How to Make Panpipes

Large sets of panpipes are sometimes curved.

Panpipes, also known as pan flutes, are among the oldest musical instruments. The name comes from the instrument's association with the ancient Greek god Pan, who was half man, half goat. Among other designations, Pan was the god of rustic music. Panpipes were likely one of the earliest musical instruments because of their simplicity. This same simplicity makes them easy to build.

Things You'll Need

• PVC pipe, 1/2-inch diameter, at least 123 centimeters long
• Ruler
• Hacksaw or PVC cutters
• 5 PVC pipe caps, 1/2-inch diameter
• Packing tape

Instructions

1. Measure 31 centimeters from the the end of a PVC pipe with a ruler. Make a pencil mark there.

2. Measure 28 centimeters from the 31 centimeter mark. Make a pencil mark there.

3. Measure 25 centimeters from the 28 centimeter mark. Mark a pencil mark there.

4. Measure 21 centimeters from the 25 centimeter mark. Mark a pencil mark there.

5. Measure 18 centimeters from the 21 centimeter mark. Mark a pencil mark there.

6. Cut the pipe at each mark using a hacksaw. You will end up with five pipe sections of decreasing length.

7. Put a cap on each of the five pipes.

8. Tear off a 6-inch piece of packing tape. Lay it on a clean, flat surface with the sticky side up.

9. Place each of the pipes in the center of the tape in order of length. Line up the open ends of the pipes.

10. Wrap the ends of the tape around the lined-up pipes. Secure your panpipes with additional tape if necessary.

References

• Music Bulletin Boards: How to Make PVC Pan Pipes
• Theoi Project: Pan
• Pan-Flute: History of the Pan Flute