Kita Pantam B2 Hijaz | Nitrated Steel

Buy the Kita B2 Hijaz Handpan

The Kita Pantam is suitable for both beginners and advanced Handpan players. Its refined sound balance ensures a special playing experience. With its medium sustain, it accommodates both fast, dynamic melodies and calm, melodic playing styles.Each Kita Handpan is crafted with passion, dedication, and perfection. Every instrument is handmade by Nima Taghavi and his team, with meticulous attention to detail in both sound and appearance.The sound of the Orient resonates in every Kita Pantam. Produced in Esfahan, the heart of Iran, Kita is one of many civilian projects promoting hope and peace in a politically unstable region. Kita is one of the first manufacturers outside Europe to join our Handpan.World network. These instruments not only bring a unique and special sound spectrum but also expand the Handpan.World vision: a global, united Handpan community. We are grateful to now represent the Orient and its sounds in the Handpan.World cosmos.

Personalized Designs & Custom Creations

Kita Pantam is highly creative and experienced in developing unique Handpan designs. No other premium Handpan maker offers such a range of innovative finishes. This makes it possible to fulfill special design requests. You can personalize your Kita Handpan to match your style. We offer a wide range of fascinating designs that only the Kita team can deliver.

For each standard tuning, we have at least one design in stock. If your desired design is not available, you can order it through our online shop. Since Kita has prepared nearly every tuning with nine or ten tone fields, a custom-made order takes approximately five weeks to deliver. For special tunings, such as low scales or extended Handpans with additional tone fields and bottom notes, production can take up to three months.

Mutant Handpans, Low Scales, and Bottom Notes by Kita Pantam

Kita Pantam is one of the few Handpan makers worldwide capable of producing almost all scales and tunings, including those considered highly demanding, such as Mutant Handpans and Low Scales.

Mutant Handpans: These have additional notes between the Ding and the tone circle, offering more versatility and flexibility for playing complex melodies.

Extended Handpans with Bottom Notes: Instruments with additional tone fields on the underside. Kita Pantams can feature up to 20 tone fields on a single Handpan.

Low Scales: Tunings with base notes ranging from B2 to F2 can also be produced.

The manufacturing process for these unique instruments is significantly more time-consuming and complex than for standard Handpans. As a result, production can take up to three months and is more costly than conventional tunings.

Kita Handpans Made of Nitrated Steel

Nitrated steel is a heat-treated material enriched with nitrogen, making it harder and more resistant to impacts and playing contact. This enhances the instrument's tuning stability, allowing players to enjoy it for longer before it needs retuning.

Although Handpans are now made from both nitrated and stainless steel, nitrated steel remains the preferred material among Handpan enthusiasts. It offers medium sustain, a more ceramic and clay-like sound, and clearer tones, making it ideal for outdoor playing. Additionally, its notes are distinct and separate, optimizing Kita Pantams for faster and more professional playing styles.

To prevent rust, nitrated Kita Pantams require regular care with appropriate oil or wax. Comprehensive care instructions can be found here:
-> Handpan Care

Unlike many other makers, Kita Pantam produces its raw shells in-house using a specialized pressing process. This ensures an even material thickness throughout, unlike some shells that are thinner in the center, which can lead to reduced sound stability.

How to Properly Maintain Your Kita Handpan

Handpans made of nitrated steel require regular maintenance to renew the protective layer on their surface. Applying a specialized Handpan care oil creates a patina that shields your instrument from salts, acids, and moisture, preventing rust and discoloration while preserving its original appearance.

For cleaning, use a soft microfiber cloth to avoid scratches. Before applying the oil, clean the surface with high-percentage alcohol to remove dirt, oils, salts, and acids. This prevents harmful substances from mixing with the oil and negatively affecting the material.

Isopropyl alcohol can be purchased in drugstores, supermarkets, or directly through the Handpan.World online shop. Neglecting regular care can lead to surface rust or even deep rusting in nitrated Handpans. Weekly maintenance is essential for longevity.

Important Notes:

1. Never store your Handpan in a bag.
2. Wash your hands before playing.
3. Clean and maintain your Handpan every 1-2 weeks.

-> Detailed Handpan Care Instructions

Diameter: 53 cm

Height: 26.5 cm

Weight: ~4 kg Material:

Nitrated steel Includes: Specialized Handpan care oil

Semitones: - 7 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 - 2

From the Tonal Center to the First Note: 1-3-1-2-3

Scale Description

The Hijaz scale derives its name from the Arabic/Turkish Maqam Hijaz. Imagine a caravan riding off into the distance in classic Oriental films—that is the sound of the Hijaz scale. This Maqam is characterized by a minor second between the root note (tonal center) and the next higher note (similar to Phrygian). However, it is followed by a major third (three semitones), which gives the third note a major quality relative to the root note—hence the term "Phrygian dominant."

The scale can also be understood as a harmonic minor scale starting from the fifth degree.
For example:
G harmonic minor: G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F# - G
Played starting on D, it becomes:
D Hijaz: D - Eb - F# - G - A - Bb - C - D

There are different versions of how this scale is applied to Handpans. One common layout is as follows:

• The Ding is the root note (tonal center).
• The first note is a perfect fifth from the Ding, followed by a minor third.
• The third note is an octave above the Ding.
• From there, the notes ascend in whole steps to the ninth note, which forms a perfect fifth above the third note (octave + fifth from the Ding).

In jazz, this mode is also referred to as HMV, or harmonic minor from the fifth degree.

The Hijaz scale is often used to add an Oriental flair. It is also commonly found in Flamenco music, as well as many Turkish and Arabic classical and folk music styles. This scale is excellent for exploring enchanting melodies and developing unique harmonic ideas. It also pairs well as an extension to the Kurd scale.

Possible Note Sequences:

• 9 Notes: B / F# A B C D# E F# A
• 10 Notes: B / F# A B C D# E F# A (B)
• 11 Notes: B / (D# E) F# A B C D# E F# A
• 12 Notes: B / (D# E) F# A B C D# E F# A (B)
• 13 Notes: B / (D# E) F# A B C D# E F# A (B C)
• 14 Notes: B / (D# E) F# A B C D# E F# A (B C D#)
• 15 Notes:
  • Option 1: B / (D# E) F# A B C D# E F# A (B C D# E)
  • Option 2: B / (D# E) F# A B C D# E F# (G) A (B C D#)

Bottom Notes are additional tone fields located on the underside of the Handpan and are written in parentheses, e.g., (D E).

Mutant Handpans have extra notes on the upper shell in a second row, between the tone circle and the root note. Mutant notes are written in curly brackets, e.g., {D E}.

→ Read a detailed article on Mutant & Bottom-Note Handpans: Blog Post

→ Explore our full range of Mutant & Bottom-Note Handpans here.

We only list standard layouts under "Possible Note Sequences." On request, our Handpans can be made with different notes or arrangements. For inquiries, email us at: service@handpan.world

Nima Taghavi began crafting Handpans in 2015 and founded KitaDrums—now Kita Pantam—later that year. Initially, he produced 12-inch steel tongue drums while simultaneously exploring the art of Handpan making. As the workflow and production processes evolved, steel tongue drums were replaced by stainless steel instruments, and tongue pans (overtone-rich tongue drums) were soon added to the portfolio.

By the end of 2017, Kita Pantam successfully produced its first Handpans—referred to as Pantams by the maker. Since then, the variety and quality of their instruments have been continuously expanded and improved.

Today, Kita Pantam’s 20-member maker team is regarded as the highest-quality Handpan manufacturer in Iran. Each instrument is handcrafted by Nima and his team with passion, dedication, and precision.

We at Handpan.World deeply value our close collaboration and are honored to exclusively represent these unique instruments in Europe.