Straw Pan Pipes: What Size?

Making pan pipes from straws is a fun and educational activity for kids. All you need are some simple household items like straws, scissors, tape, and a ruler. The straws are cut into different lengths, with the longest straw producing the lowest sound and the shortest straw, the highest. Kids can then play simple melodies on their handmade pan pipes and learn about the science of sound and pitch.

Straw length affects pitch

The pan flute is an end-blown flute. Sound is produced by the vibration of an air stream blowing across an open hole at the end of the tube. The air moves through the straw, vibrating along the way and out to the end.

The pitch of a musical note is determined by its sound wavelength. Each straw in a pan pipe produces a musical note of a different pitch in a musical scale called an octave. The wavelength that can be played depends on the length of the instrument. The longer the straw, the lower the pitch. The shorter the straw, the higher the pitch.

The longer the wind column, the larger the standing wave. A larger standing wave creates a lower frequency. We perceive frequency as the highness or lowness we call pitch.

To make a pan pipe with straws, you will need eight straight straws, scissors, a ruler, masking tape, and a marker. Measure and cut your straws to different lengths, from the longest to the shortest. The longest straw should be around 19.5 cm or 7.7 inches, and the shortest straw should be around 3.7 inches. You can use the formula L = λ/2 – (0.4)(d) to calculate the length of each straw, where L is the length of the pipe, λ is the wavelength, and d is the diameter of the pipe.

Once you have cut your straws to the desired lengths, arrange them in order from longest to shortest, with the tops of the straws all at the same level. Number the straws with a marker, starting with 1 for the longest straw. Then, place spacers between the numbered straws to make it easier to blow into each straw individually and produce different notes. Finally, tape the straws and spacers tightly together in a long row.

Now you can test your pan pipes by blowing into each straw and listening to the pitch produced. You can also try playing simple melodies by blowing into the straws in a specific order.

How to play pan pipes

To make pan pipes out of straws, you'll need 8 straight straws, scissors, a ruler, masking tape, and a marker. Cut your straws to different lengths, starting with the longest and cutting each one progressively shorter. The exact lengths aren't crucial, but you can use online guides to cut them to specific sizes. For example, the shortest straw could be around 8 cm, while the longest could be around 19.5 cm.

Once you've cut your straws, arrange them in order, longest to shortest, with the tops of them aligned. Number the straws from 1 to 8, with the longest straw being number 1. Cut some spacers (around 1 inch long) to place in between the numbered straws, making it easier to blow into each straw. Tape the straws and spacers together tightly in a long row.

Now, you're ready to play your pan pipes! Here are some tips to get you started:

Body and Flute Positioning

Sit or stand upright and relaxed, holding the pan pipes with both hands. The long tube end should be in a handshake grip with your right hand, and the pan pipes should be positioned vertically, with the tubes parallel to your body. Hold the end of the flute with the short tubes gently with your left hand. Keep your arms relaxed so you can easily move the flute back and forth to blow into different tubes.

Embouchure

Your embouchure refers to the positioning and shaping of your mouth and lips to control your airflow. To form your embouchure, make a slight smile and purse your lips, creating a small opening. Position the pan pipes against your bottom lip and blow into one of the tubes. Adjust the position of the flute higher or lower to produce a good-quality sound. When playing higher notes (shorter tubes), tighten your lips, and relax your embouchure for lower notes (longer tubes).

Basic Playing Techniques

When blowing into the pan pipes, you can alter the sound by moving your tongue to pronounce different consonant letter sounds, such as T, B, P, or D. To play half-notes, tilt the flute away from you so that your lower lip covers part of the tube opening, or retract your jaw by pulling your chin backward while blowing. To play staccato notes, pronounce a sharp T sound by touching your tongue to the back of your front teeth quickly. To create a vibrato sound, change the strength of the airflow from strong to weak, or move the pan pipes slightly toward and away from your mouth while keeping the airflow consistent and strong.

Practicing

Practice playing scales and simple songs to improve your technique. Playing for 30-60 minutes every day will help you get accustomed to shaping your embouchure and improving your playing. You can also practice in front of a mirror to observe your technique and make adjustments as needed.

Materials needed

To make a pan pipe out of straws, you will need the following materials:

• Drinking straws—these can be regular straws or wider straws, such as those used for boba or bubble tea. You can also use straws of different colours and diameters to add some variety to your pan pipe. The number of straws you need will depend on the number of notes you want your pan pipe to be able to play. For a simple scale, you will need eight straws. However, you can also make a pan pipe with just five or six straws.
• Scissors—to cut the straws to the desired length.
• Tape—double-sided sticky tape is recommended as it is the easiest to work with, but regular sticky tape or quick-drying glue can also be used. Clear tape will do the job, but coloured tape can make your pan pipe look more fun.
• A ruler—to measure the straws before cutting them.
• Crayons, coloured pencils or pens (optional)—to decorate your pan pipe.
• Cardstock (optional)—if you want to make a more sturdy pan pipe, you can attach your straws to a couple of strips of cardstock. You can also decorate the cardstock.
• A pan pipe holder template or card (optional)—if you want to make a holder for your pan pipe, you can print out a template online or cut rectangles of card to decorate.
• A marker—to label the straws or cardstock.

Once you have gathered all of the necessary materials, you can start making your pan pipe by measuring and cutting your straws to the desired lengths.

Cutting and assembling

To make a pan pipe out of straws, you will need 8 straight straws, scissors, a ruler, masking tape, and a marker. You will also need a pair of card rectangles measuring 12cm x 4cm each, which you can either cut yourself or print out from a template.

The first step is to measure and cut your straws to the following lengths: 7.7 inches, 6.7 inches, 6.1 inches, 5.7 inches, 5.1 inches, 4.5 inches, 3.9 inches, and 3.7 inches. You can also cut the straws freestyle, starting with the longest and cutting each one progressively shorter. If you want to create a proper scale, you would need to cut your straws to the following measurements: Do = 17.5 cm, Re = 15.5 cm, Mi = 13.5 cm, Fa = 12.5 cm, So = 11 cm, La = 10 cm, Ti = 9 cm, and Do = 8.5 cm.

After cutting your straws, you will need to cut seven spacers about 1 inch long. These spacers will be placed between the straws to make it easier to blow into each straw individually. Label the straws 1-8, with 1 being the longest one.

Now it's time to assemble the pan pipe. Place a strip of double-sided tape onto one of your card rectangles. Start with the longest straw and place it on the tape near the left edge, with about 3/4 inch hanging over the side. Place the shortest straw on the right-hand side, also with about 3/4 inch hanging over. Place the rest of the straws on the tape in order of length, making sure the tops of the straws are aligned.

Once all the straws are in place, put another piece of tape on top and press the ends together to secure them. Repeat this process near the bottom of the straws for extra stability. Finally, place the second card rectangle on top and secure it with tape.

Your pan pipe is now ready to play! Hold the pipe vertically below your lips and blow across the tops of the straws. You can also blow directly into the straws, but avoid putting your mouth on them as this will muffle the sound. Experiment with blowing into each straw to hear the different pitches produced.

You can now try playing simple melodies on your pan pipe. Some suggested songs to try are "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Have fun creating your own musical masterpieces!

The science of sound

Sound is a series of waves that travel through the air and are interpreted by our ears and brain. The pan flute is an end-blown flute. When you blow across the top of a bottle, if you get the blowing angle and pressure just right, you'll produce a breathy note. The pitch of this note deepens the larger the bottle is. The pan pipe works in the same way. If you blow at the correct angle across the mouth of the pipe, you create what's called a 'flow valve'. Like a physical valve, this controls how the air flows into or out of the aperture.

The pitch of a music note is determined by its sound wavelength. Each straw in a pan pipe made of straws is producing a music note of different pitches in a musical scale called an octave. The wavelength that can be played depends on the length of the straw. The longer the straw, the deeper the pitch. The shorter the straw, the higher the pitch.

The pan pipe — an instrument made from a cylindrical piece of bamboo and tuned to a particular pitch using a wax plug in the bottom — is closed at one end and open at the other. This means it can produce only odd harmonics. In contrast, a conical bore (brass) produces a full harmonic series. This means that the pan pipe shares its tonality with the family of waveforms that includes triangle waves and square waves whereas, as we have seen before, brass is better synthesized using the sawtooth waveform.

The pan pipe is the same as blowing across the top of a bottle. If you blow at the correct angle and pressure, you'll produce a breathy note that gets deeper in pitch the larger the bottle is. The pan pipe is an instrument made from a cylindrical piece of bamboo and tuned to a particular pitch using a wax plug in the bottom. If you blow at the correct angle across the mouth of the pipe, you create what's called a 'flow valve'.

Frequently asked questions