AYA Sounds C Aegean | Embersteel

The wonderful instruments of Aya Sounds are built with the utmost precision, attention and love. The founder of Aya Sounds started making handpans under the guidance of deep spiritual experiences. For him, making each instrument is like a spiritual practice and as if someone was simply guiding him through the process. The result of his dedication is a very high-vibrating instrument that surpasses many other well-known handpan manufacturers in quality. It is an instrument that inspires and relaxes and that allows you to leave your earthly body, at least for a short time, and immerse yourself in these healing sounds.

Diameter: 53 cm
Height: 26cm
Weight: approx. 4kg
Material: Embersteel

Mood description: Aegean
Standard tone sequence: C/ EGBCEF# GB
Atmosphere: Bright - Light - Sublime
Tonal Center: DING
Mode: Lydian - Major
Tone range: Pentatonic

Semitones: 4 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 4 -2 -1 - 4

In the South Indian Kartan music called "Raga Amrithavashini", the Aegean tuning is a divine scale which is said to induce showers of rain when sung.

The moods associated with it are grandeur, attraction, lightness and passionate joy. The combinations of notes in this scale are said to evoke inner vision, according to spiritual belief.

One feels a little reminded of the time of the ancient Greeks, who lived in the Aegean.

This pentatonic handpan scale is in the Lydian mode (major) and contains 2 semitone steps and is therefore a hemitonic pentatonic.

However, the semitone steps do not disrupt the flow, so that even beginners can quickly create great melodies intuitively. The selection of tones leaves nothing to be desired, and at the same time no note seems superfluous.

A special feature of Aegean is that the raised 4th note is only present in the upper octave. This note colors the scale in a Lydian way. This results in a very beautiful sound, as is often used in jazz music.

A major triad is built on the root note (DING), the fourth note forms the major seventh to the ding. After this fourth note on the pan, a semitone step leads back to the root note (an octave higher). The entire pentatonic scale is present in this upper octave. In comparison to the complete heptatonic Lydian mode, Aegean does not contain a 2nd and 6th degree. Since these are not crucial for Lydian, it can still be clearly assigned to this mode.

Possible tone sequences:

Scale with 10 tones: C/ EGBCEF# GBE
Scale with 11 tones: C/ EGBCEF# GBE (G)
Scale with 12 tones: C/ EGBCEF# GBE (GA)
Scale with 13 tones: C/ EGBCEF# GBE (GAB)
Scale with 14 tones: C/ E (F#) G (A) BC (D) EF# G (A) BE
Scale with 15 tones: C/ E (F#) G (A) BC (D) EF# G (A) B (C) E
Scale with 16 tones: C/ E (F#) G (A) BC (D) EF# G (A) B (CD) E
Scale with 17 tones: C/ E (F#) G (A) BC (D) EF# G (A) B (CD) E (G)
Scale with 18 tones: C/ E (F#) G (A) BC (D) EF# G (A) B (CD) E (GA)
Scale with 19 tones: C/ E (F#) G (A) BC (D) EF# G (A) B (CD) E (GAB)

* Bottom notes are additional tone fields on the bottom of the handpan and are written in round brackets e.g. (DE).

Mutant handpans have additional notes on the upper shell in the second row - between the chorus and the root note. Mutant notes are written in curly brackets, e.g. {DE}.

→ You can read a detailed article about Mutant & Bottom Note Handpans here: Blog post

→ Discover our full range of Mutant & Bottom Note Handpans here

We only list the standard layouts under "Possible note sequences". On request, our handpans can also be made with other notes and in other arrangements. Simply write an email with your request to: service@handpan.world

Suitable moods:
Very suitable for collaborative, improvised playing:

• A Celtic Minor / Amara
• G Sabye
• E Celtic Minor / Amara
• E Kurd
• E Integral
• D Raga Desh
• G RagaDesh
• A Pygmy
• E Low Pygmy
• E Magic Voyage
• Equinox
• A Jibuk

Also good for composing together:

• E Aeolian
• B Hijaz
• B Celtic Minor / Amara
• D Celtic Minor / Amara
• D Kurd
• B Mystic