Panpipes

Subject: Panpipes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 04:13 PM

I'm aware of panpipes being important instruments in the music of two parts of the world - South-Eastern Europe and South America.

So two questions occur. Did they develop independently in these two regions (to which I strongly suspect the answer will be "yes"). And are there any other parts of the world where the instrument is played in traditional music? (The Arab world? Africa? China?)

And a third question, has anyone ever used panpipes in other types of music, such as Irish? How did it work out?

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: RichM
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 06:41 PM

Chinese panpipes

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: RichM
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 06:50 PM

http://www.acslink.aone.net.au/christo/inrec001/inr00020.htm

Panpipes:Swaziland

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: RichM
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 06:58 PM

Solomon Islands

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 08:35 PM

Thanks RichM - I thought that an instrument like the panpipes had to crop up in a few more places than just the ones I know about. If you or anyone comes up with more, share them. It's a strange instrument. I've got a small Romanian one, but I've never been able to get a decent sound out of it. Maybe I'll have another go.

That link in your last post had picked up a couple of extra letters, so didn't work as such. But with a bit of pruning it does - here.

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: RichM
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 01:21 AM

Korean panpipes

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 12:17 AM

I picked up a set of "professional" pan-pipes in Peru eight month's ago....like any other instrument...they require patience and fine tuning to bring out their best qualities....they also give a popping head-rush at lower evelations from hyper-ventilation.

Sincerely
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 02:08 PM

So has anyone succeeded in using them in Irish music ? I'd imagine they could be good on slow airs.

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: swirlygirl
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 02:23 PM

I think they're awful...you guys obviously don't live in a town with the ubiquitous pan pipe buskers do you...

Please...don't cause us por folks unnecessary stress and leave them darn pipes alone!!!

('Bout the only type of pipes I don't like too)

:)

xxx

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 02:23 PM

The much maligned ZAMFIR (of TV ad infamy) was Romanian, and the newest PBS panpipe superstar (forget his name, but he's an exotic babe-magnet) is also Romanian. Despite the way these guys were marketed, they're superb musicians.

Rick

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 02:40 PM

Zamfir ruined Romanian pan-pipes for me. I can be listening to a recording of the crustiest old Romanian shepherd EVER, playing the most ancient and authentic Romanian folk tune EVER, and all I can hear is Zamfir doing "Theme from Love Story." The bastard.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: Jeri
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 02:49 PM

Day Trip To AltaVista. Mistyped it as "panpiles" and actually got a hit.
I tried "panpipes" and got hits on where to buy them.
I typed "panpipes" and "babe magnet" in, and got this page: Bee Gees on PanPipes by Jorge Rico. That the guy, Rick? Pantypipes...

No, I'm not making this up.

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: Fortunato
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 03:11 PM

Mike Seeger on his website Click here lists the following under sample selections:

Tennessee Dog Medicine show song with banjo and quills (pan pipes). 41kb RealAudio clip | 153kb au clip

Subject: RE: Panpipes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Mar 02 - 04:41 PM

Great little taster there of Mike Seeger singing Tennessee Dog, but I couldn't hear the "quills" - still I've now learned that there's a Black American tradition of panpipes under that name, said to have been imported from Africa.

The impression I'm getting is that panpipes seem to be present in thenb traditions of most partds of the world. Which isn't suprising - but what maybe is surprising is that in most places they seem to be so marginalised.

I've never seen a busker playing them down this end of the country. I'm sure they can sound bloody awful, but so can any instrument, in some hands. I don't think it's too fair to judge an instrument by what some buskers do with them. Just consider the didgeridoo. Or for that matter the guitar.