Welcome

My name is Chris Banta.

For the past forty-plus years I've been exploring the design, fabrication, and tuning of various types of melodic bar percussion instruments.

My specialty is in the development of low-frequency or bass bar percussion instruments, as they tend (in my opinion) to have the most substantial and satisfying sound of all my instruments.  Not only are they challengingly fun to build, but their resulting sound washes all over the participants within the space...or, as Harry Partch once said, "these profound notes thicken the air."  I also like exploring a variety of non-standard musical scales and interesting note combinations.

My instruments have been used by percussionists and composers that include:

Emil Richards, Danny Elfman, Brian Reitzell, John Schneider, Chuck Jonkey, and many others.