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 11th century BC. Early African pan-pipes, or

the ngorombe, were played in Zimbabwe as early as 15th 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 isn’t 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 one’s 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 aren’t

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 Verdi’s 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>.