PVC Pipe Flute Orchestra

Check out this video from our debut pipe flute workshop, and this Instructable for a detailed guide to create your own pipe flute!

Ever wanted to reuse those scraps sitting in your garage from that discarded plumbing project? Need a wind instrument for your local orchestra but don’t have a flute on hand? With recycled PVC pipes and a rubber glove we can quickly create a durable wind instrument with a surprisingly beautiful sound. This DIY pipe flute is perfect for a low-cost project with a highly satisfying end result and a built-in lesson on the physics of sound.

A short section of PVC pipe with a hole in it acts as the mouth piece, with a scrap of rubber glove tightly zip-tied on one end, and a smaller PVC pipe nested and secured with tape on the other end. You can add as many or as few finger holes as you would like to the smaller PVC pipe to change the sound the flute produces. 

Every part of this pipe flute is purchasable off the shelf of any hardware store. You will need access to a drill to create the mouth and finger holes, and a way to cut the pipe (saw, bandsaw). Check out this link to read a more in depth tutorial to make your own pipe flute!

Here are a couple of pictures from the pipe flute making workshop we hosted here at JUMP.