It consists of 15 pipes starting with a low E and ending with a high E - a total of 2 octaves. The lowest note is E, but it's tuned to C major. They're made of purple bamboo, which if I'm not wrong is of a more expensive variety than white bamboo that is more commonly used for horizontal Chinese flutes. A pipe with a wider bore and longer column will produce a lower note. Blowing across the top produces the tone. Each pipe is sealed at the bottom and is tuned by setting the length of the pipe and the column of air inside it. They are made from various materials such as reeds, bamboo, different varieties of wood and even - more recently - plastic. Panpipes have been found in various cultures ranging from Greece to the China, Europe to the Andes. Put together, it simply means a row of vertical edge-blown flutes - in other words, a panpipe. Pai means row, and Xiao refers to a vertical edge-blown flute. The Chinese name for panpipes is "Pai Xiao" (排箫). I visited a Chinese instrument store in Singapore and was told it would sell here for about $120 SGD. I was given this set of Chinese Panpipes by a friend who visited Tianjin, China.
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