Advice on Pan Flutes

Cafe Society
#1

Is the Pan Flute easy to learn?
Does it require good manual dexterity.

#2

WHAT?!?

the SDMB doesn’t have one member who knows anything about this?!

#3

This board just isn’t the same since Zamfir let his subscription lapse. :slight_smile:

#4

Sorry, I’m no Zamfir, but it had to be said.

#5

I don’t know, Stan and Kyle seemed to pick it up pretty quickly.

#6

Try this site.

How to Play the Pan Flute

#7

OK, jokes are over.

Several years ago I was attacked & robbed when work a night shift at a store.

I suffered some neuro damage, & have reduced manual dexterity.

I went from a guy who won prizes painting miniatures, to a guy who has trouble typing.

Does the Pan Flute require manual dexterity? If so, how much?

#8

Not to talk you out of Pan Flute, but have you thought about harmonica? There is very little manual dexterity involved. You do need to have a tiny bit of dexterity in your mouth though, and the ability to control your breathing.

#9

Something less…cheesy, please.

#10

Meh, ok. I think the harp rocks and wish I could play it better, but to each their own. I would take a look at the linked video’s in that case. My guess is no, there is not a lot of manual dexterity involved, but the vid’s should let you know for sure.

#11

Beat me to it. Here are some harmonica instruction videos.

Adam Gussow’s Harp instructionals:

Big Walker’s instructionals:

JP Allen - especially good for beginners:

Dan Gage:

"How to play pan flute" search at Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+play+pan+flute&search_type=

Harps are cheesy, huh? And Pan-flutes aren’t?

#12

You’re just http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10414099#post10414099 different

#13

You can’t get better harp than BLUES HARP … Check out Charlie Musselwhite, who learned directly from BIG WALTER HORTON. I’ve been trying to play blues harp for over 30 years, and I STILL CAN’T !!! (sheds tears of anger and self-pity)!

BTW, There’s Big Walter, Little Walter, and, no lie, there was a Middle Walter :cool:

There’s also Sonny Boy Williamson I (John Lee Williamson) and Sonny Boy Williamson II (Alex “Rice” Miller). I could go on … :smiley:

#14

I play harmonica a bit and panpipes a bit less - of the two, I’d say Harmonica is harder to learn, but easier to play

With panpipes, its all blowing - making it an exhausting instrument to play - at least it is for an amateur. That sounds sillier to say than it is in practice.

#15

This helps.

the videos don’t, my computer is too much of a junkheap for this to be a good option.