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The Flute Boys Strike Again

The Pan Flute

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Why the pan flute?

  • we wanted to learn about an instrument in the same family
  • we wanted to educated ourselves on international musical history

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The Pan Flute

  • Also known as panpipes or syrinx
  • Consists of multiple pipes in increasing length
    • Varies per flute, not standard
  • Pipes are typically made from bamboo, giant cane, or local reeds
  • Sound is produced by the vibration of an airstream blowing across an open hole

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Represented Cultures

  • Andean
    • Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador
    • Used in traditional music and dances
  • Romanian (nai)
    • Used in folk music and is associated with the music of shepherds
  • Greek (syrinx)
    • Used in mythology to represent the god Pan
    • Still used in Greek music today
  • Chinese (dizi)
    • Used in many traditional and classical pieces of music and is often played in ensembles with other instruments
  • South American (siku)
    • Brazil, Columbia, and Chile
    • Used in traditional music and dances

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Pan Flute influenced by Greek Culture

  • The name pan flute comes from Greek Mythology
  • According to Greek Legend, the Nymph Syrinx was turned into reeds to protect her chastity from the god Pan
  • When God Pan blew over the reeds in frustration, the pan flute was created
  • In Ancient Greece, the pan flute was considered a shepherd’s instrument
  • Pan was the god of shepherds

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History of the Pan Flute

  • Worldwide archaeological record, historical and mythological references, and oral traditions testifies that the pan flute is one of the oldest most enduring musical instruments in the world.
  • It has been in existence for more than 6000 years
  • The creation of the straight formed Greek pan flute was around 2500 B.C.E
    • Found on the cyclade island in the Aegean Sea

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History of Pan Flute

  • Pan flutes have been dated to be found as early as 4200 and 3200 B.C.E located in Peru
  • In the northwestern corner of india, evidence found a straight pan flute during the Gandhara period (1st-5th Century C.E)
  • In the southern U.S, a pan flute form known as the Quills was played amongst enslaved African-Americans as early as the late 18th century.

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Our own twist

  • Traditionally, the pan flute has some sort of backing for support and the pipes are tied in with string
  • We decided to arrange our bamboo in order, then hot glue them together, and finally hot glue the support beams on each side

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How to Play the Pan Flute

Steps to playing

  1. sit/stand upright (posture is important)
    1. The player should sit or stand in a comfortable posture with the spine, neck and head held perpendicular
  2. Hold positioning the flute with both hands
    • The right hand, which is the dominant hand in most people, should hold the longest or lowest pipes of the Pan Flute firmly anchored in the palm of the hand
    • The job of the left hand, which is the non-dominant hand in most people, is to steady the instrumen
  3. Proper Breathing
    • To play the Pan Flute, we use deep abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, supplemented by chest and shoulder breathing for a full breath from bottom to top
  4. Proper Embouchure
    • it is quite similar to blowing soup on a spoon, with the tightened lips focusing the air stream on a single point.

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Bibliography

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