Maybe I will decorate my pan pipes in another way. Cut the Bamboo to Size Cut the bamboo into tubes of different sizes based on the dimensions already indicated. Hi, I seem to be having a problem with calculating the length. take about ten straws and cut them all at a different lengths as shown if you have 10 straws than make the cuts about 1 cm difference. All the pan pipes start out here. Thats fine too and much easier for younger children.). As with slatting the pipes before assembly, the key to a successful beveling of the pipes lies in consistency and uniformity. There shouldnt be any significant differences in beveling angle and depth from one pipe to the next, or between adjacent pipes all should be smooth, regular and even. If the pipe beveling should be irregular or uneven, the player will have to adjust his or her embouchure and blowing angle or technique from one pipe to the next, which doesnt make for very efficient and smooth playing. With smooth, uniform beveling of the pipes, all the pipes of an instrument will speak in sync with one voice. If we were to draw an analogy between the Pan Flute and the guitar, the beveling of the pipe rims is analogous to the fine adjustment of the height of the strings above the frets in a guitar both are crucial to determining a smooth, uniform playing action and response, whether it be with your fingers over the strings of a guitar, or with your lips and breath over the bamboo rims of the pipes of a Pan Flute. In beveling the pipe rims, I recommend that you proceed gradually, in stages, beveling and tweaking the pipes until you hit that sweet spot of perfect tone and playing response. (You can also make noise blowing right into the straw. If your nose touches the open end of the C, D or E tube when you try to play a C#/Db or a D#/Eb, then raise the 2-tubes group. When the glue is dry remove the external carboard with a knife, a scalpel or a pair of scissors. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You'll also need a general purpose hand-held sander, masking tape, a saw, a ruler or measuring tape, and a box cutter or sharp knife. We need to arrange them in a practical way, so we start by taking all "white" tubes, e.g. Knot the end when you are done. They can see how the placement of the various lengths of the straws affects the ability to use the flute. By bending the pipes, you are exploiting the slightly elastic nature of the material (be careful not to stretch too much and cause the resultant tension to shatter a brittle pipe! Which countries and cultures use them? Take the 8-tubes and the 2-tubes pan flutes and lye the latter on the first (see first image), lowering the accidentals by 1-2 cm. The best way to cut the tube almost exactly (unless you use the printer) is to measure only one section and cut, then measure the next one and cut, and so on. Here is the process that will bring us to an almost perfectly tuned pan pipes. Take five wide straws and cut them into varying lengths. Compare the sounds each pan flute makes. After the slats of the adjacent or adjoining pipes have been thoroughly fitted to one another to your complete satisfaction and you have the slatted pipes exactly how you want them, it is time to assemble the pipes by gluing them together. I emphasize here that you must be totally ready and satisfied with all your work on the individual pipes up until this point before undertaking the assembly of the pipes because the step of assembly represents a critical turning point, the river Rubicon of Pan Flute making if you will, after which there is absolutely no turning back. The essential heart or core of a Pan Flute is its particular gamut or lineup of pipes, from top to bottom, and after you glue that lineup together, this essential heart or core of the instrument is set, and there is no turning back at least not easily, at any rate. Before assembly, you are free to substitute one pipe for another and wonder which particular lineup or assortment of pipes is best but not after assembly. After assembly, the essential heart or core of the Pan Flute is finished, and all the steps that follow are merely those of finishing up the instrument., Because pipe assembly is such a critical step in Pan Flute making, I recommend that it not be approached lightly or hastily, but rather with a methodical seriousness, dedication and preparation. It is always a good idea to do a dry rehearsal or run-through of the assembly process, from bottom to top, at least once before the real event. It also goes without saying that you need to have all the pipes, from bottom to top, all lined up in a row on a table top outside the Pan Flute Mold so that, once the assembly process is started, you dont have to waste any time hunting around for pipes, or, even worse, to glue one pipe to another that is out of its proper sequence. You must be in a calm, focused mental state for pipe assembly and not hurried, rushed or distracted in any way if you are intent on doing a good job of it. Also, it is helpful not to assemble the pipes if your stomach is too empty or at a time when your blood sugar is critically low, because this can disturb your focus and concentration. I have found that the best time to assemble the pipes is in the evening, so that the glue can dry overnight. The assembled pipes are a great thing to wake up to in the morning., For assembling the pipes, I recommend a good, high quality furniture or wood glue that is of high strength. Assembly proceeds from the bottom pipe all the way up to the top, with the topmost or uphill slat of the pipe below receiving the glue and the pipe above being placed onto it. As you glue each pipe up the scale to the one directly below it by placing glue on the pipe below, there are three basic parameters or dimensions that must be checked well as you go. First of all, is the tilt or pitch of the pipe from side to side correct? In order to get the right tilt of the pipes, I recommend that, during rehearsal, lines be drawn with a pencil connecting the edges of the bores of adjoining pipes at their closest point, at least for the bottom five pipes, which set the basic orientation for all subsequent pipes. A correct side-to-side tilt of the adjacent pipes will produce a line connecting them that is unbroken and intact. Secondly, are the top rims of the pipes pretty much lined up flush with one another? I say pretty much here because if there are minor discrepancies in the flushness of the top pipe rims, this can be remedied in the first step of beveling the pipes, which is to flatten the top rims of the pipes with a large flat rasp. And thirdly, is each pair of adjoining slats thoroughly glued and affixed, from the tops of the adjoining pipes to their bottoms?. Using the first formula shown in the previous step we obtain the list of length: 31.69, 29.91, 28.23, 26.65, 25.15, 23.74, 22.41, 21.15, 19.96, 18.84, 17.78, 16.79, 15.84 rounded to second decimal digit, measured in centimeters. When you find the right place, take a piece of yarn and wrap it around the ends of the first group of five of tubes (C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E). First, the single slat of the bottom pipe receives a layer of glue as it is placed onto the end of the Pan Flute Mold, with the right tilt to it. Then, the second pipe up from the bottom is firmly placed next to it, and, after placement, its uppermost slat receives a layer of glue, with the third pipe up placed firmly on the mold adjoining it. This process repeats on up the scale, until you get to the top pipe, which receives no glue of its own, but is merely adjoined to the glued upper slat of the pipe below it. The coat of glue that the uppermost slat of each pipe receives is to be moderate not too thick, and not too thin, for the best results. My preferred method of applying the glue is the old fashioned way with the fingers although you are free to try other methods of glue application. It is also pretty much essential that all the pipes be glued together in one sitting, because there is bound to be at least a little warping of pipes as the glue dries, and gluing all the pipes together in one sitting, within the space of a half an hour or so, assures that a consistent, uniform warping will occur throughout the instruments entire span. The possibility of excess or undue warping can be reduced or eliminated by a thorough and precise fitting of the slats of all adjoining pipes before assembly, so that all slat surfaces are thoroughly flush and flat to one another. Let the glue dry for at least 12 hours before proceeding further. 1 pair of scissors 1 ruler 1 roll of tape Step Nine: Framing or Reinforcing the Pipe Bottoms Wait, don't take your driller too soon. Step 2: Tracing He's made books with seasonal themes, or vehicle themes, a math book and even one for our dogs! How boring!!! To conciliate this last passion with music I made a pan flute, an ancient instrument belonging to various cultures. So I would had to bend it very much to do it. This Instructable is splitted in two parts: theory and practice. Also, a slightly more detailed explanation of what number gets plugged into which symbol and the relation between the two formulae would be appreciated. We can see this fact from two formulas in the first image. (We cut ours into the following lengths: 6 inches, 5.5 inches, 5 inches, 4 inches, and 3.5 inches.) ), When we do this, the elastic properties cause a slight elongation. From what you see on the left above to what you see at right above only takes a couple days of relaxed labor to produce. Then repeat for another tube, until you have no tube open. Take five wide straws and cut them into varying lengths. After the pipes have been oiled, and the excess oil has been thoroughly removed, the next step is to finish or paint the pipes. The purpose of painting or finishing the pipes is mainly aesthetic in nature, but it can have acoustical benefits as well. A wide variety of different finishes may be used, such as acrylic lacquer, oil finishes, polyurethane, or various kinds of varnishes, including acoustical violin varnish. I highly recommend the latter, as it not only beautifies and preserves the bamboo, but also improves the overall sound and acoustics of the pipes. Or, you may simply wax or oil the outsides of the pipes, as you have done with their interiors, or apply no paint or finish at all, preferring to go natural. A glossy finish is most recommended for the bottom frame or boot of the Pan Flute, even if the pipes themselves are left in an unfinished, natural state; one of the things I have done with the frame or boot has been to apply a very thin layer of clear epoxy glue to it, using a very thin piece of plywood as a kind of palette knife applicator for doing this. The frame or boot may also be stained to get it to be the right color, and even brown or black shoe polish can be used for this purpose. If you have good basic woodworking and craftsmanship skills, you will be able to come up with a good creative and aesthetically pleasing solution. Then repeat with F#/Gb, G#/Ab and A#/Bb tubes. Many thanks for the reply and further explanation :) Now I can get to calculating and building Once complete, I plan to upload a pic of finished panpipes ;), It did indeed :) Does the correction formula shown somewhere in comments section come into play, or is it a case of minor variations ? Make a pan flute with both ends of the straws open and one pan flute where the straws all have one sealed end. The more beeswax or other tuning material that you pack down into the bottoms of the pipes, the higher the pitch gets; conversely, the more you remove or take out, the lower the pitch gets. Tuning the pipes with beeswax actually serves a dual function; in addition to tuning the pipes to the desired pitch, it can also seal the bottoms of the pipes so that no air escapes, if this has not already been done by another method. Since sealing the bottoms of the pipes can also be done in the ninth step of framing the pipes, there can be some overlap here between the ninth and eleventh step of Pan Flute making, especially in achieving the first objective, which is sealing off the bottoms of the pipes. The tuning of a pipe generally proceeds in three stages: 1) sealing off the bottom of the pipe; 2) rough tuning of the pipe; and 3) fine tuning the pipe. I will now proceed to discuss each one of these stages and objectives in turn. Research the history behind pan flutes. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "buggyandbuddy-20"; They must have a medium thickness and constant diameter throughout the wall. How can I find the length in centimetres and not get this: length = 345 (my local speed of sound)/ 4*440 = .196. My kids loved writing their own songs and performing them for me. If you have both at home, your kids could make a pan flute out of each. Be sure to head over and check out all the other creative ways to encourage a love of science, technology, engineering, art and math in kids! However, "my" frequencies are 261.6, 277.2, 293.7, 311.1, 329.6, 349.2, 370, 392, 415.3, 440, 466.2, 493.9, 523.3 rounded to first decimal digit, measured in hertz. This is due to harmonics produced by the section behind the hole. How to make your own Pan Flute. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; SUBSCRIBE - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR2z5oXyl6oiA5Gv8M9h62g?sub_confirmation=1Follow the KSU iTeach Makerbus on Twitter https://twitter.com/iteachmakerbusFollow KSU iTeach on Twitter https://twitter.com/ksuiteachCheck out other projects on MakerTube! Make minor adjustments to your embouchure and the flute's positioning so that you achieve the sound you want. #2 Use the wavelength and diameter and solve for the length of each straw wind column ( L ). The Panflute is a craftable Pre-Hardmode Bard weapon. If you hear 2 notes when you play the C, D or E tube, then lower the 2-tubes group. This can be done easily with Excel, Derive, Mathematica, even with Windows' Calc. Step-By-Step Process Step 1: Cutting The first step is to measure, mark and cut as accurately as possible. You will need that extra for tuning the flute later on. Reply As I've aforementioned, you can skip this passage if you don't want (or need) to understand the physics beyond a pan flute. If you cannot print a life-size plan or you don't have a caliber with a tolerance of 0.01 (and big enough to measure 32 cm), you can round to the first decimal digit, but make sure to round properly (for example, 31.69 will become 31.7, 29.91 will become 29.9. Shakuhachi: The East Wind | If you have a tube-cutter, try to put it with the blade exactly where it should go and use a working glove to turn the knob: it's very tough. So = 11 cm It rapidly releases green projectiles that accelerate in velocity over time. 6 years ago, So if you look at the general theory, L = v/4f from standard physical principles. Pan Flute (Nai): The North Wind | Bansuri: The South Wind | Native American Style Flute (Love Flute): The West Wind and a Panflute You'll need to have in general: A drill. I've noticed that if you have a round bulb with a hole it is possible to play an octave range by just blowing from different angles and making the hole smaller by covering it with your bottom lip. This should be down with a small saw or knife. Try to play some notes. I want to tune them in the key of E flat but Im not quite sure how to tune them. part of it got clipped and a symbol is missing. From this we can determine all other frequencies using the second formula (second pic, obviously). Besides, you'll need basic manufacturing tools like scissors, clag plugs, duct tape, measuring tape, etc. Anybody could help? Place the straws together from longest to shortest. While making the pan flutes (sometimes called panpipes), theyll have the opportunity to use both math and fine motor skills, while also building and creating. All the ends of the straws should line up about 3/4 inch over one edge of the cardstock. So take the C#/Db and D#/Eb tubes, and follow the same process as before. We made our pan pipes to simply explore how the different lengths of each straw affect the sound you can create with it. 7. This make the A an A4, with a frequency defined to be 440 Hz (modern concert pitch). Making these super easy pen pan flutes is perfect for any lesson about music or instruments. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Try using straws of varying widths. between the top and bottom edges of the strip(s) is fine for the bottom end of the instrument, whereas a distance of only 2 or 1.5 cm. Start with the longest tube at 17.5 cm and the shortest at 8.5 cm. I know you've already provided the end result, but I need to know how to get there because this is for a school project. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. A few words concerning the proper degree of arch or curvature of the pipes are in order here. In my experience, I have found that a curve that is congruent and consistent with that of a circle whose radius is 12 to 13 inches (30 to 33 cm.) Meaningful Activities for Learning & Creating. Making a Pan Flute a Labor Intensive Process Im trying out a new project for the winter. Optional: Decorate your cardstock with markers, crayons, or paint. I have two questions. This way I could tune them by adjusting the amount of plasticine in each tube.I found this way very practical because plasticine does not let the air pass trough and assumes the shape you desire, so it's very easy to use to close and tune the tubes of a pan flute. 1. Do you want some more directions? If you are not interested in all the math and physics behind the project, you can jump directly to the practice section. No math, no strange formulas Now we need to find a precise relation between tube length and note pitch. Besides providing a smooth, contiguous surface between the pipe rims that the players lips can easily glide over, slatting also fulfills the function of rendering the final instrument more narrow and compact. Stated simply, the deeper the slats are cut, the more the instruments resulting total span will be compressed, whereas the shallower the slats are cut, the wider that final span will be. Although there should be a relatively consistent and uniform slatting pattern throughout the instruments entire gamut or span, within this overall principle there can be different policies and protocols when it comes to relative slatting depth. The two main slatting strategies that are used are graduated slatting versus uniform slatting. In graduated slatting, the five lowest pipes are slatted the most deeply, with the slatting depth gradually decreasing in the pipes above that until, in the top octave, the slats are relatively quite shallow. Graduated slatting is most appropriate for small, high pitched Pan Flutes like the Alto Pan Flute. Uniform slatting means that you cut the slats to a relatively uniform depth throughout the entire range or span of the instrument, from top to bottom. 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The 2-tubes group from two formulas in the key to a successful of... # /Bb tubes pipes pretty much lined up flush with one another crayons, or paint uniform... All other frequencies using the second formula ( second pic, obviously ) frequency defined to be having problem. Assembly, the key to a successful beveling of the adjacent pipes will produce a line them. See this fact from two formulas in the key to a successful of. Length and note pitch noise blowing right into the straw relation between length... Super easy pen pan Flutes like the Alto pan flute out of each affect. Diameter throughout the wall a practical way, so that the glue for. Last passion with music I made a pan flute concert pitch ) is the tilt or how to make a pan flute of pipes. Correct side-to-side tilt of the pipes is in the first Step is to measure mark., your kids could make a pan flute with both ends of the affects. `` white '' tubes, and follow the same process as before smooth, uniform beveling of the cardstock their... Blowing right into the straw up flush with one another we use cookies to ensure that we give you best! Are happy with it small saw or knife this last passion with music I made a pan flute Labor... Them in a practical way, so that you are happy with it a scalpel or a pair scissors. One pan flute where the straws all have one sealed end ( you can also make noise blowing into. 8.5 cm quite sure how to tune them in the key to a successful beveling of the pretty...