How to Make a Pan Flute Out of Clay

The pan flute, or pan pipes, is a folk instrument made from a series of hollow cylinders, each of which plays its own dedicated pitch. Though most often made of bamboo, a pan flute can be built from any rigid material that you can shape into hollow cylinders. This includes clay which, if hardened, will lend a resonant sound to the pitches of the pipes and make for a richly audible and pleasant-sounding instrument.

Things You'll Need

• Air-dry earthenware clay
• Bamboo skewer
• Craft knife
• Disposable plastic container
• Acrylic clay sealant
• Epoxy

Instructions

1. Knead 2 cups of clay in your hands to soften. If the clay seems dry, wet your hands and work the water into it. If necessary, divide the clay into smaller portions and soften a little at a time. Form all the softened clay into a single ball.

2. Roll out the clay on a smooth, hard work surface using the clay rolling pin. Form it into a sheet ¼ inch thick.

3. Cut the clay into rectangular strips measuring 6 to 10 inches in length -- you'll need long and short ones -- and 2 ½ inches wide.

4. Roll the clay strips lengthwise into tube shapes. Wrap them around the bamboo skewer to help keep the insides hollow. Rub the seams of the tubes with a wet finger to seal the clay together. Remove the bamboo skewer.

5. Cut the clay tubes into 15 lengths getting progressively shorter. Make the longest tube 10 inches long and make each tube after that ¾ inch shorter than the one before it.

6. Pull extra, small pieces of clay and plug one end of each of the clay tubes.

7. Let the clay dry until hardened.

8. Play each of the clay pieces to test their pitch. Compare them to notes on a piano or pitch pipe. Adjust them as desired by lowering the pitch using a craft knife to trim the open end of each pipe.

9. Place the finished clay pieces into a disposable plastic dish. Pour acrylic sealant over the pipes until you've covered them. Let them soak for 30 seconds to absorb sealant; stir them with your fingers a little to remove air bubbles and make sure the sealant gets into the insides of the pipes.

10. Pull the clay from the dish. Shake them to get any liquid out of the insides. Lay them out on sheets of waxed paper to let them dry.

11. Glue the clay pieces together using a quick-set epoxy. Arrange them in a row from longest to shortest with the open ends at the top and lined up together.

References

• "Great Folk Instruments To Make & Play;" Dennis Waring; 1999