repair, our team endeavours not to exceed a period of 3 weeks from receipt of your instrument to carry out the work.

For any repair or re-tuning request for handpan, steel tongue drum or steeldrum, please contact us directly via our contact form.


In conclusion, if you find that your metal percussion instrument is out of tune, stop playing, contact the manufacturer or a specialised workshop and let professionals take care of it for you. This will prevent further damage and ensure that your instrument is restored to its optimum sound.

Please see our service dispatch for more information on sending your favourite percussion instrument in for repair!