The Oldest Magick
Part Three: Creating Pan's Pipes
Lew Paxton Price
In last issue's account, bamboo was the material used to create the first panpipes. This may not be the case; however, something very much like bamboo is likely. Panpipes are probably the oldest non-percussion instrument in the world. They are the beginning of what has become the organ, the flute, the clarinet, the saxophone, the oboe and all flute derivatives.
Panpipes use a column of air that acts as a spring. Each pipe is plugged at the bottom, preventing air from passing out or in except at the top. One blows on the top opposite edge of the pipe so that the air stream is split upon this edge. When one directs air into the pipe, it builds pressure within the pipe, compressing the air like a spring. This "spring" becomes too compressed for the air to stay, so it escapes suddenly. The airstream then redirects itself across the top of the pipe, creating a partial vacuum within the pipe and "expanding" the spring. This spring now becomes too expanded and pulls the air back into the pipe, once again compressing the spring. This cycle of alternating pressure and vacuum within the pipe repeats many times each second (261.58 times for today's middle C), producing a frequency we call a note.
The pipes have a unique, breathy, wind-like sound, made famous in the West by Rumanian born Gheorghe Zamfir who has played them for over twenty years. Panpipes have different tunings and modes throughout the world. Today in Peru, they are usually played by different groups playing the longest and deepest to the shortest and highest pipes. Sets of pipes are made with which two people play alternate notes in a duet. Large groups can then divide into two stereophonic sections and stand at either end of a field while listeners sit in the center. The effect for the listeners is similar to being inside a large pipe organ.
Panpipes can be tubing, pipe, bamboo, wood or any hollow, cylindrical material. Each pipe should be plugged at one end and open at the other. The open ends should be aligned and fixed so that one's mouth can move easily along the row while playing them. The best proportion for a pipe is to have the distance from the open end to the plug equal to twelve times the inside diameter. However, this is not always possible because smaller pipes, to be playable, must have a minimum inside diameter of about a quarter inch. Then, a seven to one proportion will do.
Pipes may be tuned as desired. The length of each pipe will be a quarter of the wavelength of the frequency it produces minus 0.61 times the inside diameter of the open end. The quarter wavelengths of the notes in the modern musical scale are given in the table for 70? F at sea level. The older scale, which is more appropriate for ritual purposes, is in the next table. The old scale, however, is not suitable for playing with instruments tuned to the modern scale. Use the lengths in italics for the most practical pipes of Pan. (This is the seventeen-pipe set ranging from A below middle C to the C two octaves above.) Remember that both tables are for 70? F, which is not standard, either for modern or ancient times but which works best for panpipes and flutes in my experience. Wavelengths for standard temperatures are slightly different.
If you use bamboo, it is best to take your time and use the ancient method of curing the bamboo so that your instrument will not crack. Avoid bamboo that comes from a store. Find your own source of green bamboo. It grows wild in most states. If you cannot find it, you can grow it. Bamboo grows very quickly and, once started, becomes a nuisance to stop. Harvest your bamboo and cut the pipes you plan to use while the bamboo still green. Cut the pipes longer that you expect to need. The diameter will shrink as the bamboo dries, allow for this. Be sure that every length of bamboo you plan to use is open on one end. This is important because it may explode when you perform the next step unless at least one end is open.
Using charcoal or an oven, place your green bamboo pipes in the heat and watch them. Suspend them with dowels or wires placed where they will not touch the exterior. They will begin to sweat and turn color. When the sweat begins to thicken and the bamboo is glossy, remove the pipes and let them cool. Do not touch the exterior—this ruins the finish. When cool, the varnish will be hard.
Next wrap the cool bamboo in newspapers and place the wrapped bamboo in plastic garbage bags. This prevents contamination from spores while it is curing and assures curing at the proper rate. Seal the garbage bags and place them in a cool (about 65? to 70? F) place for six months.
At the end of six months, remove your bamboo from the wrappings and make your panpipes. Finally, use natural varnish to seal the inside only of each pipe and the unfinished side of the bamboo that holds the pipes together. Also, seal the cut edges that do not have the natural resin finish on them.
The last step is to bind your pipes together. This is done with a beeswaxed string wound about each pipe, binding it to a crossmember. Any style of winding is all right if it works. There is usually one crossmember of bamboo that has been split near the top of the pipes (the open ends) and another angled along the bottom. If you wish to decorate your pipes as is done in the Andes, you may wrap colored cotton string around the pipes before you bind them together.
When playing your pipes, place your lower lip against the near side of the pipe you wish to play as if you were blowing on a bottle. Shape your mouth as if you are saying "oooooo" and blow reasonably hard so that your breath is split on the opposite edge of the pipe. To play the flats between notes, very slightly with your lower lip, cover the open end of the pipe and blow more into the pipe than across it. A good set of pipes is fully chromatic (gets the sharps and flats) when properly played—even though it is tuned diatonically with only seven notes per octave. With practice, you can play one of the world's oldest instruments beautifully.
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1988 by Lew Paxton Price
Table One: Modern Scale
Pipe length = Wavelength/4 - .61 x internal dia.
Note Wavelength/4
A 15 3/8''
A# 14 1/2''
B 13 11/16''
C 12 15/16''
C# 12 3/16''
11 1/2''
# 10 7/8''
E 10 1/4''
F 9 11/16''
F# 9 1/8''
G 8 5/8''
G# 8 5/32''
A' 7 11/16''
A#' 7 1/4''
B' 6 27/32''
C' 6 15/32''
C#' 6 3/32''
D' 5 3/4''
#' 5 7/16''
E' 5 1/8''
F' 4 27/32''
F#' 4 9/16''
G' 4 5/16''
G#' 4 1/16''
A'' 3 27/32''
A#'' 3 5/8''
B'' 3 7/16"
C'' 3 7/32''
C#'' 3 1/16''
D'' 2 7/8''
#'' 2 23/32''
E'' 2 9/16''
F'' 2 13/32''
F#'' 2 9/32''
G'' 2 5/32''
G#'' 2 1/32''
A''' 1 29/32''
A#''' 1 13/16''
B''' 1 7/16''
C''' 1 5/8''
Example:
For a C' pipe, using material with a 5/8 inch inside diameter (5/8'' = .625''):
1) Be sure the ratio of length to diameter is acceptable:
a) The C' quarter wavelength is 6 15/32 inches, which equals about 6.47''
b) 6.47'' divided by .625'' is a ratio of about 10:1
c) 10 is between 7 and 12, so this choice is acceptable
2) Determine the pipe length:
a) The length to subtract is .61 times the pipe diameter. .61 x .625'' = about .38''
b) 6.47'' - .38'' = 6.09'' or 63/32 inches for the distance from the open end to the plug.
Table Two: Ancient Scale
(same as modern scientific scale)
Note Wavelength/4
A 15 23/32''
A# 14 13/16''
B 14''
C 13 7/32''
C# 12 15/32''
11 25/32''
# 11 3/32''
E 10 15/32''
F 9 29/32''
F# 9 11/32''
G 8 13/16''
G# 8 5/16''
A' 7 27/32''
A#' 7 13/32''
B' 7''
C' 6 19/32''
C#' 6 1/4''
D' 5 7/8''
#' 5 9/16''
E' 5 1/4''
F' 4 15/16''
F#' 4 21/32''
G' 4 13/32''
G#' 4 5/32''
A'' 3 15/16''
A#'' 3 23/32''
B'' 3 1/2''
C'' 3 5/16''
C#'' 3 1/8''
D'' 2 15/16''
#'' 2 25/32''
E'' 2 5/8''F'' 2 15/32''F#'' 2 11/32''G'' 2 7/32''G#'' 2 3/32''A''' 1 31/32''A#''' 1 27/32''B''' 1 3/4''C''' 1 21/32'' | 
