If you're new to the panpipes, simple and familiar melodies are a great place to start. The songs below use repetitive phrases and a limited range, helping you practise breath control, moving between pipes and producing a consistent tone.
How to Read the Panpipe Number Tabs
These tabs use pipe numbers instead of musical notes, making them easier to follow if you don't read sheet music. These number tabs have been tested on our 13-note Antares Panpipes. Number the pipes from longest to shortest, with the longest pipe as 1 and the shortest as 13. Follow the numbers in sequence to play each melody. Because handmade panpipes can vary slightly in tuning, the exact pitch may differ between individual instruments. The vertical lines ( | ) separate the melody into short phrases. Pause briefly or take a breath where needed before continuing.
1. Mary Had a Little Lamb
This is one of the easiest melodies to learn because most of the song moves between just a few neighbouring pipes.
3 2 1 2 | 3 3 3
2 2 2 | 3 5 5
3 2 1 2 | 3 3 3 3
2 2 3 2 1
2. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
The repetitive melody makes this useful for practising larger jumps between pipes while maintaining an even tone.
1 1 5 5 | 6 6 5
4 4 3 3 | 2 2 1
5 5 4 4 | 3 3 2
5 5 4 4 | 3 3 2
1 1 5 5 | 6 6 5
4 4 3 3 | 2 2 1
3. Frère Jacques
Frère Jacques introduces more movement up and down the pipes while remaining repetitive enough for beginners to memorise.
1 2 3 1 | 1 2 3 1
3 4 5 | 3 4 5
5 6 5 4 3 1 | 5 6 5 4 3 1
1 5 1 | 1 5 1
4. Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday involves slightly larger jumps than the previous songs, making it a useful next step once you're comfortable moving between neighbouring pipes.
1 1 2 1 4 3
1 1 2 1 5 4
1 1 8 6 4 3 2
7 7 6 4 5 4
Tips for Learning Panpipe Songs
Play each line slowly before trying to perform the whole melody. Concentrate on producing a clean note from each pipe and moving accurately between them. Once you can play a line comfortably, gradually increase the speed and join the sections together.
Take Your Panpipe Playing Further
Once you've learned these simple melodies, The Complete Panpipes Player goes further with structured lessons, playing techniques and more songs to help develop your panpipe playing.
