Handpan Scales: Understand Them and Choose Yours

A handpan scale is the fixed set of notes hammered into the instrument: a central Ding plus 8 to 19 notes around it. It sets the character of the sound — minor and meditative (Kurd, Pygmy, Amara), bright (Ashakiran, Aegean) or Middle-Eastern (Hijaz) — and cannot be changed after the instrument is made. For a first handpan, D Kurd is the reference.

This guide brings everything together: what a scale actually is, how its notes are laid out, what each mode sounds like, the exact notes and prices of every Enixpan model, and a simple way to decide.

What is a handpan scale?

Western music divides the octave into 12 semitones — the white and black keys of a piano between two Cs. A scale picks some of them, in a set order. The distances between those notes, the intervals, give the scale its mood: a minor third (3 semitones) sounds wistful, a major third (4 semitones) sounds bright, an augmented second (3 semitones between two neighbouring scale notes) sounds Middle-Eastern.

On a piano every note is available and the player chooses the scale. On a handpan that choice is made once and for all when the instrument is built: each note is an area of steel hammered and tuned by hand. There are no notes "outside" the scale — you can only play the ones your handpan has.

That limit is exactly what makes the instrument so welcoming. The notes were chosen to sound good together: you can play a clumsy phrase, but it is hard to hit a truly wrong note. That is why beginners improvise from day one — and why choosing the scale matters as much as choosing the instrument itself.

Ding, tone fields and Gu: the anatomy of a scale

• The Ding: the central dome on top. It is the reference note of the scale, the lowest note on the top shell, the one you come back to in order to ground the music.
• The tone fields: arranged in a circle around the Ding, from low to high, alternating left and right. Playing up the scale therefore means alternating hands, which naturally gives a flowing, rhythmic style.
• The Gu: the opening in the bottom shell. It works as a resonator and can also be struck for a deep, percussive sound.
• Extra notes on larger models (13 notes and more): they extend the range downwards or upwards and often add notes missing from the circle.

Here is a real example, the D Kurd 10, the go-to scale for beginners:

Ten notes, but seven different ones: D, E, F, G, A, B♭ and C. That is a complete D minor scale spread over about an octave and a half.

Modes: why a scale sounds sad, bright or exotic

A mode is a family of intervals counted from the reference note. You don't need any theory to feel it: every mode has a personality your ear recognises long before you can name it. Here are the modes behind the Enixpan scales, with their real notes.

• Natural minor (Aeolian) — 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7. This is the D Kurd: soft, introspective, universal, heard everywhere from flamenco to Celtic music.
• Pygmy — a minor pentatonic that keeps the second: F, G, A♭, C, E♭ (1, 2, ♭3, 5, ♭7 from F). On the C Low Pygmy 9, the C3 Ding sits underneath like a bass note. Deep, hypnotic, tribal.
• Major (Ionian) — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. This is the D Ashakiran: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#. Bright and open, without the nursery-rhyme feel people sometimes associate with major, thanks to the note layout.
• Lydian — a major scale with a raised fourth (#4). This is the D Aegean: D, F#, G#, A, C#. Dreamy, airy, slightly otherworldly.
• Hijaz — 1, ♭2, 3, 4, 5, ♭7 on the Enixpan model (D, E♭, F#, G, A, C). The E♭–F# gap is the augmented second that gives the Middle-Eastern colour, related to the Hijaz maqam of Arabic music.
• Amara — often called "Celtic minor": 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7, with no sixth. A more open, less dark minor than Kurd. The E Amara 20 adds C in the bass.

Pentatonic, hexatonic, heptatonic: what the number of different notes changes

Don't confuse the number of notes on the instrument (9, 10, 13…) with the number of different notes per octave. A 9-note Pygmy has only 5; a 10-note Kurd has 7. The second number is the one that changes how you play.

Neither family is "better". Pentatonic scales are about the present moment: every gesture sounds right and music comes without thinking. Seven-note scales are about storytelling: you can build phrases, create expectation and resolve it. Larger models often bridge the two: the D Aegean 18 adds E and B to the Aegean 10 pentatonic to complete it as a seven-note scale.

Enixpan scales at a glance

Shipping is free, with duties and taxes included; allow about 30 days from order to delivery (roughly 15 days to make the instrument and 15 days in transit). Every handpan is tuned by hand and checked note by note before it ships.

Kurd: the reference

D Kurd 10 notes: D3 / A3 B♭3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 C5. Every note fits with every other, improvising feels good from the first day, and the scale works as well for meditation as for playing with others. The D Kurd 13 adds F3, G3 and D5: more bass to accompany yourself and a high D to extend melodies.

Pygmy: depth

C Low Pygmy 9 notes: C3 / F3 G3 A♭3 C4 E♭4 F4 G4 A♭4. Its Ding goes lower than the D models, so the vibrations feel more physical. The F# Low Pygmy 19 keeps that character and adds D and B for a complete scale over more than two octaves.

Ashakiran: light

D Ashakiran 10 notes: D3 / G3 A3 B3 C#4 D4 E4 F#4 A4 B4. Where Kurd turns inwards, Ashakiran opens up and lifts the energy — great for daytime playing, groups or a dynamic yoga class. The 15-note version fills out the low register.

Aegean: dream

D Aegean 10 notes: D3 / F#3 A3 C#4 D4 F#4 G#4 A4 C#5 D5. Only five different notes and no minor third above the Ding: the sound floats, bright and slightly unreal. The D Aegean 18 completes the scale with B2, E3, G#3, B3, E4, B4 and E5.

Hijaz: the East

D Hijaz 10 model notes: D3 / A3 C4 D4 E♭4 F#4 G4 A4 C5 D5. The E♭–F# augmented second creates a tension you recognise instantly. A beautiful scale, but less of an all-rounder: it suits ears looking for a strong identity.

Amara: breadth

E Amara 20 notes: E3 / B3 D4 E4 F#4 G4 A4 B4 D5 E5 F#5 G5 A5, plus C3 D3 F#3 G3 A3 C4 C5. Twenty notes for a wide, open minor, designed for players who want bass lines, chords and melodies on a single instrument.

Which scale for which use

Playing together: which scales match

The handpan is beautiful solo and even better as a duo. The basic rule is simple: same reference note, fewer clashes.

• Two handpans in D: D Kurd and D Ashakiran share their Ding. One brings the depth of minor, the other the light of major — one of the richest pairings. Kurd and Aegean work well too, with the Aegean standing out through its Lydian colour.
• Handpan and guitar: D is a very common key on guitar. A guitarist who knows the D minor scale can accompany a D Kurd without transposing anything; a D Ashakiran calls for D major.
• Avoid at first: two scales with distant reference notes, such as a D Kurd and a C Low Pygmy played together without an arrangement. It can work, but it takes experience.

Choose your scale in 3 questions

The best advice is also the simplest: listen before you choose. To guide your listening, ask yourself three questions.

1. What do you want to feel when you play? Calm and introspection (Kurd, Pygmy, Amara), light and energy (Ashakiran, Aegean), Middle-Eastern intensity (Hijaz).
2. Where and with whom will you play? Alone at home, in meditation, in a group, on stage: check the table of uses above.
3. Do you want to improvise without thinking, or build melodies? A pentatonic scale (Pygmy 9, Aegean 10) for the first, a seven-note scale (Kurd, Ashakiran) for the second.

To compare models on other criteria (number of notes, budget, level), the Enixpan handpan comparison puts them side by side, and the guide on how to choose your first handpan walks you through the whole buying decision.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best handpan scale for beginners?

D Kurd is the most recommended scale for a first handpan: a complete natural minor where every note fits, and so widespread that lessons and songs are easy to find. If you prefer a brighter sound, D Ashakiran or D Aegean are just as easy to play.

What is the difference between Kurd and Pygmy scales?

Kurd has 7 different notes (D natural minor) and more melodic nuance. Pygmy has only 5 (a pentatonic) and a lower Ding: the sound is more stripped-back and hypnotic, and improvising is even more immediate.

Can you change the scale of a handpan after it is made?

No. Each note is an area of steel hammered and tuned when the instrument is built. A tuner can correct a note that has drifted, but cannot turn one scale into another — which is why the choice is made before ordering.

How many different notes does a handpan scale have?

Between 5 and 7 different notes per octave, depending on the scale. At Enixpan, the C Low Pygmy 9 and D Aegean 10 have 5, the D Hijaz 10 has 6, and the Kurd and Ashakiran scales as well as the large models (Aegean 18, Pygmy 19, Amara 20) have 7.

Which scales work well for two handpans together?

Scales that share the same reference note. D Kurd, D Ashakiran and D Aegean all have a D Ding, so they pair naturally — for example Kurd for depth and Ashakiran for light.

Going further