SEW Opera C Celtic Minor / Amara | Stainless steel

The SEW Opera handpans represent a particularly warm sound experience. Their gentle tones, spiced with a full-bodied tone, penetrate into every cell under the skin. The long-lasting and at the same time well-balanced reverberation, also known as sustain, creates a spherical soundscape - regardless of whether you play slower or faster. The full, spacious sound creates a calming, warm atmosphere.

The SEW Opera handpans are ideal for studio recordings due to their very clear and fine sound. For good reason, they are also particularly popular as accompaniment to meditation, yoga and sound journeys. The sounds open up a space of inner experience, mindfulness and sensual sensing. An aura full of encounters that connects us with our deepest self and at the same time with what is bigger than us.

High-quality, specially hardened stainless steel is used for production. The visual design and the sound aesthetics of these instruments are well coordinated and form a sophisticated unit. Finely crafted sound fields make playing very easy. Every touch produces a beautiful sound. This makes the SEW Opera handpans easy to play even for beginners.

Diameter: 53 cm
Height: 26.5cm
Weight: approx. 6kg
Material: stainless steel

Tuning: Celtic Minor
Synonym: Amara
Standard key sequence: C/ G Bb CDD# FGC
Atmosphere: Melancholic- Archaic- Medieval
Mode: Minor - Aeolian
Tone range: Hexatonic

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

Tonal Center: DING

Mood description:

With this timeless selection of tones (Amara) you can easily conjure up sounds that are reminiscent of times gone by with pure fifths and fourths. This instrument might have found its place in spiritual ceremonies in Celtic times. Compared to the full Aeolian mode, the sixth step is missing here, which makes this tuning a little more open. You can play very beautiful harmonies, especially in the upper range. This is one of the most popular tunings in the world of handpans.

Characteristic of Amara/Celtic Minor is the jump from DING to the first note in the interval of a perfect fifth (example DA). This fifth jump immediately opens up the tonal space and gives context to the notes above it. The next note is a minor third above the fifth, which in turn is reminiscent of the natural tone series. From here there are two whole tone steps, a half tone step, two whole tone steps and the jump of the minor third to the highest note of the tuning, which results from the absence of the sixth degree (example D Celtic Minor: note Bb).

This tuning sounds particularly archaic because it allows the playability of many pure intervals (fifth, fourth, octave) that were already used in the Middle Ages.

Another special feature arises from the arrangement of the notes: In the example of D Celtic Minor, the notes on the right side form the triad of the fundamental note, in this case D minor (ADFA). On the left side, however, all the notes of the major triad are one note below the fundamental note, i.e. C major (CEGC). When playing harmoniously, the sound impression of major can easily be reproduced. It is not for nothing that this is probably the most common handpan tuning.

Possible tone sequences:

Basic 9-note sequence: C/ G Bb CDD# FGC

Sequence with 10 notes: C/ G Bb CDD# FGC (D)

Sequence of 11 notes:
Option 1: C/ (D# F) G Bb CDD# FGC
Option 2: C/ G Bb CDD# FGC (DD#)

Sequence of 12 notes:
Option 1: C/ (D# F) G Bb CDD# FGC (D)
Option 2: C/ G Bb CDD# FGC (DD# F)

Sequence with 13 notes:
Option 1: C/ (D# F) G Bb CDD# FGC (DD#)
Option 2: C/ G Bb CDD# FGC (DD# FG)

14 note sequence: C/ (D# F) G Bb CDD# FGC (DD# F)

Sequence with 15 notes: C/ (D# F) G Bb CDD# FGC (DD# FG)

* 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, improvisational playing:

• Eb Major (Parallel Tuning)
• Eb Sabye (Parallel Tuning)
• D Aeolian
• G Celtic Minor / Amara
• C Kurd
• F Ragadesh

Also good for composing together:

• A Celtic Minor / Amara
• Bb Aegean
• D Celtic Minor
• D Kurd
• Bb Celtic Minor / Amara
• Bb Kurd
• F Sabye