According to ancient Greek legend, the god Pan had the horns, ears and legs of a goat and the face and body of a man. Pan often fell in love. One day, he was chasing a beautiful nymph called Syrinx. The gods took pity on Syrinx, and turned her into a reed so that she could escape from the god. Of course, Pan could not find her among so many reeds, but he cut one to remind him of Syrinx. Later, Pan made the reed into the first panpipes.

You can find panpipes in many parts of the world. They are a set of tubes of different lengths, joined together in a row. The tubes are usually blocked at the bottom.

As you blow, you move the panpipes backwards and forwards in front of your mouth to make different sounds.

Changing pitch

The panpipe tubes make a specific musical sound called a note. Because each tube is a different length, it sounds a different note. A short pipe gives a high note because there is less space for the air to vibrate in. We say that the length of each tube determines the pitch of the note it produces.

There is another way to change pitch. If you find an’ empty bottle you can demonstrate how to do it. First practice getting a note by blowing over the top. If you can’t make a note straight away, change the shape of your lips or the position of the bottle. Or try strong, quick puffs of air. Now put some waterin the bottle and blow again. What do you notice about the note? Put some more water in and try again. Each time you add water, you reduce the space where the air can vibrate. So, each time, your note changes to a higher pitch.

Make your own panpipes

You can make your own panpipes from plastic tubing. Ask an adult to cut your tubing into about six pieces, with each piece slightly longer than the last. Then block the ends of the tubes with modelling clay. Wrap tape around the tubes to keep them together in a line. You may want to paint or decorate your pipes. If you have difficulty blowing a clear note on your pipes, try cutting a piece out of the end of each one.

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dodoEntertainment, Music, Music Equipments23 Nov, 2008