Mystical Handpan B2 Celtic Minor / Amara Ember Steel

Both their appearance and their sound have something truly mystical that draws us in. Mystical Handpans are characterized by their long sustain and balanced richness of overtones. Even with more intense playing, the notes sound clean. With their pronounced crosstalk of the sympathetic and desired kind, the entire instrument seems to sing. A versatile soundscape is created, which is particularly inviting for spherical and melodic playing.
A striking feature of the Mystical Handpans is the particularly pronounced oval shape of the tone fields, which makes striking the notes easier due to their size. The fifth and third notes of each tone field can also be precisely and particularly pleasantly highlighted.
The Mystical Handpans are made in the stainless steel version from the popular Ember Steel alloy, which is additionally hardened in an intensive heating process and is characterized by a particularly soft tone color, balanced sustain, and long-lasting tuning stability.

Diameter: 53 cm
Height: 25 cm
Weight: approx. 4kg
Material: Ember Steel

Tuning designation: Celtic Minor
Synonym: Amara
Basic note sequence (8+1): B/ F# A B C# D E F# A
Atmosphere: Melancholic- Archaic -Medieval
Mode: Minor - Aeolian
Scale: Hexatonic

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

Tonal center: DING

Tuning description:

With this timeless selection of notes (Amara), you effortlessly create sounds that, through pure fifths and fourths, remind one of bygone times. This instrument might have found its place in spiritual ceremonies in the time of the Celts. Compared to the full aeolian mode, the sixth step is not present here, which makes this tuning slightly more open. Especially in the upper range, you can play very beautiful harmonies. 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 pure fifth (example D-A). This fifth jump immediately opens up the tonal space and gives the notes above it a context. The next note lies a minor third above the fifth, which in turn reminds one of the natural harmonic series. From here, there are two whole steps, a semitone step, two whole steps, and the jump of the minor third to the highest note of the tuning, which results from the absence of the sixth step (example D Celtic Minor: note Bb) .

This tuning sounds particularly archaic, as many pure intervals (fifth, fourth, octave) can be played, which were already used in the Middle Ages.

Another special feature arises from the arrangement of the notes: In the example D Celtic Minor, the notes on the right side form the major triad of the root note, in this case D major (A-D-F-A). On the left side, however, all the notes of the major triad are one note below the root note, i.e., C major (C-E-G-C). In harmonic playing, the sound impression of major can thus very easily be represented. It is not for nothing the presumably most widely used handpan tuning.

Matching Handpan Tunings:

Very suitable for playing together and improvising:

• D Major (Parallel tuning)
• D Sabye (Parallel tuning)
• C# Aeolian
• F# Celtic Minor / Amara
• B Kurd
• E Ragadesh

Also very suitable for composing together:

• G# Celtic Minor / Amara
• A Aegean
• C# Celtic Minor
• C# Kurd
• A Celtic Minor / Amara
• A Kurd
• E Sabye