Katie Dolan

Music 1A
November 21, 2011

The pan-pipes (sometimes spelled without the hyphen) or the pan-flute is an ancient
instrument traditionally made of reeds played by blowing horizontally across the openings at the
top of the pipes. Pan-pipes are usually traced back to Greece, but evidence of the pan-pipes can
be found all over the ancient world on all six of the populated continents. Because of this, the
pan-pipes became an integral part of music in a great variety of cultures. The pan-flute is
considered the ancestor of the harmonica and pipe organ. In modern culture, the pan-pipes
have become an instrument used in folk music in Romania, China, and South America. The
pan-flute, though fairly simple to create, is a wonderful instrument still in use today because of
its beautiful and unique sound as well as its rich history.
By most accounts it would appear that the pan-flute appeared in Greece, China, and
Africa relatively simultaneously. The evidence for the Greek pan-pipes, or syrinx, is the oldest,
dating back to 2500 BC. Evidence for Chinese pan-pipes, or pai xiao, was found in the statues
and other artistic works depicting individuals playing the instrument. In addition, a set of pipes
was found in funerary goods uncovered from the 11
th
century BC. Early African pan-pipes, or
the ngorombe, were played in Zimbabwe as early as 15
th
century BC and are still played there
today. Other cultures that developed the pan-flute were the natives of South America. Pan-
pipes found there date back to 42 BC. While it may seem that Greece was the clear-cut
originator of the pan-flute, and that the other countries only developed it after they were told
how to by travelers from Greece, the pipes of each country are unique enough and easy enough
to assemble that it is quite possible that each country developed it on its own.
For the most part, where origins are concerned, this essay will focus on the Greek pan-
pipes. In Greek culture, the god Pan was the creator of the pan-pipes. One day as he was
coming down from a mountain, he saw a nymph (or woodland spirit) of great beauty named
Syrinx, and so he began to pursue her. However, the nymph had pledged herself to Artemis, so
she would remain a virgin for all of her life. Pan continued to chase her until, finally, she turned
herself into reeds in one final effort to rid herself of the tiresome god. As the wind blew across
the reeds it made a lovely sound and Pan decided to make an instrument out of them. Thus the
pan-pipes or syrinx was made. With the pan-pipes, Pan made rustic music that became a staple
of the mountainous herding regions of Greece. Because of its simple construction, the pan-
pipes were often played by shepherds tending flocks as a source of entertainment.
Besides being a source of rustic music, the pan-pipes were used in rituals. At weddings
in ancient rural Greece, a two reed flute was placed in a container and given to the player at the
wedding. If the reeds were still in their original position, then the bride was still a virgin, if they
had turned, then she was not. The pipes were also prevalent in most myths involving the god
Pan. Until the fall of Athens, the pan-pipes were widely played in that area, especially at
important events like the Olympic Games. After that time, however, the pipes were considered
a much too lowly instrument to be played by anyone other than herders.
As previously stated, pan-pipes were easy to make and use, which is why, in many
cultures, they were considered so lowly. To build a rudimentary Greek pan-flute, all one would
need is reeds and wax. The original Greek pipes were built by cutting reeds of the same length
and keeping them together with wax. The musician would then put more wax in the pipes at
varying places depending on the pitch desired. This method was improved in the Hellenistic
period, when the pipes were cut at varying lengths and closed at the end allowing the pipes to be
at a constant pitch. In addition, the pipes were reinforced with a cloth binding or wooden frame
in order to keep them together. Other materials used to make pan-pipes include blocks of wood
or ivory into which holes were drilled, bamboo, cane, plastic, and metal tubes.
Pipes in other cultures were made slightly differently. In South America, the traditional
construction of pan-pipes is nearly identical to the Greek. The subtle difference in technique is
that corn or pebbles are placed at the bottom of the pipe in order to fine tune it. Without the
bottom to these pipes, the pitch of the note would be an octave lower. This is where the
traditional Greek pipe had a slight benefit. In most other pipes, the bottoms were always closed
eliminating those pitches.
In modern times, pipes are constructed a bit differently. Romania has a unique curved
pipe, South America has a double row of pipes, and Thailand uses a cylindrical style, while
many other countries stick to the traditional straight, single row of pipes. As with the Greek
pipe, the instrument is held together with wax. However, the technicalities put into the
construction of each individual pipe have increased. There is a formula to determine the proper
length of the pipe: TL = (S/F)/4. This means that the theoretical length of the pipe is equal to
the speed of sound divided by the desired frequency in hertz divided by four. In order to get
different sounds, the tube width also fluctuates. A tube with a diameter 1/10 the length of the
pipe will yield a typical tone. Any diameter between 1/7 the length of the tube and 1/14 the
length of the tube is acceptable, but a wider or smaller tube will yield a less desirable sound.
The favored material for building pipes is bamboo. When picking a piece of bamboo, the goal is
to find a piece that has a wide enough hole without drilling, that is not too discolored, or is
rough instead of smooth. After the tubes are selected, they are placed together from lowest in
tone (the largest pieces) to the highest in tone (smallest pipes). This allows for easy playing. If
all you wish to have is a rudimentary set of pan-pipes, that is all you need, which is what made
pan-pipes so accessible all those centuries ago. Most people nowadays add more to their pan-
pipes. In order to get more color they brown the pan-pipes by baking them. This both makes
them look nicer, and it adds a new tone to the sound the instrument makes. In order to achieve
lower pitches with bamboo, makers of the pan-flute cut two stalks of bamboo at the node, drill
them down, and place them together. The problem with this is that the sound isnt as clean.
These two techniques are harder than the work put into making a simple pan-flute, but to some
are very worthwhile.
In addition to being easy to construct, a basic set of pan-pipes are fairly simple to play if
all one desires is a simple song. All one has to do to produce a sound is blow horizontally
across the hole on the top of the flute. In order to get different sounds, such as making the pitch
sharp or flat, one would have to tilt the pipe slightly away from the musician or slightly towards
the musician while also tilting the jaw in the opposite direction, changing the size of the hole.
In addition, a vibrato can be added to the quality of the sound by moving the hand holding the
top portion of the pipes back and forth ever so slightly or by adding breath vibrato using the
same technique as with flutes and other woodwinds. Pipes are tuned when built to a keynote.
Different pitches can also be achieved by overblowing which is increasing breath pressure.
Various other overtones can be achieved by adjusting ones embouchure.
The music for the pan-pipes is written in the treble clef. In modern times, the pan-pipe is
usually used in folk and light music, but is also used in classical pieces and jazz. There arent
many non-folk songs written for the pan-pipes, so most musicians take artistic liberties and play
the melodies to familiar songs. Famous pan-flute arrangements include those in the movie, The
Karate Kid as played by Romanian piper, Zamfir.
Gheorghe Zamfir is one of the most famous pipers ever. As a native of Romania where
the pan-pipes are popular, Zamfir grew up hearing them played often. At 14 he began studying
the pan-flute. After being discovered by a Swiss ethnomusicologist, he was introduced to the
rest of Europe. His first big break came when he played the pan-flute for a French movie. After
that, he was billed as Zamfir: Master of the Pan-Pipe. He introduced the pan-flute to a modern
audience thus reviving it from its state of obscurity. He broke out in England when his version
of a traditional Romanian funeral song was used as the theme song for a famous BBC show.
The song was eventually released as a single in 1976 and at its peak it reached number four on
the United Kingdom pop-charts. He continued to do many soundtracks for movies including
those in Australia, Europe, and the United States. As previously stated, one of his most famous
soundtracks was for the American blockbuster, The Karate Kid and its sequels. In 2006 Zamfir
participated in a tour through Canada playing a specially arranged version of Verdis The Four
Seasons. Zamfir played a special, larger version of the traditional Romanian pan-pipes,
encompassing 30 pipes instead of the usual 22, increasing the range. He is also known for
expanding the overtones that can be played using different embouchure techniques. Although he
revived the pan-pipes out of obscurity, he is criticized for being too commercial and not enough
of a quality musician.
The pan-flute is a delightful instrument that is capable of producing some of the most
unique and soothing sounds. Though simple in construction and ancient in origin, the pan-pipes
have endured the centuries to still be an integral part of folk-music around the world today. Pan-
flute music can cross over from movie soundtracks to jazz music to classical music and even to
pop music. Because of its flexibility, the pan-pipes will continue to be an interesting facet of
music, and an important instrument to remember to enjoy every once in a while.
Works Cited
Biography. Zamfir. 2011. Web. 14 Nov 2011. <http://www.gheorghe-
zamfir.com/English/biographie-e.htm>.
Karp, Theodore. Panpipes. Dictionary of Music. New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973.
Print. 288.
Price, Lew Paxton. Secrets of the Flute: The Physics, Math, and Design of Non-Mechanical
Folk Flutes. L.P. Price. 1991. Print. 63.
Sachs, Curt. The History of Musical Instruments. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1940. Print.
Syrinx. Theoi Greek Mythology. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheSyrinx.html>.