How to Make Your Own Acoustic Instrument From PVC Pipes
- 1). Cut several short lengths of pipe using your power saw. Initially, make the lengths more or less equal, about six to eight inches long. Cut as many lengths as you want your finished instrument to have pitches.
- 2). Make a musical tone on a short piece of pipe; this will help you determine how much to trim each piece of pipe for the instrument. Press the end of a pipe against your bottom lip, holding the pipe perpendicular to the ground. Blow across the top of the pipe's opening until you create a pitched, whistle-like sound; this is how pan pipes are played.
- 3). Experiment with different lengths of pipe to find the pitches you want. Gradually shorten each pipe, removing a little at a time and testing its pitch until you get the sound you want. Compare pitches to a piano or pitch pipe, especially if you want your instrument to correspond to other Western classical and folk instruments.
- 4). Arrange the pipes from shortest to tallest. Place them side-by-side with the tops of the pipes lined up.
- 5). Glue the pipes together. Attach the pipes to one another one at a time. Let the glue on each piece set before adding the next. Let the pipes dry while lying flat on a table to ensure that they stay lined up and flat.
- 6). Sand the tops of the pipes. Smooth out the top edge, as well as the top corners of the pipes at the edge where they're lined up; this is where the player's mouth will contact the instrument, and sanding will prevent injuries from splinters.
- 7). Decorate the finished pan pipes. Use any paint or accessories you like; commonly, pan pipes are adorned with a strip of ribbon, leather or embroidery tied across their width.