It may happen that with use over time, our instrument loses the correct tuning. In some cases it is so evident that it can even be heard by ear, other times it is still a good idea to periodically test the instrument to check if it is still in tune.
We can check the tuning in a very simple way by helping with tuner apps for smartphones or tablets.
Here some tuner app links • on android
• on iPhone - N-track tuner
How to use them?
Once the app is open, just play a note on your handpan and the app will recognize it, with the indicator it will show you if it is in tune (the arrow is positioned in the central part and the color green appears) or not (the arrow is positioned lower, flat note or higher sharp note, than the center).
You can repeat this check with one note at a time until you try them all to see if
there is some imperfection in the tuning and know if it's time to take it to a maker to have it retuned.
_______
Here is a short video where you can first see a handpan with perfectly tuned notes, and then one with some notes out of tune (in this case flat).
This whole tuning verification procedure can also be useful when buying a handpan (especially if you are looking for a used one) so as not to risk buying an instrument that has already been out of tune and having to immediately look for a maker who can tune it back.
_______
When we talk about handpan notes, whether we verify them with the tuner app or if we search for a scale on the web and/or on YouTube, most likely we will not find them in the Italian version ( do, re, mi, fa … etc ), but in the English scale ( c - d - e - f … etc)
To facilitate understanding, below you will find the conversion of the notes from English to Italian.
C = DO
D = RE
E = MI
F = FA
G = SOL
A = LA
B = SI
For example, if we look for the notes of a D minor Kurd, we will find it in the English scale like this:
D (the first note is the Ding) - A - Bb - C - D - E - F - G - A
The scale translated into Italian is:
D (Ding) - A - B flat - C - D - E - F - G - A
And so in the same way we can "translate" any other scale into Italian. We can see that there are 2 D and 2 A, this is because the scale is spread over several octaves. In this case, looking at the keyboard of a piano, the first D will be of the third octave while the second D will be of the fourth octave. Same thing goes for the A.
_______
When you notice that the instrument begins to go out of tune, we recommend that you contact the manufacturer that built the instrument; therefore, you will definitely go better if you buy it from makers close to you. And above all it is important that the instrument is of quality. Often those who, in order to save money, find themselves buying low quality instruments in other continents, will find themselves in difficulty when retuning because usually low quality instruments do not hold the tuning very well and sometimes they cannot be retuned, because they are made with other metals shoddy.
Here you can see a video from our video blog in which we delve into these topics.
_______
Enjoy Filippo e Raffaello