Code: 036004 Handpan - Hang Drums
Authentic Handpan D Kurd 432 Hz is a melodious percussion instrument, combining pleasant, long-lasting sound, quality stainless steel, and intuitive playing. Thanks to 9 tones, popular D Kurd scale and tuning at 432 Hz, it is an excellent choice for beginners, but also for musicians seeking a compact handpan for relaxation, meditation, or creating their own melodies.
The handpan has a diameter of 46 cm, steel thickness of 1.2 mm and weighs approximately 4 kg. Despite its more affordable price, it offers a stainless steel construction, which is popular for its characteristic sustain and corrosion resistance.
A significant advantage is also the complete accessories included in the package. In addition to the handpan itself, you get a padded bag, stand, sticks, cleaning cloth, and informational materials. Thus, you can start playing without the need to buy basic equipment separately.
When choosing your first handpan, it's important to find a balance between sound, build quality and price. The Authentic Handpan D Kurd model is designed as an affordable instrument that still offers features interesting for even more demanding beginners.
D Kurd is one of the most popular scales for handpans. It is characterized by its subtly melancholic, meditative and at the same time melodic sound character.
The individual tones are arranged in such a way as to enable pleasant melodic combinations even without extensive knowledge of music theory. Therefore, D Kurd is a suitable choice for people who are just starting with a handpan.
While playing, you can simply alternate tones, create repeating rhythmic motifs, and gradually discover your own melodic phrases. The scale also offers plenty of opportunities for developing advanced playing techniques.
The handpan contains 9 tone fields - one central bass note and eight tones arranged around the circumference of the instrument.
| Tone Field | Note |
|---|---|
| Central bass note (Ding) | D3 |
| 1 | A3 |
| 2 | B♭3 |
| 3 | C4 |
| 4 | D4 |
| 5 | E4 |
| 6 | F4 |
| 7 | G4 |
| 8 | A4 |
Tonal range: D3 / A3 – B♭3 – C4 – D4 – E4 – F4 – G4 – A4.
The central tone D3 creates a deep foundation, while the surrounding tone fields allow for playing melodic lines, rhythmic patterns, and harmonically effective combinations.
The handpan is tuned according to the reference frequency of A4 = 432 Hz. This is an alternative to the most commonly used concert tuning of A4 = 440 Hz.
The 432 Hz tuning is popular among musicians who prefer its subjectively perceived softer and calmer sound character. It is suitable for solo playing, meditative music and sound improvisations.
However, when playing together with other instruments, it's important to remember that a handpan tuned to 432 Hz may not tonally match instruments tuned to the standard 440 Hz.
One of the most distinctive features of the Authentic Handpan model is the use of stainless steel with a thickness of 1.2 mm.
Stainless steel is popular in handpan manufacturing for its corrosion resistance and ability to produce a long, smoothly decaying sound. Compared to some nitrided steel handpans, it may offer a longer sustain, i.e., the time during which a tone naturally decays after a strike.
However, the final sound always depends also on the specific shaping, tuning and processing of the instrument. Therefore, the material alone is not the only indicator of quality.
The thickness of the steel 1.2 mm is part of a construction designed to provide strength to the instrument and suitable conditions for creating individual tone fields.
The production of a handpan includes several technological and craft steps during which the final sound of the instrument is formed.
First, two metal half-shells characteristic of bowl shape are prepared. These are joined to form a closed resonant body.
The individual tone fields are then created in the upper part of the instrument. Their shape and material tension are gradually adjusted by strikes and precise tuning to produce the desired tones and their harmonic components.
This results in a melodious percussion instrument, where each tone field has its own pitch and characteristic resonance.
Around the circumference of the handpan is a protective rubber ring, which helps protect the edge of the instrument during regular handling.
The edge is complemented by a decorative jute rope, which gives the handpan a natural and crafty appearance.
However, the protective edge does not replace careful handling. The handpan is a precisely tuned musical instrument, so it needs to be protected from impacts, falls and excessive pressure.
The D Kurd scale allows for intuitively creating melodic combinations. Beginners can gradually discover rhythm, work with dynamics and basic hand playing techniques.
Gently resonating tones and longer sustain create a pleasant sound atmosphere for relaxation, meditation or peaceful musical improvisation.
The handpan is an interesting addition to other percussion and melodic instruments. It allows for creating rhythmic as well as melodic motifs without the need for complex technical preparation.
The diameter of 46 cm and the included padded bag facilitate transporting
China.
