Which key suits you?
Finding the right handpan can be quite a challenge. These days, there are plenty of variations to choose from. Different builders, different materials and then also the question of which key you like. We can imagine that you might find it difficult to figure this out. That's why we have free orientation sessions developed. In this comprehensive one-and-a-half-hour form of purchase counselling, you will be guided to the right handpan to suit you in peace.
Prior to an orientation session, it can be nice to gain some more knowledge.
What keys are there and what direction do they give to your playing? On this page we set out the main differences and cover many of the keys
Key of handpan minor
Kurd/Annaziska
First, the most well-known and most popular tuning. When you talk about scales, handpans usually involve minor tunings. Minor is the most neutral tuning. Here you can easily take your playing towards melancholic & heavy as well as upbeat
& movable lead. Kurd and Annaziska are the most neutral variation within the minor scales. The tonal structure corresponds exactly to the minor scale you would play on a piano or guitar, and no notes are skipped.
Kurd or Annaziska?
These are two names for the same mood. That sounds a bit confusing and it actually is.
To make things even more complex, the name Aeolian is also sometimes used.
Aeolian is somewhat disappearing as a handpan designation. Aeolian is synonymous with minor. As you will read later in this text, there are several minor variations with different names. So calling one of these tunings minor (or a synonym of it) is not helpful. In the early days of the handpan, this was sufficient, but nowadays more specification is needed.
Kurd is the most common term. This designation is used within most moods. Thus, you may come across an A Kurd, B Kurd, D Kurd and an E Kurd. The exceptions here are C and C#. A different designation is used in these tunings.
Annaziska is that other name. So the construction is identical, but is not used at C and C#
Kurd but called Annaziska. Sometimes you can see some shift in this: so you would have a D
may encounter Annaziska or a C# Kurd, but as a rule it is the other way around: C and C# you call Annaziska, everything else you call Kurd.
Celtic Minor/Amara
Again, two names for the same tuning. Celtic Minor/Amara is a minor tuning, just like Kurd/Annaziska. The difference is in the structure: whereas Kurd/Annaziska neatly follows the scale - without skipping notes - Celtic Minor/Amara skips one note. Skipping this note frees up a space, which is filled with an extra high note. In practice, this means: Celtic Minor/Amara has one less low tone compared to Kurd/Annaziska, but one more high tone.
Skipping that low note creates a very orderly, easily playable whole. For intuitive, free playing, a Celtic Minor/Amara handpan is slightly easier to handle than a Kurd/Annaziska. This is because there are more tones that go well together ánd all matching tones are also in a favourable position.
As for the two names, the same explanation applies here as for Kurd/Annaziska. Celtic
Minor is the designation for everything except C and C#. So you may come across an A, B, D or E Celtic Minor, but no C or C# Celtic Minor.
Amara is used for C and C#. Again, the terms are still sometimes used interchangeably. You might come across a B Amara, but this term is generally limited to C and C# only.
Mystic
Mystic is the lesser-known tuning among minor scales. This tuning is very similar to
Celtic Minor/Amara. Again, one note in the sequence is skipped, resulting in a greater range. The difference is in the tone that is skipped. In Celtic Minor/Amara, the sixth tone of the scale is skipped, in Mystic it is the seventh tone. This gives Mystic a more dreamy and dramatic character compared to Celtic Minor/Amara.
Mystic is also still sometimes used as a generic term. If it does not fit within the other designations, it is just called Mystic. So you can come across different types of moods that have little in common, but are all called Mystic.
Key of handpan African/minor
Pygmy
Pygmy moods are on the rise. You see this tuning appearing more and more often in all kinds of variations. Pygmy tuning is based on an African minor scale. Like in Celtic Minor/Amara, notes are skipped. This results in a greater range, but also a certain character. By not having certain notes, or other notes extra much, you get a certain atmosphere. Pygmy gives a nice open sound. It sounds more adventurous and less mundane than the other minor tunings. And that is precisely why this tuning stands out.
Pygmy and low Pygmy
Pygmy comes in two variations: Pygmy and Low Pygmy. The tuning in these two variations is identical. The difference is in the starting point: with Low Pygmy, the tuning starts lower and therefore ends lower. A Low Pygmy is therefore not necessarily lower than a Pygmy: if the root note is lower, a Pygmy can still sound lower. For example, an A3 Pygmy has more bass than an E3 Low Pygmy, simply because the starting point is lower (an A3 instead of to E3).
Key of handpan major
All the above was about minor tuning. Minor is easily the most common key: over three-quarters of handpans are tuned in minor. The reason for this is simple: minor is the most neutral. While neutral is the safest, choosing a pan with a bit more colouring or direction of its own can also be a very interesting choice. Handpans with a major tuning have a more upbeat, cheerful character. They are not the right instruments if you are looking for a melancholic mood, but they are the right pans if you are looking for an upbeat, sunny and fresh sound. There are also a lot of variations within major tunings.
Paradiso
The best-known major tuning is Paradiso. This tuning has a nice wide and open range. The tuning is easy to play intuitively, and has a sunny, paradisiacal feel.
Paradiso starts a bit lower in the scale and ends quite high. To achieve this, certain notes are skipped. This gives you a similar playing style to Celtic Minor/Amara: skipping some notes leaves you with a pallet that fits together well and easily. This significantly reduces the chance of less attractive tone combinations. A fine tuning for the intuitive player!
Sabye
Another well-known major tuning is Sabye. This tuning is enormously similar to the
Ashakiran tuning. This tuning has a slightly more adventurous structure than the
Paradiso. The starting point is different (namely the fourth note in the sequence instead of the third or fourth). This ‘strange’ starting point makes Sabye of Ashakiran sound a bit more exciting and floating. It is a beautiful, hopeful sound with a nice energetic character.
Aegean
Aegean is a major scale, but hangs a bit between major and minor in character. Paradiso, Sabye and Ashakiran all three clearly have a more upbeat, sunny character.
Aegean also has this in it, but in addition it has a darker side. This is partly due to the low starting point (the third note in the sequence), partly due to a different tone. Aegean is a lydian scale. This character gives it a spacious, atmospheric and dreamy character.
Tone handpan Oriental
When it comes to handpans with a clearer and quirkier character, you can't beat the
Eastern scales throughout. Everyone immediately recognises these pans. When played during our orientation sessions, these pans invariably elicit comments. They are colourful, atmospheric tunings, with a distinctly oriental character. That oriental character is an overarching thing, but within it there are small differences.
Saladin
Saladin is the most upbeat key within the Eastern scales. The mood is very similar to
Celtic Minor/Amara, but has a few tweaks that give it a typical mood. It is the right mood if you want to give an energetic character to your playing.
Hijaz
Hijaz is the largest, most famous Eastern scale. This tuning starts just a little lower and this gives it a more layered character. Hijaz sounds deep, adventurous and mysterious. Hijaz includes many variations, including Romanian Hijaz. These tunings differ slightly from each other, but all have this beautiful mysterious atmosphere.
Harmonic Minor
Harmonic Minor is the most ‘western’ variant of these scales. One tone has been modified compared to the Celtic Minor/Amara. This one note is only a semitone higher, so the difference is minimal. This small difference does have a big impact on the character. It gives the tuning more drama and gives it a similar eastern character to Saladin and Hijaz. Harmonic Minor is the most dramatic of the three: a beautifully deep and grounded scale.
Choosing tone handpan that suits you
In the end, you only really know what you want when you hear it live. Reading up beforehand can absolutely help you know what to look out for and may help you decide a little better what you want or don't want, But in the end, it's all about the click with the instrument.
If you are not yet very sure what you want or what the future holds, it is advisable to start with a minor handpan. These handpans have the most neutral feel and are the most common. If you have a strong feeling for the major or oriental scales, this may be a good choice because it fits your character a bit more specifically.
In fact, there are no right or wrong choices, nor specific choices for beginners or experts. There is only the right choice for you.
More information can be found on the page Choosing best handpan.
