A pan flute, also called panpipes or syrinx, is a musical instrument that uses the closed tube principle. It has several pipes that get longer (and sometimes wider) as they go. Many types of pan flutes are popular as folk instruments. The pipes are usually made from bamboo, giant cane, or local reeds. Other materials used include wood, plastic, metal, and clay.

Name

The pan flute is named after Pan, the Greek god of nature and shepherds, who is often shown holding such an instrument.

The pan flute is often linked to the character Peter Pan, created by Sir James Matthew Barrie. The name Peter Pan was inspired by the god Pan.

In Greek mythology, Syrinx was a forest nymph. To escape the attention of the god Pan, who was part goat and part human, she changed into a water reed. Pan then cut several reeds, placed them side by side, and tied them together to create a musical instrument. The ancient Greeks called this instrument Syrinx, after the nymph, and Pandean or Pan-flute, after Pan. Syrinx was a different instrument from the Aulos, which is sometimes called a "flute" or "double flute" in English.

The Syrinx was a musical instrument often used in rural settings by the Greeks. The Etruscans later adopted it and played it during their festivals and banquets, calling it fistula. The Romans also adopted the Syrinx from the Greeks and Etruscans, using it during their banquets, festivals, and religious or funeral events.

Structure

The pan flute has tubes that are closed at one end. When sound waves travel inside the tube, they bounce back, creating a note that is one octave lower than a tube of the same length that is open on both ends. In traditional South American pan flutes, small pebbles or dried corn kernels are placed inside the bottom of the tubes to adjust the pitch. Modern curved Romanian-style pan flutes use wax, often beeswax, to fine-tune new instruments. Special tools are used to add or remove wax. Corks and rubber stoppers are also used because they make it easier to quickly adjust the pitch.

The pan flute is played by blowing air across an open hole at the end of a tube. The sound is created by the air vibrating inside the tube. The length of the tube determines the main pitch, or fundamental frequency. In tubes with a constant width, the next set of notes (called harmonics) is about a 12th higher than the main pitch. If the tube narrows slightly toward the closed end, the harmonic pitch can be closer to an octave higher.

According to the Fundamental Principle for pan flutes, the length of the tube and the frequency of the sound are related: as the length decreases, the frequency increases. Each time the pitch rises by an octave, the frequency doubles. A chromatic scale has 12 notes in an octave. To find the pitch of each note, the frequency of the next note is calculated by multiplying the previous frequency by the 12th root of 2. This allows makers to calculate the length of any tube if they know the length of one tube. The formula to find the length of a pan flute tube is: Length (in centimeters) × Frequency (in hertz) = 8575. This formula uses the speed of sound (343 meters per second) and divides it by the desired frequency, then divides that result by 4. Because of how air compresses inside the tube, the actual length of the tube must be slightly shorter than the calculated length to correct for a flat pitch. Makers can use a cork or plug at the bottom of the tube to adjust the pitch. Some instruments use wax or small pellets to tune the main pitch of each tube.

The diameter of the tube affects the sound. A tube with a diameter that is 1/10 of its length produces a typical tone. Acceptable diameters range from 1/7 to 1/14 of the tube’s length. Narrow tubes create a "reedy" sound, while wider tubes create a "flutey" sound. A more precise method to calculate the tube’s length is to multiply the diameter by 0.82 and subtract that from the tube’s length. This accounts for how air compression inside the tube and the way the lips cover the opening affect the pitch. Only small adjustments are needed afterward to fine-tune the pitch based on air density and temperature.

Playing

The pan flute is played by blowing air across the open end of the pipes, aiming it at the sharp inner edge. Each pipe is set to produce a main note, known as the fundamental frequency. When a player blows harder and tightens their lips, they can create higher notes called odd harmonics. These notes have frequencies that are odd-number multiples of the main note. In cylindrical tubes, these harmonics are close to a 12th interval. The Romanian pan flute has pipes arranged in a curved shape and glued together, while Andean versions are usually tied together. This design allows the player to reach all notes by turning their head or moving the instrument with their hands. Both types can play sharps and flats using a technique that involves tilting the pipes and moving the jaw, which changes the size of the pipe’s opening and alters the pitch. Skilled players can play any scale in any key. There are two vibrato techniques: hand vibrato and breath vibrato. In hand vibrato, the player gently moves one end of the flute, similar to how a violinist creates vibrato, causing the pitch to rise and fall. Breath vibrato, also called tremolo or volume swell, involves using the diaphragm or throat muscles to change the sound’s loudness, a method also used by flute and woodwind players.

Variations

The curved pan flute became widely known because of the Romanian musician Gheorghe Zamfir, who traveled to many places and made many music recordings in the 1970s. Other musicians also started recording pan flute music around the same time. Today, thousands of people across Europe, Asia, and the Americas play the instrument regularly. Both the curved pan flute and traditional South American versions are often used in Peruvian traditional groups and other Andean music. In Bolivia, panpipes from the altiplano region are called jula-jula, and those from the Andean range are called julu-julu.

In Laos and Thailand, a cylindrical version of the pan flute called the wot is used in folk music from the Isaan region. The player changes notes by turning the instrument with their hands instead of moving their head.

Panpipes are used in many types of African traditional music, usually made from bamboo. The ngororombe, often played with percussion instruments in groups, is found in northeastern Zimbabwe. The Nyungwa tribe in Malawi also uses the ngororombe and uses the same word to describe the dance that goes with playing the instrument. They also call the instrument nyanga.

New designs of pan flutes are now being created. Designers and makers are using computer-aided design and 3D printing to improve the instrument. These changes help make the pan flute easier to learn and play accurately.

• Paixiao
• Wot
• Nai (Romania, Moldova)
• Siku
• Kuvytsi, Svyryli, Rebro, Nai (Ukraine)
• A small pan flute called chiflo or xipro was used by Galician mobile knife sharpeners in Portugal, Spain, Argentina, and Mexico. They blew quick, loud notes to announce their arrival in a neighborhood. These were traditionally carved from a block of wood, but now are often made from plastic.
• The firlinfeu is a popular folk instrument in Brianza, the province of Monza, and the southern parts of the provinces of Lecco and Como (Italy).
• Quills, an African-American instrument, are mainly known from recordings by Henry Thomas in the 1920s and the Delta blues musician Sid Hemphill. Recently, Dom Flemons has helped bring the instrument back into use.
• Soinari
• Larchemi

Notable pan flute musicians

• Matthijs Koene (Dutch)
• Gheorghe Zamfir (Romanian)
• Leo Rojas (Ecuadorian)
• Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas (American, played a type called "quills")
• Dana Dragomir (Romanian/Swedish)
• Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull (British)