How to Make PVC Pan Pipes

From Wikipedia: The pan flute or pan pipe is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting usually of five or more pipes of gradually increasing length (and, at times, girth). The pan flute has long been popular as a folk instrument, and is considered the first mouth organ, ancestor of both the pipe organ and the harmonica. The pan flute is named for its association with the rustic Greek god Pan. The pipes of the pan flute are typically made from bamboo or giant reed - other materials used include wood, plastic, and metal. A form of pan pipe can be found from every continent. Here is a video of a performance on the panflute.

How to make your pan pipes 1. You will get a piece of PVC pipe and need to measure out 5 pipes using centimeters. Be sure to start at “0” on the ruler. You will mark the second measurement off the first. Since the first measurement is 31 centimeters, you will have to move the ruler. Careful to mark precisely with pencil and label your measurements. See the example below. 31 28 25 21 18 Note that the mark is INSIDE the measured area, so when the pipes are cut, you know the size of each piece. You may or may not have to cut off the end on your 18 cm piece. GET IN LINE TO HAVE YOUR MEASUREMENTS CHECKED BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHUR

Once your pieces are cut, get a ziplock bag and write your name on it in Sharpie. This will be your case. Be careful with these bags. You only get one! Next you will need to put clay in one end of each pipe. The pipe can only make noise if there is a bottom surface to bounce off of. q Pipe with closed end – air hits to the bottom and begins to vibrate producing a pitch Pipe with open end – air just goes out the bottom

To close off the end of your pipe We will use clay. Take a small piece of clay (already cut) and drop into pipe that is sitting upright on a piece of paper. Use the dowel rod, to press the clay firmly into the bottom. Twist slightly as you pick up the pipe and check the bottom to be sure the pipe is sealed completely. Pipe is sealed Push clay down firmly, without pulling up on pipe. clay pipe Paper to keep clay from sticking to table Pipe is NOT sealed Timer

Decorate? Timer This step is totally optional. You can use tape or contact paper to decorate your pipes. You will want to do each pipe separately. Cut the contact paper to size and lay flat with the sticky side up. Carefully pull off the backing paper and lay the pipe on the sticky side. Roll carefully and readjust the contact paper as need to reduce wrinkling.

Tape pipes together carefully. Timer Tear off a piece of tape at least twice as long as the five pipes are wide. Lay on table sticky side up. Carefully place the pipes on the center of the tape with the open end to the top and the open ends even. Fold tape over the pipes and pull them together tightly. Use a Sharpie to label the pipes as shown. You can label on tape or pipe. Be careful to label them correctly. Do is the longest pipe. Label here or here Do re mi so la Do re mi so la

How to play your pan pipes. Place the pipes vertically just below your bottom lip. Blow air down into the pipe. Do this by pulling your bottom lip back. Practice, without the pipes by trying to blow air onto your chin. Be careful to frequently stop trying and breathe naturally so you don’t get light headed. DO NOT hold the pipes horizontally. Horizontal Vertical

Songs to Play Hot Cross Buns Rocky Mtn. Mi re do Do do do do re re re re Rocky Mtn. Do do do mi Do do mi so so La so mi do Mi mi re re do