If you are searching for the best pan flute for beginners, you are in the right place.
Whether you are feeling inspired by the theme song from “Titanic”, discovered the Pan Flute while exploring Peru, or stumbled across the pan flute at a music at a festival, undoubtedly your love of the enchanting music has led you here to search out your own pan flute.
The nostalgic sound of the pan flute has been around for eons thanks to its melody which provokes deep sentiment in your heart and soul.
This article is here to help you learn a little bit more about this wistful instrument and take a look at the 10 best pan flutes available today.
Material: Bamboo
Number of Pipes: 13
Country of Origin: Peru
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned in E (Mi minor)
Review:
This handsome Pan flute has a great balance between good quality and affordability.
It is handmade in Peru and you can see the pipes line up smoothly, the tubes are bound together securely and this feels like a solid instrument.
Handmade in Peru
It includes a beautiful hand-woven case which is black with a colorful native weave design that really makes this pan pipe special. This is one of my favorite pan flutes Amazon offers.
This Ramos pan pipe has a beautiful sound that is unmatched at this price point. The sound is gentle, clear, rich and perfectly pitched. You are going to love it!
Sound Sample:
Material: Amazonic Bamboo
Number of Pipes: 15
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned G major – 440 Hz – G4-G6
Review:
You can easily tune this pan flute because each pipe has a cork you can push and adjust to change tuning
This beginner pan flute comes with everything you need including a soft case, a tuning stick and a rod for cleaning.
The Inkatumi pan flute is well made, looks great and best of all, sounds like a pro level instrument.
Material: Bamboo and wood
Number of Pipes: Varies
Country of Origin: Lima, Peru
Octaves, Tuning: Varies
Review:
Q’Awary Pan Flutes are made by hand by experienced craftsman Ruben Muñoz Perez in Lima, Peru. These pan flutes are made with bamboo and wood, and some are painted.
Q’Awary makes a large range of pan flutes, including very large pan flutes.
These are of the absolute best quality professional pan flutes, and are not so easy to get a hold of. You may contact the craftsman on his Facebook page to discuss his hand made instruments.
Sound Sample:
Material: Bamboo
Number of Pipes: 15 Tubes, 2 octaves
Country of Origin: Peru
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned to G Major in 440Hz
Review:
The Creator of “Andean Style” pan flutes is Acmed Tuesta, a professional musician, singer and songwriter who is passionate about sharing Andean music with the world.
His pan flutes are handmade in Peru with love and care.
These pan pipes are crafted with high quality Amazonian bamboo and this particular 15 tube pan pipe contains two full octaves.
Being designed by a musician you can be sure the sound is beautiful, and it is handsomely made so it looks good as it sounds.
Sound Sample:
Material: Bamboo tubes with a wood tray
Number of Pipes: 15
Country of Origin: China
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned to the key of G
Review:
This attractive pan pipe is made in china from bamboo with a natural wood tray and has a unique, elegant look.
The tuning is good and the sound is wonderful.
This pan pipe instrument comes with a nice case and tuning sticks to adjust the beeswax or cork stoppers to achieve the perfect tune.
Available as a right hand or left hand pan flute.
Material: Japanese Bamboo and Madeira wood
Number of Pipes: varies
Country of Origin: Czech Republic
Octaves, Tuning: Varies
Review:
Panex pan flutes are the best quality pan flutes made in three grades, student, standard and professional. The student models are among the best beginner pan pipes IMO.
They are available and right hand or left handed pan flutes.
They use the finest quality bamboo from japan and treat the inside of the tube before placing the flute in a madeira wood tray. These are easily the best looking and sounding pan flutes that I have encountered, but the price reflects that.
Sound Sample:
Material: Bamboo
Number of Pipes: 21
Country of Origin: Peru
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned to E minor, 3 octaves
Review:
The Piece of Heaven 21 pipe pan flute is a right handed bamboo pan flute from Peru. Compared to its price, its quality is excellent.
It is tuned to E minor and is relatively small for a 21 pipe pan flute, but it does encompass 3 octaves in those 21 tubes.
It is easy to play and starts with Note “Do” 1 and contains “Do” 2, “Do” 3 and ends with “DO” 4.
This piece of Heaven pan flute has a wide range and is a joy to play and are good starter pan pipes.
Material: Bamboo
Number of Pipes: 15
Country of Origin: Peru
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned C major 440 hz
Review:
This small Peruvian pan flute has a beautiful song, as you can hear in the sound sample below.
I personally like the compact size of this 15 pipe flute and the fact that it comes with a woven wool case makes it a great deal, a perfect beginner pan flute instrument and one of the top pan flutes Amazon offers.
This Inkatumi pan flute IS tunable, and the flute includes the tuning stick needed to move and push the cork around to get the notes tuned perfectly.
Sound Sample:
Material: ABS Resin
Number of Pipes: 16 pipes
Country of Origin: China
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned to the Key of “C”
Review:
This is the most inexpensive pan flute on this list and it is perfect for children. It is made from tough ABS resin and is practically indestructible.
Of course, the sound quality is not the same as a real wood or bamboo pan flute, but the price is right.
This Van Goa plastic pan flute is a great pan flute instrument for beginners and kids.
Sound Sample:
Material: Bamboo (case is woven acrylic)
Number of Pipes: 13 pipes
Country of Origin: Puno, Peru
Octaves, Tuning: Tuned to the key of G
Review:
This pan flute from Peru is a certified NOVICA fair trade product in association with National Geographic.
It is as authentic as they come, made by pan flute artesian Benito Tito.
Benito Tito has many years of experience and learned the trade from his grandparents as his family heritage. He also employs others from Puno, Peru to help him with the craft, and the whole village benefits from the trade of these bamboo pan flutes.
This pan flute has 13 pipes, 7 pipes on the top row and 6 on the bottom row which are all secured with a woven cord.
This double layer pan pipe is not as easy to play as others since the pipes are not beveled and there are two rows to manage, but it is a treasure nonetheless.
It includes gorgeous colorful artesian woven case and a small pocket flute as a bonus gift. These are good starter pan pipes.
The vast majority of pan flutes on the market today are made from bamboo. Bamboo is lightweight, reasonably sturdy, readily available worldwide and most importantly it is SUSTAINABLE and eco friendly.
Bamboo has a wonderful sound and if you take good care of your pan flute, store it away from humid conditions, and keep it in its case or pouch when not in use, it will last many years.
However, real wood pan flutes may last longer due to the nature of the difference between real wood and bamboo. Many European pan flutes are made from real wood. A real wood pan flute will be heavier than bamboo, but some may prefer the look and long lasting quality of real wood pan flutes, which can be hard to find.
If you want a real wood pan flute, Brad White offers gorgeous “Plum wood” pan flutes made from Maple Wood, if you are interested.
For a complete beginner, especially someone with less experience playing any musical instrument, a 13 to 15 pipe pan flute is best.
The key is to learn the tilt, angle, how to reach the notes of each pipe (each pipe plays more than one note) and getting your breath right.
A smaller pan flute is simply easier to manage.
Do not be discouraged by owing a smaller 13-15 pipe pan flute. A good 5 note scale (pentatonic) pan flute has three octaves and allows you to play a wide range of your favorite songs.
Mid-Range pan flutes make the best beginner pan pipes due to their size. The size of a C note tuned pan flute is the ideal size for beginners. G note pan flutes are also a popular choice and an ideal size. A G note tuned pan flute will have a lower, deeper sound, so go with what resonates with you.
I should note that the G note tuned pan flute is the most common tuning for Romanian style pan flutes, but C is plenty common, and I like the higher pitch of C tuned pan flutes. So, it’s a personal preference that depends on what you like.
For beginners, students, schools and children a solid, inexpensive pan flute is the Moonangel 16 pipe ASB Plastic PanPipe. This pan flute is made from indestructible ASB resin and the price is right.
Of course it will not have the rich authentic sound of the 10 best pan flutes for beginners listed above, but it is quite inexpensive.
How to learn to play the Pan Flute:
There are many resources to learn to play the pan flute. Of course, each player develops their own style, and the pan flute is very adaptable to your own vibe, if that makes sense.
You music, ultimately, will come from within, drawing on your emotions and instinct, so don’t feel like you must sound exactly like anyone else, even a good instructor.
A good place to get started learning the pan flute is Brad White´s pan flute lessons. The lessons are FREE and include important details beginners need like flute position, posture, lip positions, playing half tones, and much more.
If you are new to the pan flute you may not realize that each pipe is capable of playing several tones, depending on tilt angle, lip position, etc.
Just like a piano has sharp and flat (white and black keys) so does a pan flute. Learn how to tilt your flute to hit these sharp and flat keys here on Brad Whites pan flute page.
That’s all for today fellow travelers. I hope I have given you what you need to choose one of these ancient, charming instruments to be your own.
Love and Light energy,
Miss Katie Lyn
Looking for other soothing meditation instruments?
Two of my favorites are the Ocarina, another flute made of clay, just like the one Link used in Ledged of Zelda. I also love the handpan, which is a less familiar instrument, a drum, really, shaped like a UFO.
I recommend you check them out.
Find out more about Ocarinas here.
Take a look at the Ethereal handpan drum here.
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Hey, thanks for the blog article. Awesome.
Thanks-a-mundo for the article post.Much thanks again. Awesome.
Thanks for stopping by, Tawjeeh!
Glad you liked the article and I hope you find your dream panflute!
Love and light!
Katie Lyn