
What are the Andes Pan pipes?
Because of their distinct sound, the pan pipes are probably the most easily-recognizable instrument of the Andes. They also have the deepest roots. We can see from archeological remains that humans have had pan pipes for almost as long as they have walked the continent.
What instruments are played in the Andes Mountains?
Bamboo pan flutes or pan pipes, also referred to as the syrinx, are the core instruments played in the Andes. This ancient bamboo instrument consists of 10 or more pipes in increasing lengths bound together as one wind instrument. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Why do we hear bamboo pipes in the Andes?
The haunting sounds of bamboo pipes have formed a part of the Andean landscape for over two millennia. The Andean melodies most people are exposed to today, however, are a result of centuries of colonialism and the migrations of peoples from different regions and continents. Let’s take a look at how all this happened.
What are antara pipes made of?
The antara are traditionally made from a type of cane known as chuki or chajlla ( Arundo donax) that grows in the ceja de la selva, literally "the eyebrow of the forest". The pipes are held together by one or two strips of cane (ties) to form a trapezoidal plane (like a raft).

What are Peruvian pan pipes made of?
In Andean pre-history, pan flutes were made from bones, condor feathers, clay and other materials, but bamboo became the material of choice. Today, sikus are made of different varieties of bamboo, each providing different tonal qualities.
What are the two types of flutes in Andean music called?
Generally, quenas are played only during the dry season, while vertical flutes, either pinkillos or tarkas, are played during the wet season. Tarkas are constructed from local Andean hardwood sources.
Where are pan pipes from?
The panpipes or “pan flute” derives its name from the Greek god Pan, who is often depicted holding the instrument. Panpipes, however, can be found in many parts of the world, including South America, Oceania, Central Europe, and Asia.
What did the Incas use for flutes and drums?
The Incas used a wide variety of musical instruments. The pomatinyas: little drums made of puma skin. The pinkullo: wind instrument similar to a flute. The antaras: panpipes made of different materials.
Are pan pipes from Peru?
Panpipes and flutes originating in Peru are among the earliest-known musical instruments; some even date back to the sixth century BCE! Hundreds of variations exist and each instrumental variation serves a function in important ceremonies and festivals.
What are Andean instruments?
Play traditional Andean instruments such as the bombo drum, siku panpipe, quena flute, and charango, a small stringed instrument customarily made from an armadillo shell. Afterwards, visit the Latin America Gallery to learn more and see them played in MIM's exhibit videos.
What is the difference between Pan pipes and pan flute?
A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been popular as folk instruments.
How are Pan pipes played?
Played by holding the instrument in both hands and blowing across the top end of each tube, different notes were produced with different lengths of tubes or by equal length tubes blocked at different points by wax. The sound produced was deep and rich.
What are the Pipes of Pan?
"The Pipes of Pan" is a poem by Adrian Ross set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar, being completed on 5 June 1899. The song was published by Boosey in 1900. The first performance was by 'Miss Blouvelt' at the Crystal Palace on 30 April 1900.
How do you play the Andean on the flute?
0:403:11How to play Andean Quena - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipCasualidad.MoreCasualidad.
What is Aztec instrument?
Aztec Instruments The Aztecs used a variety of wind and percussion instruments to make music. The most popular wind instruments included clay flutes, ocarinas, and conch shell trumpets. Aztec percussion instruments included rattles, rasps, shakers, and a variety of drums.
What is the name of the Andean instrument used to play the melody in the recording by Los kjarkas?
The original version is “Llorando se Fue,” written and performed by Bolivian folk group Kjarkas, which used an Andean flute instead of an accordion.
What is the most recognizable instrument in the Andes?
Pan pipes: the most recognizable of Andean Instruments. Photo: ( flickr) Because of their distinct sound, the pan pipes are probably the most easily-recognizable instrument of the Andes. They also have the deepest roots.
What is the most popular instrument in Peru?
The charango is one of Peru’s most beloved Andean instruments. Though the stringed instrument is important to musical styles across the entire continent, the Peruvian charango has a unique build that is unlike anywhere else. The charango Ayacuchano is the most popular style of charango in Peru.
Why is the Quena so difficult to play?
For those interested in learning how to play Andean instruments, the quena can be a difficult choice to start with because you first have to learn how to make a sound by blowing across the notch at the top of the flute. But after you pick this up, things get easier, and a lot more fun. Cover photo: Mark Rowland/Flickr.
What is a quena made of?
Though you can still find animal-bone quenas, they are much more commonly made with bamboo or other hardwoods.
What are the different types of pan pipes?
There are many different types of pan pipes. The most popular ones are known as zampoña, which luthiers construct with two rows of parallel pipes which are tied together. Another kind of pan pipe is known as an antara , which is a one-rowed instrument. 4. Ocarina.
Where is the bandurria played?
The bandurria plays a fundamental part in traditional Peruvian carnival music within the region of Cusco. Once you recognize the sound of this booming instrument, you’ll recognize its sound all over the place.
Who brought the bandurria to South America?
The Spanish were the first to bring the bandurria to South America but in a very different form. Over centuries, native communities within the Cusco region adopted the instrument as their own. In the process, they made it larger and added many more strings. Its distinct voice booms over many carnival ballads.
What are the instruments used in the Andean music?
Instruments. The panflute is among the most emblematic instruments of Andean music. The panpipes group include the sikú (or zampoña) and Antara. These are ancient indigenous instruments that vary in size, tuning, and style. Instruments in this group are constructed from aquatic reeds found in many lakes in the Andean region of South America.
Where did the Andean music originate?
Andean music is a group of styles of music from the Andes region in South America. Original chants and melodies come from the general area inhabited by Quechuas (originally from Peru ), Aymaras (originally from Bolivia ), and other peoples who lived roughly in the area of the Inca Empire prior to European contact.
What was the name of the group that brought the Nueva Canción to Bolivia?
Later Chilean groups such as Inti-Illimani and Los Curacas took the fusion work of Los Jairas and the Parras to invent nueva canción, which returned to Bolivia in the 1980s in the form of canto nuevo artists such as Emma Junaro and Matilde Casazola . The 1970s was a decade in which Andean music saw its biggest growth.
What is the Andean music movement?
Andean music has served as a major source of inspiration for the neo-folkloric Nueva canción movement that began in the 1960s, Nueva canción musicians both interpreted old songs and created new pieces that are now considered Andean music.
What was the biggest growth in the Andean music in the 1970s?
The 1970s was a decade in which Andean music saw its biggest growth. Different groups sprang out of the different villages throughout the Andes Region. Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, and Argentina. Many musicians made their way to the big cities forming different bands and groups.
What were the major changes in the Andean culture during the twentieth century?
Bolivia, for example, saw a nationalistic revolution in 1952, leading to increased rights and social awareness for natives. The new government established a folklore department in the Bolivian Ministry of Education and radio stations began broadcasting in Aymara and Quechua.
What was the name of the group that fused native sounds into forms suitable for urban Europeans and the middle class
By 1965, an influential group called Los Jairas formed in La Paz, Bolivia; the quartet fused native sounds into forms suitable for urban Europeans and the middle class.
What are the Andes dominated by?
The Andes were dominated by the sound of wind and percussion. The tuning was pentatonic and the melodies were of another world. Many of these traditions survive today in the form of Tarkeadas (Tarka Flutes) Mohoceñadas (Mohoceño flutes) Sikuriadas (Siku flutes) and the dance of the Kena–Kena (Kena flutes).
When did the Andean music stop being played in Chile?
Following the overthrow of Allende, in 1973, Andean music and instruments were forbidden in Chile. The music had become closely identified with the left, and the military government saw to its eradication. Many artists, like Victor Jara, were disappeared or murdered.
What is the history of the Andean music?
Music History. The haunting sounds of bamboo pipes have formed a part of the Andean landscape for over two millennia. The Andean melodies most people are exposed to today , however, are a result of centuries of colonialism and the migrations of peoples from different regions and continents. Let’s take a look at how all this happened.
How long did the Inca Empire last?
Tawantinsuyu, the Inca Empire, lasted a mere two hundred and fifty years before its demise at the hands of Spanish invaders. Originally from the Cuzco valley, the Incas expanded rapidly, imposed their language (Quechua) and exacted tribute from their subjects.
Where did the Andean groups come from?
Some groups worked their way north from the Andes, passing through Central America and Mexico, before entering the US, sometimes illegally (this could take years). In the nineties, there was a veritable explosion of Andean groups that began in the large city centers (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, LA).
What kind of instruments are used in Bolivian carnivals?
Every year at the carnival of Oruro, Bolivia, , the vast majority of musical bands employ brass. The song-forms are all Bolivian (saya, morenada, llamarada, doctorcito, kullawada, tinku, tonada, huayño, diablada), but the instrumentation is seldom with bamboo.
Where did the Charango originate?
Many people credit the town of Potosí, Bolivia, as the birth place of the charango.
Where did the Zampona pipes originate?
Zampona pipes originated with the Tiahuanaco culture, which flourished around 700 AD near the border of Peru and Bolivia. In their language it was called the Siku and players were Sikuris .
What is the Andean panflute?
Andean folk music is defined by the haunting tones of the Siku, the Andean panflute. Also known as the Antara (Quechua) and the Zampoña (Spanish), these reed pipes are the key musical ingredient and are also one of the most popular souvenirs for visitors to Peru, Bolivia and Chile.
What are Sikus flutes?
Sikus were perfected in Inca times along with a range of metal, bone, and earthenware flutes and wind instruments. The characteristic of Sikus is serial flutes with single separate notes for each pipe. Zampona pipes originated with the Tiahuanaco culture, which flourished around 700 AD near the border of Peru and Bolivia.
How many notes are there in the Inca scale?
The Inca tonal scale has five notes. To play a Siku, the pipes are held in the left hand, and braced with the right. Blowing downwards, the player tries to force wind right to the bottom. Breath is drawn from the diaphragm, as with most wind instruments.
What is a Siku?
A set of Siku is a great souvenir to recall the Andes. The instrument is light, durable and it’s easy to learn some basic melodies. Siku are often sold together with a book of instruction and simply notated traditional songs.
How many pipes does a Siku have?
Today, the standardized siku has 13 pipes (6 in ira and 7 in arka ). This type of siku is locally known as siku ch´alla. Sikus with fewer or more pipes than 13 are less common nowadays but do exist.
Why do tabla siku pipes sound different?
Still, the tubes sound different from each other, because they have stoppers inside that adjust their internal lenghts.
What is the name of the instrument used in the Siku?
The Siku is a traditional Andean pan flute (panpipe) and the main instrument in the musical gengre sikuri. Siku (also spelled Sicu) is the Aymara name for this instrument. In Quechua, it is known as Antara. In Spanish, it is called Zampoña. The Siku is played across the Andes, but is especially associated with Aymara-speaking populations living ...
What are Sikus made of?
Bamboo shoots is a common choice, but sikus are also made from materials such as bone, condor feathers, and a type of cane known locally as chuk or chajlla (Scientific name: Arundo donax).
What is the Siku called in Spanish?
In Spanish, it is called Zampoña. The Siku is played across the Andes, but is especially associated with Aymara-speaking populations living around Lake Titicaca and the Quechua-speaking peoples of the Qullasuyu region.
What is the name of the flute in the Andes?
Bamboo pan flutes or pan pipes, also referred to as the syrinx, are the core instruments played in the Andes. This ancient bamboo instrument consists of 10 or more pipes in increasing lengths bound together as one wind instrument. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Where are bamboo flutes common?
Bamboo flutes are common in places with easy access to bamboo, including Asia, South America, and Africa. In the Indian subcontinent, it is a very popular and highly respected musical instrument. YouTube. unevisual films. 6.22K subscribers.
What is a Shakuhachi flute made of?
The traditional Japanese Shakuhachi end-blown flute, shown on the left, is made of Madake bamboo ( Phyllostachys bambusoides ). Madake is very suitable for flute making as it is a dense bamboo species. Fine tuning the bore and adjusting the sound of a bamboo flute, however, is a delicate art.
What is the body of a jinghu made of?
Its body is made from a bamboo tube, covered at the playing end with snakeskin. Pegs at the back of the slim bamboo neck hold the strings, which are traditionally made of silk. The jinghu is related to the larger erhu. YouTube. Music Confucius Institute at RDAM.
How many strings does a jinghu have?
Like most of its relatives, the jinghu has 2 strings. The strings were formerly made of silk, but in modern times are increasingly made of steel or nylon. Unlike other huqin instruments (erhu, gaohu, zhonghu, etc.), the Jinghu it is made of bamboo. In Peking opera, the jinghu often doubles the singer's voice.
What is the name of the Chinese fiddle?
Bamboo Fiddle (Jinghu) The Jinghu is a Chinese two-stringed fiddle that is the principal melodic instrument in Peking opera ensembles. The smallest (and therefore highest-pitched) of the Chinese spike fiddles (huqin), the jinghu is about 50 cm in length.
What is a lyre?
The lyre is a string instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later periods. The lyre is similar in appearance to a small harp. Playing the lyre was an important way for students of ancient Greece to study music and poetry.
What is the Andes Mountains?
Andes Mountains, also called the Andes, Spanish Cordillera de los Andes or Los Andes, mountain system of South America and one of the great natural features on Earth.
How far are the Andes?
The Andes consist of a vast series of extremely high plateaus surmounted by even higher peaks that form an unbroken rampart over a distance of some 5,500 miles (8,900 kilometres) —from the southern tip of South America to the continent’s northernmost coast on the Caribbean.
Where did the name Andes come from?
Some historians believe the name Andes comes from the Quechuan word anti (“east”); others suggest it is derived from the Quechuan anta (“copper”). It perhaps is more reasonable to ascribe it to the anta of the older Aymara language, which connotes copper colour generally.
When did the Cordilleras begin?
They began as sediments eroded from the Amazonia craton (or Brazilian shield)—the ancient granitic continental fragment that constitutes much of Brazil—and deposited between about 450 and 250 million years ago on the craton’s western flank.
Which two plates formed the Andes?
The collision (or convergence) of two of these plates—the continental South American Plate and the oceanic Nazca Plate —gave rise to the orogenic (mountain-building) activity that produced the Andes. Many of the rocks comprising the present-day cordilleras are of great age.
Is there a universal agreement about the major north-south subdivisions of the Andes system?
There is no universal agreement about the major north-south subdivisions of the Andes system. For the purposes of this discussion, the system is divided into three broad categories. From south to north these are the Southern Andes, consisting of the Chilean, Fuegian, and Patagonian cordilleras; the Central Andes, including the Peruvian cordilleras; and the Northern Andes, encompassing the Ecuadorian, Colombian, and Venezuelan (or Caribbean) cordilleras.

Overview
Siku (Quechua: antara, Aymara: siku, also "sicu," "sicus," "zampolla" or Spanish zampoña) is a traditional Andean panpipe. This instrument is the main instrument used in a musical genre known as sikuri. It is traditionally found all across the Andes but is more typically associated with music from the Kollasuyo, or Aymara speaking regions around Lake Titicaca. Historically because of the c…
History of the siku
The siku (panpipe) is originally from the Aymaras of Perú and Bolivia, where a woman would play her siku as she came down from the mountains. Since the largest siku has every note (A-G), and was too big for the woman, they often got two sikus (usually smaller ones) that would be played together with someone else, so they could play them continuously after each other and thus the scales could fully be played. Once the women partnered, they then became musically bonded wi…
Design
Sikus are typically made from bamboo shoots, but have also been made from condor feathers, bone, and many other materials. Additionally, different types of bamboo are employed to change the quality of the sound. Songo, or shallow-walled bamboo, gives a louder, more resonant sound than regular deep-walled bamboo, but is less common due to its fragility.
The antara are traditionally made from a type of cane known as chuki or chajlla (Arundo donax) …
Varieties
The most widespread variety of siku, siku ch'alla, contains 13 pipes (6 in ira and 7 in arka), but less common varieties may have more and fewer pipes. Some of them employ extra open-ended reeds attached to the front of the instrument to change the sound quality. The tabla siku has all of the pipes cut to the same length, so the instrument is rectangular in shape but has stoppers inside the tubes to adjust the actual resonant length of the chambers.
Scale and tuning
The siku uses a diatonic scale. Siku ch'alla is tuned in E minor / G major, arca: D-F -A-C-E-G-B and ira:E-G-B-D-F -A.
There are a contemporary varieties of siku with chromatic scale having 3 rows, with pitch distribution similar to chromatic button accordion.
See also
• Andean music
• Sicus (disambiguation)