No. It is the most common worry our partners hear, from London to Padua. James Hunter Crossley (London) says many of his students start from zero, and Emanuele Brunazzetto (Vibrasonic, Padua) begins with helping people relax before the first notes. Daniel Rheinhold (Hannover) puts it simply: with motivation and some practice, anyone can learn.

Usually within the first session, with a bit of patience. Max Mandt-Merck (Hamburg) says the handpan reflects how relaxed you are. Alex Adamos (Athens) couldn't get a single nice note on his first day; what helped him were two images from Malte Marten: touch the note like a hot stove, and draw the sound out instead of pushing it in.

Most of our partners teach beginners on the D Kurd. James Hunter Crossley points out that there is more learning material for it than for any other scale and that it is the easiest to play with others. Berno van der Wal (Zwolle) keeps being surprised how different his students' compositions on the same D Kurd sound.

If you want to play with other handpan players or instruments, Daniel Rheinhold (Hannover) recommends 440 Hz, the standard tuning. 432 Hz sounds slightly lower and warmer. The best way to decide is to hear both: tell us in your request and we send the matching models to your showroom appointment.

Play several before you decide. Emanuele Brunazzetto (Padua) advises listening with your heart rather than comparing technical details: when the right handpan arrives, people feel it before they can explain why. Max Mandt-Merck (Hamburg) adds that the mood of the moment often decides which scale feels right.