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Handpan

The handpan — also called the hand pan, UFO drum, or hand-played steel sound sculpture — is a melodic percussion instrument played with the hands rather than mallets, built around a central low note surrounded by tuned concave fields. Tapadum’s handpan collection brings together four maker lines our workshop curates — Arsha, Voice Sky, Melodinng, and our signature Tapadum Pro — spanning entry-level through professional craftsmanship, across the two most expressive handpan scales in our tradition: D Kurd and Hicaz.

Handpans are built from nitrided stainless steel shaped into two domed shells joined at the rim. The top shell holds the playing surface: a central doum note surrounded by 8 to 12 concave tone fields, each hand-hammered and tuned to a specific scale degree with its fundamental, octave, and compound fifth overtones. The bottom shell carries the gu port that releases bass and shapes the instrument’s deep resonance. Played with fingers and the heels of the palms, the handpan produces a sustained, layered voice — equal parts melodic instrument and meditative resonator.

Two scales anchor our collection. D Kurd (D minor with a natural seventh) is the most widely played handpan scale — meditative, contemplative, and forgiving for new players, with a Phrygian-leaning sound used widely in sound healing, yoga, and ambient composition. Hicaz introduces the augmented second interval between the second and third notes — the signature sound of Turkish, Arabic, and Persian classical music. A Hicaz handpan feels more expressive and dramatic, capable of moving from oriental modal melody to deep ceremonial atmosphere. Both scales work for sound therapy, mindfulness practice, busking, and stage performance.

At our İzmir, Turkey workshop, our percussion specialist Gurkan Ozkan curates each handpan that enters our collection. Arsha is our entry-level series — stainless steel, 9-note D Kurd, accessible price for beginners and students. Voice Sky sits in the mid-range — warm, balanced 9-note D Kurd tone for daily practice and intimate performance. Melodinng is our premium 9-note D Kurd line — refined sustain, fuller harmonic depth, ready for studio and stage. Tapadum Pro is our signature workshop line — 9 or 12 notes in Hicaz, individually tuned and tested, our answer for the Eastern modal sound. Hard case and tuning support included.

Beyond the four maker lines, the handpan sits within our wider Sound Healing Instruments collection alongside tongue drums, frame drums, koshi chimes, and tuning forks for meditation, therapy, and yoga practice. Watch our handpan demonstrations in action:

Every Tapadum handpan is sound-tested at our Brisighella, Italy showroom before shipping. Soft and hard case options are available for safe transport. Free Shipping & 15-day return apply across the EU. Reach out — our percussion team will help you choose between the meditative breath of D Kurd and the expressive Eastern voice of Hicaz.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a handpan and a hang?
They're related but not interchangeable. The Hang® is a specific instrument developed by PANArt in Switzerland in 2000, and the name is a registered trademark — PANArt stopped producing Hangs in 2013 and the term refers only to their original instruments. "Handpan" is the generic category name that emerged for the family of similar steel sound sculptures built by makers worldwide afterwards. Every Hang is a handpan, but not every handpan is a Hang. When you see "handpan" today — including Arsha, Voice Sky, Melodinng, and Tapadum Pro — you're looking at independently designed and crafted instruments inspired by the original concept.
D Kurd or Hicaz — which scale should I choose?
D Kurd is the most common and forgiving handpan scale — D minor with a natural seventh, Phrygian-leaning, meditative and contemplative. It works for sound healing, yoga, ambient practice, and gentle melodic playing. Beginners almost always start here. Hicaz introduces the augmented second interval — the signature sound of Turkish, Arabic, and Persian classical music. It's more expressive and dramatic, capable of bridging oriental modal melody and ceremonial atmosphere. If you want a meditative, easy-to-explore sound, choose D Kurd; if you want Eastern modal voice and richer harmonic palette, choose Hicaz. Tapadum's Pro line is the Hicaz specialist.
How many notes does a handpan have?
Standard handpans have 8 or 9 notes — a central low note (doum) plus 7 or 8 surrounding tone fields tuned to the scale. The 9-note layout is the most common today and what you'll find on Arsha, Voice Sky, and Melodinng. Premium handpans can carry 10, 12, or more notes, expanding the playable range without losing tonal balance. Tapadum Pro offers both 9-note and 12-note versions of the Hicaz scale, with the 12-note giving extra octave reach for soloists and advanced players. More notes mean more harmonic possibility, but also a more complex instrument that demands a steadier hand and finer tuning maintenance.
What should I look for when choosing a handpan?
Four factors carry most weight in our experience. First, steel quality — nitrided stainless steel resists corrosion and holds tuning longer than untreated steel. Second, tuning accuracy — each note should be tuned with its fundamental, octave, and compound fifth all in correct ratio; a poorly tuned handpan will sound dissonant even to untrained ears. Third, scale selection — D Kurd for meditative practice, Hicaz for Eastern modal music, with other scales (kurd, akebono, integral) available from specialized makers. Fourth, workshop craftsmanship — wall thickness consistency, hand-hammering uniformity, rim finishing, and individual sound testing before the instrument leaves the workshop. Tapadum hand-tests every handpan at our Brisighella showroom.
How do I care for and tune a handpan?
Handpans require basic but consistent care. Wipe the playing surface with a soft, lint-free cloth after each session to remove finger oils. Every 20 days, apply a thin layer of baby oil or pure coconut oil with a clean cloth to protect the steel from oxidation. Store the instrument in a dedicated soft bag or hard case, away from temperature extremes and humidity. Never strike the handpan with mallets, drumsticks, or hard objects — use only fingers and the heels of the palms. Tuning drift is normal over time; most handpans benefit from professional re-tuning every 1-2 years depending on use, which we can arrange through our workshop network.
Handpan

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