55 answers about choosing, ordering, shipping and caring for your handpan and about who is behind Yataoshop, sorted into 9 topics. Can't find your question? Felix and Julie will help you personally.
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Buying Advice
What a handpan is, which one suits you, what it costs and how to choose scale, tuning and size.
What is a handpan?
A handpan is a steel instrument played with the hands. It consists of two steel shells joined together; the top has a central dome surrounded by tone fields, each tuned to one note of a scale.
Because all notes belong to one scale, it is easy to play melodic music from the very first session. Browse all handpans
No. You don't need any musical experience to start: all notes belong to one scale, so there are no “wrong” notes.
Most beginners play their first simple rhythms and melodies within a few days. A structured course, like the Handpan Fundamentals online course by Malte Marten, helps you build good technique from the start. You can also learn with The Handpan Workbook, available in English and German. More in our guide “Can anyone learn handpan?”
What is the difference between a handpan and a tongue drum?
A tongue drum has tongues cut into the steel and is played with mallets or fingers; it is cheaper, quieter and has a shorter sustain. A handpan has hammered tone fields, a much richer sound with overtones and a long sustain, and is played with the hands.
Tongue drums are a great first instrument for children; for a real handpan sound, choose a handpan. See our tongue drums
What is the difference between YataoPan Starter, Expert and Master?
Starter is our best-value line for beginners, Expert is fully handcrafted with extended scales, and Master is built in limited numbers by our master craftsperson.
Starter: handcrafted from stainless steel in beginner-friendly scales such as D Kurd.
YataoPan, Ayasa, MAG or Mudra – what's the difference?
They are four handpan brands that differ in maker, material and price. YataoPan is our own line and the most affordable; handpans by Ayasa, MAG and Mudra come from independent handpan makers and start at around €3,000 in our shop.
Overview (prices as of October 2026):
YataoPan: our own handmade line (Starter, Expert, Master) in stainless steel or Ember Steel; the Ember models are designed and shaped by Ayasa Instruments. €1,500 to €4,500, 2-year retuning warranty.
Ayasa: handmade by Ayasa Instruments since 2016, in Ember Steel. €3,075 to €4,875, 2-year retuning warranty.
Mudra: founded by Rafael Ortega from Brazil, made from Mudra's own stainless steel. €4,600 to €5,000.
For MAG and Mudra, the maker's guarantee or retuning terms apply, and we are happy to help you with the process. Not sure which one suits you? Book a free consultation
We recommend the YataoPan D Kurd 13 from our Starter Line: good quality, fair price, and D Kurd (D minor) is the most popular and versatile scale.
You will find many tutorials for it, such as the Handpan Fundamentals online course by Malte Marten. Read more in our blog “The perfect Handpan Beginner Guide 2026”
For beginners we recommend 13 notes, such as the YataoPan D Kurd 13: an intuitive layout to start with and room to grow as you progress. Handpans with even more notes give you more possibilities, but are more complex to play and more expensive.
More notes don't automatically mean a better handpan – it depends on your playing level and preferences. Compare handpan scales
If you are unsure, start with D Kurd: it is versatile and intuitive, and the YataoPan D Kurd 13 was our best-selling handpan over the past year (as of October 2026). For a different mood, compare the scales below or let our Handpan Finder suggest one.
Kurd (D minor, also playable in F major): versatile and emotionally rich, from meditative to bright – easy for beginners, with depth for advanced players.
Amara / Celtic Minor (e.g. E Amara): flowing and harmonious, without the sixth degree; beginner-friendly and easy to improvise with.
Pygmy: pentatonic minor, soft, dreamy and meditative, with a forgiving layout. Low Pygmy is a deeper variant for intermediate and advanced players.
Ashakiran (“ray of hope”): bright with a gentle touch of melancholy, with an extended layout.
Aegean (D Lydian): major in mood, but more open and spacious than a standard major scale.
If you often play with others, choose a scale in D minor. All scales with sound examples: Handpan scales
A high-quality handpan with 13 notes, as we recommend for beginners, typically costs between €1,000 and €2,000. Avoid offers under €500 – they usually sound poor and lose their tuning quickly.
How do I recognize a good handpan (vs. a cheap one)?
On a good handpan, every note stays clean: when you play a single note, no other notes sound along with it, even when you play with more force. It also sounds full rather than tinny, has a pleasant sustain and is carefully finished.
What to check:
No cross-talk: single notes do not set neighboring notes ringing, even when you play more intensely.
No tinny sound: the tone is full and warm, not thin or metallic.
Pleasant sustain: each note rings out evenly and for a satisfying length.
Tone fields not 100% smooth: a slightly textured surface shows that the notes were tuned by hand.
Deburred rim: the edge where the two shells meet is cleanly finished.
Even gap between top and bottom shell: a sign that enough glue was applied evenly.
Very cheap handpans (under €500) usually sound poor and lose their tuning quickly. Every YataoPan is played and checked by us before it ships. The best test is your own ears: try handpans in one of our showrooms.
What scales should I buy if I want to play with others often?
Choose a handpan in D minor – classic scales are Kurd and Amara. Recently the E Amara scale has become quite popular too.
Different keys and scales are common in different regions of the world – in Arabic countries, for example, Hijaz is very common. Explore handpan scales
What is Ember Steel – and is it better than stainless steel?
Ember Steel is not better per se, it is different: handpans made of Ember Steel have a warmer, richer tone and a longer sustain, need less maintenance and cost more. Stainless steel sounds clear and resonant and is the more affordable choice.
Sound: Ember Steel is known for its warm, rich tone and longer sustain, which suits melodic and meditative playing.
Care: Ember Steel is highly rust-resistant and needs less maintenance than stainless steel. Still, no handpan is 100% rust-proof.
Look: its brownish-bronze patina can deepen over time; this does not affect sound or tuning.
Every YataoPan comes with the bag of your choice, an additional cotton bag, a Handpan Care Pack and care instructions. The Care Pack is currently not included in orders to the USA.
The standard Yatao softbag is free; on the product page you can choose another bag or a hardcase for a surcharge. Store your handpan in the cotton bag, not inside the softbag or hardcase.
You can also get the YataoPan D Kurd 13 as a bundle with an online course by Malte Marten (as of October 2026):
Who is behind the shop, what customers say and which handpans Malte Marten plays.
Is Yataoshop legit – and who is behind it? Is it Malte Marten's shop?
Yes. Yataoshop (Yatao Handpan Shop) is run by Yatao GmbH in Freiburg, Germany, registered at the Local Court of Freiburg under HRB 729533. Handpan artist Malte Marten co-founded the shop in 2020 and is one of its two managing directors, together with Stephan Kammen.
How you are protected when you buy from us:
Company details in our legal notice: address, register number and VAT ID DE347273110.
Insured shipping: every handpan shipment is insured for at least €2,500 or up to the value of the goods (shipping policy).
Statutory 14-day right of withdrawal from receipt for consumers in the EU (outside the EU, we grant it by contract on the same terms), plus our voluntary 30-day return period for delivery addresses in the EU (withdrawal and returns).
Customers rate Yatao Handpan Shop 4.91 out of 5 on Judge.me (328 shop and product reviews), and our TrustScore on Trustpilot is 4.6 out of 5 (109 reviews), as of 16 October 2026.
Judge.me: after a purchase, we ask customers by email (via Judge.me) to review the products they bought. Reviews submitted this way carry the note “verified buyer”; this applies to 313 of the 328 reviews, the other 15 are shown without it. New reviews are published automatically, without prior approval by us. Read all reviews on Judge.me
According to Judge.me's summary of the reviews, customers mainly praise the sound and craftsmanship of the handpans, fast shipping with secure packaging and responsive support.
Which handpan does Malte Marten play – and can I buy it?
Malte Marten mainly plays handpans by Ayasa Instruments, and he also plays YataoPan, our own handpan line. You can buy both in our shop: Ayasa handpans and YataoPan handpans.
Over the years Malte has played scales such as D Kurd, C Ashakiran, F# Low Pygmy, E Amara and D Aegean, and he helped shape the development of the Ashakiran scale at Ayasa. Our YataoPan Ember models are designed and shaped by Ayasa Instruments, for example the YataoPan D Kurd 13 Ember.
Pre-Sale, payment methods, installments, invoices, VAT and changes to your order.
What does Pre-Sale mean when buying a handpan?
With a Pre-Sale you buy a handpan before it is ready for dispatch: it is still in production, but you reserve your instrument in advance.
Each Pre-Sale handpan comes with a shipping date or a dispatch timeframe stated in the product description. This way you know when to expect your instrument, and your place in line for a high-quality, handcrafted handpan is guaranteed.
We accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro), PayPal, Klarna (depending on the country, e.g. invoice or installments), Shop Pay and prepayment by bank transfer. In selected countries, Apple Pay or Google Pay may also be offered, and Alma is available in 9 European countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France.
The payment methods available to you are shown at checkout. With prepayment, please transfer the amount within five bank working days of receiving the order confirmation; we reserve your item during this time. Details are in our terms of service.
Yes. Depending on your country, you can pay in installments with Klarna or Alma; Alma is available in 9 European countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France.
The options available to you are shown at checkout. Details are in our terms of service.
Yes. You automatically receive an order confirmation by email, and you can request an official invoice with VAT shown at any time at info@yataoshop.com.
Please include your order number and, if applicable, your company address.
It depends on the country you order from: for orders within the EU, all prices include the VAT of your country; for orders from outside the EU, prices do not include VAT or any other taxes.
Exception for the USA and the UK: we deliver all goods there duties paid (DDP), so customs duties and import charges are already included in the displayed price or the shipping costs. To all other countries outside the EU, we do not deliver duties paid.
Yes. As long as your handpan has not been shipped, cancellation is free. After delivery, you can withdraw within 14 days of receipt (statutory in the EU; outside the EU, granted by contract on the same terms); with a delivery address in the EU, our voluntary right of return extends this to 30 days of receipt.
How we pack and ship your handpan, what shipping costs and how long delivery takes.
How will my handpan be shipped?
We ship with DHL (to the UK with DHL Express; to the USA by express or, for orders up to USD 2,500, standard shipping) and insure every handpan shipment for at least €2,500 or up to the value of the goods.
Every handpan comes with the bag of your choice plus an additional cotton bag, and we pack it either in the bag or in a specially designed styrofoam box. We have plenty of experience packing and shipping handpans, including to other continents. Shipments outside the EU need customs documents and may therefore take longer. Read more in our shipping policy.
We ship handpans with DHL; to the UK we use DHL Express, and to the USA we ship by express or, for orders up to USD 2,500, by standard shipping. All goods to the UK and the USA are delivered duties paid (DDP). Accessories are shipped with DHL or Deutsche Post.
Shipping a handpan costs €30 within Germany and €60 within the EU (and to Serbia). For other countries it depends on the destination (see the list below); the exact amount is shown at checkout.
USA (duties paid): express (3–4 days) USD 250; for orders up to USD 2,500 also standard (approx. 7 days) USD 115 – prices may vary due to current price fluctuations at the carriers; the amount shown at checkout applies
Australia: €200
Other countries: economy €100, premium (faster) €200
We ship accessories worldwide: general accessories cost €5 within Germany, €10 within the EU/Europe and €30 worldwide; handpan bags and hardcases cost €15, €25 and €50 (worldwide, a minimum order value of €250 applies to both). From an order value of €1,000, accessories, bags and hardcases ship free of charge. To the USA, accessories cost USD 40 (standard) or USD 100 (express) and ship free of charge for orders over USD 300; rates for bags and hardcases are shown at checkout. Every handpan shipment is insured for at least €2,500 or up to the value of the goods. All rates are in our shipping policy.
Usually within 48 hours (business days) after payment is received.
For orders from outside the EU, preparing the customs documents may take up to 4 business days. For pre-sale items, the shipping date stated in the product description applies.
Yes. You get an email with the tracking number as soon as the package leaves our warehouse; we usually ship within 48 hours (business days) after payment is received.
If you cannot find the email, please also check your spam folder.
What is the difference between economy and premium shipping?
Premium shipping is faster: depending on the destination country, it can be up to twice as fast as economy shipping.
For handpans to countries without a fixed rate, economy costs €100 and premium €200. In most cases, we do not recommend premium shipping unless time is a critical factor. Rates by country are in our shipping policy.
Duties, taxes and paperwork for orders from outside the EU.
Do I have to pay customs duties?
If you order from outside the EU: yes, in most cases. Customs duties, import VAT and fees are charged on import by your customs authority or the carrier and are not included in the purchase price.
Exception for the USA and the UK: we deliver all goods there duties paid (DDP), so customs duties and import charges are already included in the displayed price or the shipping costs. To all other countries outside the EU, we do not deliver duties paid. More in our shipping policy.
Usually you pay your country's import VAT plus possible customs duty. For orders to the USA and the UK, these charges are already included in the displayed price or the shipping costs (DDP).
Switzerland: approx. 8.1% VAT + customs fee
Australia: 10% GST for orders above 1,000 AUD
Canada: 5% GST + possible provincial tax
These are rough estimates; we cannot guarantee exact amounts. Your local customs office can give you binding information. More in our shipping policy.
My package is stuck at customs – what should I do?
Wait for the notice from customs: clearance can take an additional 1–2 weeks, and customs usually sends you a letter, SMS or email with information about payment or pickup.
If you need help, contact us – we're happy to assist with the necessary documents. For orders to the USA and the UK it is simpler: we deliver all goods there duties paid (DDP), so you have no import charges to pay.
Returns, refunds, transport damage and our 2-year retuning warranty.
Can I return my handpan?
Yes. As a consumer, you can withdraw within 14 days of receipt without giving a reason. In the EU, this is your statutory right of withdrawal; outside the EU, we grant it by contract on the same terms. With a delivery address in the EU, our voluntary right of return extends the period to 30 days of receipt.
During the 14-day withdrawal period, you are only liable for any loss in value caused by handling beyond what is needed to test the instrument. For a return from day 15 to day 30, the goods must be unused, complete, undamaged and in their original condition. Outside the EU, a return after the withdrawal period can be agreed case by case. You pay the return shipping costs. Details are in our refund policy.
Announce the return by email or via the withdrawal function on our website, send the handpan back securely packed, and we refund you via your original payment method.
Email info@yataoshop.com with your order number – you don't need to give a reason. Within the 14-day withdrawal period, you can also use the withdrawal function on our website.
On request, we send you a return label. You pay for return shipping; if we provide the label, we offset its cost against your refund unless we agree otherwise.
Pack the handpan securely, the way you received it. We recommend insuring the parcel.
For a withdrawal, we refund all payments including standard delivery costs within 14 days of receiving your withdrawal; we may wait until the handpan is back with us or you have shown proof of shipment. For a return under our voluntary right of return, we refund the purchase price within 14 days after receiving and inspecting the handpan. Details are in our refund policy.
For a withdrawal, we refund all payments including standard delivery costs within 14 days of receiving your withdrawal; for a return under our voluntary 30-day right of return, we refund the purchase price within 14 days after receiving and inspecting the handpan.
With a withdrawal, we may hold back the refund until we have received the handpan or you have shown proof that you sent it back, whichever comes first. We always refund via your original payment method. Details are in our refund policy.
Report the damage to the carrier and to us as soon as possible, with photos of the damage and the packaging.
We will report the damage to our courier (every handpan shipment is insured) and find a solution – either a replacement or a repair. Your statutory rights remain unaffected. More in our shipping policy.
Yes. For YataoPan and Ayasa handpans purchased in our online shop, we give a 2-year retuning warranty from delivery to the first buyer, worldwide: if the instrument goes out of tune through normal playing, we organize the retuning and cover the retuning, insured shipping both ways and transport insurance.
Not covered are damage from falls, impacts or pressure (e.g. dents), improper storage or handling (including corrosion from lack of care), interventions by third parties not commissioned by us and purely cosmetic changes such as patina. Your statutory rights remain unaffected. The full guarantee terms are part of our terms of service.
For handpans by other makers (e.g. MAG, Mudra), the maker's own guarantee or retuning terms apply – we are happy to help you with the process. After the 2 years, retuning costs vary greatly, so we cannot give an exact figure; if you like, we will still help you organize and handle the retuning.
My handpan sounds different than at the beginning – what should I do?
Contact us for a retuning: for YataoPan and Ayasa handpans it is free during the 2-year retuning warranty; for other makers, their own terms apply. Going slightly out of tune after months or years is normal.
The causes are playing, temperature and humidity. After the warranty period, retuning costs vary greatly and cannot be stated exactly; if you like, we will still help you organize and handle it. The guarantee terms are part of our terms of service.
Wipe it regularly with a soft cloth and apply a small amount of handpan oil (e.g. Phoenix Oil or Ballistol), ideally every 2–4 weeks or after playing with sweaty hands.
This protects against rust and keeps the sound fresh. Read more in our blog “Handpan Care Guide”
It depends on the material: stainless steel and Ember Steel are highly rust-resistant, and nitrided steel is very rust-resistant as well – but no handpan is 100% rust-proof.
Tip: always play with dry hands and wipe the instrument briefly after playing.
Where you can try handpans in person, appointments and workshops.
Where can I test handpans?
You can test handpans in one of our showrooms: we work with partners and teachers at several locations. Current locations are on our showroom page.
Before you visit, please request an appointment via the contact form on the showroom's page, so that someone is on site and the right instruments are prepared for you.
Yes, please. Before you visit a showroom, request an appointment via the contact form on the showroom's page.
This ensures that someone is on site and that the right instruments are prepared for you. Your request goes to us and to the showroom partner, who will get back to you directly.
