The handpan’s range in notes and hertz
A handpan’s range is its scale: the ding at the bottom and eight or nine notes above it. Different scales, and makers’ extra bottom notes, change both ends.
Written and sounding pitch
Handpan music is usually read from tab, letters or numbers rather than a staff, so there is no conventional written range to give. The notes above are the pitches you hear.
Range by size
| Size | Sounding | Span |
|---|---|---|
| D Kurd | D3–A4 | 1.6 octaves |
| D Celtic Minor | D3–C5 | 1.8 octaves |
| D Hijaz | D3–A4 | 1.6 octaves |
| E Amara | E3–D5 | 1.8 octaves |
| E Equinox | E3–B4 | 1.6 octaves |
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the handpan’s:
- Viola · C3–D7 20 notes shared
- Cello · C2–A6 20 notes shared
- Guitar · E2–B5 20 notes shared
- 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 20 notes shared
- 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 20 notes shared
- Brazilian 7-string guitar · C2–B5 20 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- Handpan tuner — tune by microphone, with the handpan’s own target notes.
- Play a handpan online — the same range, playable in your browser.
Songs that fit the handpan
14 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the handpan’s range, each written out in the notation handpan players read:
- Hot Cross Buns
- Lightly Row
- Going Home (New World Largo)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Ode to Joy
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Jingle Bells
- London Bridge
- Old MacDonald
- When the Saints Go Marching In
- Frère Jacques
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a handpan?
The handpan’s normal range runs from D3 to A4 — 146.83 to 440.00 Hz, about 1.6 octaves.
What is the lowest note on a handpan?
D3 (146.83 Hz).
What is the highest note on a handpan?
A4 (440.00 Hz).
Sources
- The chart behind our playable handpan, itself checked note by note against published charts.