How to Make PVC Pan Pipes

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How to Make PVC Pan Pipes
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From Wikipedia The pan flute or pan pipe is an
ancient musical instrument based on the principle
of the closed tube, consisting usually of five or
more pipes of gradually increasing length (and,
at times, girth). The pan flute has long been
popular as a folk instrument, and is considered
the first mouth organ, ancestor of both the pipe
organ and the harmonica. The pan flute is named
for its association with the rustic Greek god
Pan. The pipes of the pan flute are typically
made from bamboo or giant reed - other materials
used include wood, plastic, and metal. A form of
pan pipe can be found from every continent. Here
is a video of a performance on the panflute.
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How to make your pan pipes

• 1. You will get a piece of PVC pipe and need to
  measure out 5 pipes using centimeters.
• Be sure to start at 0 on the ruler. You will
  mark the second measurement off the first.
• Since the first measurement is 31 centimeters,
  you will have to move the ruler. Careful to mark
  precisely with pencil and label your
  measurements.
• See the example below.

Note that the mark is INSIDE the measured area,
so when the pipes are cut, you know the size of
each piece. You may or may not have to cut off
the end on your 18 cm piece.
GET IN LINE TO HAVE YOUR MEASUREMENTS CHECKED
BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHUR
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• Once your pieces are cut, get a ziplock bag and
  write your name on it in Sharpie. This will be
  your case. Be careful with these bags. You only
  get one!
• Next you will need to put clay in one end of each
  pipe. The pipe can only make noise if there is a
  bottom surface to bounce off of.

q
Pipe with closed end air hits to the bottom and
begins to vibrate producing a pitch
Pipe with open end air just goes out the bottom
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To close off the end of your pipe

• We will use clay. Take a small piece of clay
  (already cut) and drop into pipe that is sitting
  upright on a piece of paper. Use the dowel rod,
  to press the clay firmly into the bottom. Twist
  slightly as you pick up the pipe and check the
  bottom to be sure the pipe is sealed completely.

Pipe is sealed
Push clay down firmly, without pulling up on pipe.
clay
pipe
Pipe is NOT sealed
Paper to keep clay from sticking to table
Timer
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Decorate?
Timer

• This step is totally optional. You can use tape
  or contact paper to decorate your pipes. You will
  want to do each pipe separately. Cut the contact
  paper to size and lay flat with the sticky side
  up. Carefully pull off the backing paper and lay
  the pipe on the sticky side. Roll carefully and
  readjust the contact paper as need to reduce
  wrinkling.

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Tape pipes together carefully.
Timer

1. Tear off a piece of tape at least twice as long
   as the five pipes are wide.
2. Lay on table sticky side up.
3. Carefully place the pipes on the center of the
   tape with the open end to the top and the open
   ends even.
4. Fold tape over the pipes and pull them together
   tightly.
5. Use a Sharpie to label the pipes as shown. You
   can label on tape or pipe. Be careful to label
   them correctly. Do is the longest pipe.

Label here or here
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How to play your pan pipes.

• Place the pipes vertically just below your bottom
  lip.
• Blow air down into the pipe. Do this by pulling
  your bottom lip back. Practice, without the pipes
  by trying to blow air onto your chin.
• Be careful to frequently stop trying and breathe
  naturally so you dont get light headed.
• DO NOT hold the pipes horizontally.

Horizontal
Vertical
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Songs to Play

• Hot Cross Buns
• Mi re do
• Mi re do
• Do do do do re re re re
• Mi re do
• Rocky Mtn.
• Do do do mi
• Do do do mi
• Do do mi so so
• La so mi do
• La so mi do
• Mi mi re re do