Are you looking for your first handpan? If so, a D minor handpan is a great choice for a beginner handpan.

Handpans in the key of D minor are the most popular worldwide. Below we’ll take a look at some of the most common handpan scale variations you will encounter when looking for a D minor handpan.

Sometimes, it can be confusing to compare handpan scales because different scale names can sometimes mean the same thing.  That’s why we wrote an in depth blog about the history of handpan scale names and the 11 most popular handpan scales.

But, let’s look specifically at the most popular D minor handpan scales.

What Does “D Minor Handpan Scale” Really Mean?

D Minor handpans are all in the ‘key of D minor’.  The D minor key is a musical scale that includes the notes: D E F G A Bb C

Handpan drums in d minor can come with any variety of combinations of the above notes. 

Let’s take a look at the 3 most popular ones:

Many handpans in d minor leave out one or more notes in the full D minor scale. For instance, the D Minor Celtic leaves out the Bb, and the D Integral leaves out the G. 

Now here are some other handpans in the key of D minor that you may or may not have heard of:

D Celtic(high D):   D/A C D E F G A D

D Kurd:                 D/ A Bb C D E F G A

D Kurd 10: D/A Bb C D E F G A C

D Integral:             D/ A Bb C D E F A C

D Celtic (high C):   D/A C D E F G A C

D Amara:               D/A C D E F G A C

D Waples: D/ A C D E F G A Bb 

D Insen: D/A Bb D E F G A C

D Voyage: D/ F A C D E F A

D Minor:          D/A Bb D E F G A C

D Annaziska:   D/ A Bb C D E F G A

You’ll notice that the difference between some of these handpan scales is only 1-2 notes! Some of these d minor pan drums will play or sound very similar, while others can bring a different feeling due to the notes it includes or omits. The layout of the notes on the drum can impact how you play them.

Another thing you might notice if you look closely, is that a few of the handpan scale names are actually the same collection of notes. For example, Amara might be used in place of Celtic by some handpan makers. And Annaziska can be used for a Kurd, (although mostly builders use it for handpans in the key of C#).

We highlight this because the handpan industry is so new that there isn’t scale standardization in building or naming yet. So, the best way to know what notes you are actually getting on your handpan is to look at them!

HOW TO CHOOSE A D MINOR HANDPAN SCALE

The “right” choice for this will vary depending on what variation sounds good to you, as well as what is available. The D Celtic Minor and D Kurd scales are more popular and therefore offered by more makers than the Integral is.

Does note choice matter?

The only thing that matters in your note choice is if you enjoy the sound! If you are playing with a group of people or composing music it may be more important to get a particular set of notes. For anyone else, let your ear and soul tell you which D minor scale is the best first for you.

What if I can’t find the exact number or type of notes used in a demo?

This is a common problem that we hear about a lot. Perhaps you are taking online lessons or playing along with videos to learn songs and realized that when you play the exercises they sound “off” or “wrong” with your recording. This is because of those small scale differences we talked about above! 

It is very important to remember that these exercises are not meant to purely sound the same, they are really meant to help you develop as a player and give you new ideas to explore on your own. 

So before you give up one handpan for another, remember the following:

• Different scales evoke different feelings, and that’s part of what makes the handpan instrument unique & interesting

• All video exercises can be played on any handpan - exercises will help you develop as a player and can be done on any instrument regardless of notes

• Listening to more than one track or video of a handpan will give you a better understanding of it’s feeling

• Each small handpan builder may have their own recommendations on which version of D Minor handpan will will sound best based on experience

Learn the technique or rhythm and then put it on your handpan for the unique sound of your scale. This will allow you to pick the scale that you really connect with and use any instructional video that you like! 

A Closer Look at 3 D Minor Handpan Scales

Diving in a little deeper, let’s take a look at some different D minor handpan scales and notes below.

1. D CELTIC MINOR, Also Called AMARA

Compare the notes of a “D Celtic” to the key of D minor, and you’ll see that the Bb is missing! This is one of the best handpans for beginners, and it originates from a traditional “Celtic” scale. Leaving out the “Bb”, this makes this a hexatonic scale that still sounds minor. This results in a very pleasing, peaceful, and insistent scale. This is one of our favorite scales to build and recommend for beginners. We love the paired octaves in this scale which can make if feel more lively or bright than the D Kurd. You can find this scale and accompanying learn to play videos on it in the Hal Lenoard Handpan Method Book.

2. D KURD, ALso called ANNAZISKA, AEOLIAN

The Kurd scale is a full natural minor handpan scale, which means it has all the notes in the key of D minor. This is another popular handpan drum for beginners because it is Diatonic. The full scale allows for many minor and major chords to be played, making it fun to explore for any player. In the last few years, popularity of the D Kurd 10 has exploded. We attribute this to both the arrival of handpan factories in China, and the amount of beginner handpan courses being made for this scale today on places like masterthehandpan.com. The D Kurd 10 adds a high C5 to the notes listed below, which shows the 9 note version.

3. D INTEGRAL

The Integral is another version of the D minor scale, but in this case, the 4th scale degree, G is left out. This scale isn’t quite as popular as the first two mentioned anymore, but it's an exceptional handpan for beginners.  It was much more popular in the 2000s to 2010’s when the handpan instrument was so new. Youtube videos of street performers playing this handpan fascinated onlookers, and this scale may be one reason the handpan has become so popular today! As one of the earliest scales, the Integral handpan scale helps exemplify how beautiful and complex crafting a scale can be. By changing just one note, you can evoke a whole different feel or vibe from the handpan and set of notes chosen.  

Find Out More About Handpan Scales, Beginner Handpans & More

Keep exploring these resources to grow your knowledge of handpans: 

• 11 Popular handpan scales + What is a Handpan scale?

• 7 Resources for Handpan Beginners

• Handpan Videos, Music & Sound

And don’t hesitate to reach out and contact our handpan builders directly, via chat, email, or phone, calling (608) 504-7754, to get more answers or to schedule a visit to our workshop.