How to make Pan Flute?: DIY

Let’s Make a DIY Pan Flute!

Pan Flute is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length. Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been popular as folk instruments. The pipes are typically made from bamboo, giant cane, or local reeds. Other materials include wood, plastic, metal and ivory. Would it be interesting to make one yourself?

Making a Pan Flute is a fun craft project and also an educational science experiment that can be done at home. So let us begin and make this homestay fun and productive.

Materials required:

Cardboard
Straw
Scissors

What to do next?

You can follow these simple steps to make your DIY Pan Flute

STEP 1:

Cut 8 straw pieces of length mentioned as above.

STEP 2:

Insert the straw pieces into the two construction paper holders.

STEP 3:

Align the straw pieces such that all of them are at equal level on one side.

STEP 4:

Now name each straw piece as above. (Sa for the longest straw, Re for the second and so on. You can use Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do as well or just numbers like 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)

Now, your PAN FLUTE is ready. Make some music with it. ♫♬🎵

Discuss

Why do you think it is called a PAN flute?
Is sound produced when you directly blow into the straw? What technique did you use?
What is the difference in sound produced in the straws?
What might be the Science behind the sound produced?
What happens if you block one end of the straw using masking tape? Try it.
What would happen if the straws were of different width?
Can you think what material would you use to make a bigger pan flute?

Try this Happy Birthday melody:

Sa Sa Re Sa Ma Ga

Hap py Birth day to you

Sa Sa Sa’ Dha Ma Ga Re

Hap py Birth day dear … ABC …

Sa Sa Re Sa Pa Ma

Hap py Birth day to you

Ni Ni Dha Ma Pa Ma

Hap py Birth day tooo … you…

Now try this melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

NOW TIME FOR SOME SCIENCE

Sound is simply vibrations that move through a medium that our brains interpret into noise we hear. In this case, the sound is produced by the vibration of air blowing across the open holes of the straws.Air blowing through a shorter straw moves quickly in one end and out the other. These vibrations move quickly and have a high frequency, which produces a high pitch. Similarly, the same amount of air moving through a longer straw takes longer to come out the other end. These vibrations move more slowly, have a low frequency, and produce a low pitch.