Which handpan tunings play well together?
The right combination of handpan tunings can expand the sound and enrich the playing experience, whether playing solo or with others. When it comes to purchasing a second handpan or when two people are looking for suitable instruments together, the question arises as to which handpan scales can be played harmoniously together. In this article, we give recommendations for creating harmonious and interesting sound combinations.
The options:
There are basically two ways to combine handpan tunings:
- For intuitive, improvised playing, either the same or similar tunings or the complementary tuning, better known as parallel keys, are suitable. Parallel keys offer harmonic flexibility by providing similar scales with different emotional characters. They make it possible to switch seamlessly between melancholic and happy sounds. The circle of fifths clearly shows which minor and major tunings are parallel to each other. A simple rule of thumb is that the minor parallel key is exactly three semitones lower than the corresponding major parallel key or, conversely, the major parallel key is exactly three semitones higher.
Combining the same or similar tunings is easy and makes playing together uncomplicated, but it can also seem one-sided because the same sequence of notes is used.
The interplay of parallel keys, however, is very interesting because it creates completely different tonal atmospheres while still remaining harmonious. Due to the similar note composition, they are ideally coordinated.
- The second option for combining handpan tunings is to put together two (or more) scales that expand the tonal range. This gives you a wider range of notes to play more complex pieces and sound sequences. This is especially ideal for composing together and creating versatile melodies.
However, this type of collaborative music-making requires a certain level of musical experience. We therefore recommend this option to more advanced players and musicians.
Recommendation: Expanding the tonality can make intuitive and improvised interplay more difficult, as more different notes can also produce more dissonant tone combinations. In order to integrate these harmoniously, both players should have previous musical experience. For beginners and free spirits, we recommend combining the same or similar tunings.
Classic Handpan Combinations
Here are some examples of suitable complementary tunings for the intuitive and improvised interplay of two different tunings. If you are interested in suitable tunings to expand the tonal spectrum or if the tunings you want are not listed here, please contact our experienced Handpan.World team .
Parallel keys / complementary tunings:
-
D Minor Scales: Kurd or D Celtic Minor (Amara) or D Integral
-> Complementary to F Major : F Sabye (Ashakiran) or F Jibuk -
C# Minor scales: C# Kurd (Annaziska) and C# Celtic Minor (Amara)
-> Complementary to E Major : E Sabye (Ashakiran) or E Jibuk -
B Minor Scales: B Celtic Minor (Amara) or B Kurd
-> Complementary to D Major : Sabye (Ashakiran) -
E Minor scales: E Kurd or E Celtic Minor (Amara) or E Aeolian
-> Complementary to G Major -
A Minor Scales: A Kurd or A Celtic Minor
-> Complementary to C Major : C Sabye or C Harmonic Minor -
F# Minor Scales: F# Kurd or F# Celtic Minor
-> Complementary to A Major : A Sabye or A Harmonic Minor
Note: Minor is English for minor and Major is English for major .