world-wide history: associated pipes - double pipes

Double pipes, or two pipes played at the same time, are found in sculptures, paintings, stained glass, religious manuscripts and archaeology dating back into pre-history, right up to the present day. Sometimes the two pipes are exactly the same; other images show two slightly different shapes, one playing the tune and the other a drone pipe.

It is impossible to see the mouth-piece on some of these images: some may be duct flutes, others may have single or double reeds or be trumpets. If you have information on the mouth-piece of any of these instruments I would be grateful to know.

I have not included images where it is definately not a variety of duct-flute without keys. Around 1810 an English instrument maker, William Bainbridge, patented a keyed double flageolet which consisted of two English flageolets joined together so that the player could harmonise the tunes that s/he played. Flageolets are therefore not included here.

All images are copyright If you would like more information on unacknowledged sources contact the project manager.

 

worldwide
Arabic countries
945-525BC statuette Egypt 945-525BC statuette Egypt 900BC statuette Egypt 711 BCE - 100CE Egypt
900-700BCE box, Lebanon 664-525BCE Egypt 100 to 300AD Syria
8th c BCE Syria 4th century BCE Tunisia 150BCE Iraq (with drum) 1st Millennium Iraq (cast)   200AD south Iraq 2nd century BCE - 3rd century AD, bronze Masjid-i-Soleiman, Iran unknown terracotta
Israel
The Israel Museum 8th-6th BC Pheonicia / Israel mid 20th century painting Reuven Rubin
Belarus
2 different lengths
Romania
1998 player, Polovragi, Gorj county, Oltenia
Russian Federation
1885 painting detail, Russia Double svirel has two similar pipes of different lengths. Each of the pipes has a whistle and three finger-holes. Size of the double svirel varies on a great scale. The bigger pipe can be 29 to 47 cm long, and the smaller 22 to 35 cm. The big pipe is usually held in the right hand and the small one in the left hand. Bringing together two pipes into one instrument makes it possible for one player to perform two-voice melodies. The repertoire of double svirel tunes is quite extensive and versatile. Double svirel was unevenly spread in Russia. Svirel, Russia 1775 Letter to newspaper: Dr Matthew Guthrie Bristol Mercury - Monday 11 December 1820 Mid-19th c. Roslavl district 1940 Smolensk from: 'FOLK MUSIC ARCHIVE OF THE MOSCOW CONSERVATORY', Barbara Krader St. Petersburg double pipes double pipes being played
20th century, in Ethnological Museum, St Petersburg
Ukraine
19th century Sopilka "Dvodentsivka" from the Verkhovyna district Two sopilka / dentsivkas are combined into one instrument but still only one has playing holes. The other pipe, although it is of the same length, has no holes and acts as a drone.
Urych village (Lviv region) 20th century 3 Ukraine double pipes 21st century dzholomyhas Ukrainian Djolomyga, or Double Sopilka
Dvodentsivka
2015 graphic by Svetlana Dorosheva
Georgia
2011 Ivan Goderdzishvili
Turkey
1920's Turkish - front [description from an auction site]
1920's Turkish - back
Mexico
300 BCE.–AD 250 Colima culture 1974 painting
Aztec music Prehistoric pipes
Indonesia
foi doa 1942 Ngada, Indonesia stamp, part of a set of traditional musical instruments
foi doa
Taiwan - nose flutes
Mouth flutes were played by peasants while nose flutes were only played by royalty.
nose flutes 20th century Tsou man from Dabang community Paiwan player player
Paiwan player player Pairang Pavavaljung playing the double nose flute woman player 2012 Sauniaw Tjuveljevelj [video] 21st century children learning the double nose flute from Yu Weimin 2017 Taiwu Ancient Ballads Troupe at music festivall Paiwan woman playing double nose flute The nose flute is sometimes played by the mouth. Pairang Parvavalug
USA and Canada
Blue Bear drone pipes drone flute 2023 Annette Bauer Montreall, Canada
1869 Euterpe, painting 1882 Piping Pan statuette belt buckle 1984 ceramic
early 20th century painting 1915 illustration 1925 fantasy art
double
double Native American	List of Native American flute makers worldwide		double Native American
High Spirits, modified drone: The left hand flute has three fingerholes, and will come with three leather patches, so you can choose which ones you'd like to keep closed to create your prefered pitch of the drone. The right hand flute plays like a normal Native American flute. 2 different Native American pipes
2009 Arizona Festival fairy 21st century copy 2014 painting by Rae Chichilnitsky   2015 reenactment, Jackson Hole, Wyoming     2 pipes plus drone leather blocks the hole for tuning drone
South and Central America
Mexico (sound) Mayan Maya style, Mesoamerica 100BCE-250AD Nayarit People Mexico double pipe and rattle
200BCE to200BC Pre-Columbian, West Mexico front 200BCE to200BC Pre-Columbian, West Mexico back
source
300BCE to 300AD Pre Colombian West Mexico front
300BCE to 300AD Pre Colombian West Mexico back
300 BCE - 250AD Colima culture, Mexico
Mexico prehistoric pipes
double pipes from Peru Cusco double pipes
Jalisco style human effigy flute, unknown date Pre-Columbrian, ca. 500 BCE –500 CE Jalisco, double-pipe and rattle Aztec 20th century, made for tourists, front Aztec 20th century, made for tourists, back Aztec 20th century, made for tourists, mouthpiece
clay double pipes currently being made: copies of archeological finds by Arte Talli players of bamboo double pipes Peru
double pipes from Cuzco, Peru
in F#
unknown	double flute from the north of Peru; an instrument made of bone, which is part of a tradition of double dulzainas and pinkillos (especially cane and wood) that extends through the Andes from Ecuador to Lake Titicaca. Note the corrected and plugged fingering holes
Cajamarca, Peru reproduction
2016 Peru Miguel and Gabriel Gordón	2023 Ecuador, Jhony Garcia Coque
Africa
Morocco unknown 2016 Africa, Tanzania, double nose pipes cane pipes
India and area
India late 2nd century BCE to early 3rd century CE 2nd century India Satara, India (probably reeded pipes)
2nd-3rd century NW Frontier, Pakistan
21st century Algoza (double flute of Rajasthan), video duet
1975 doneli Baluchistan, Pakistan/Iran/Afganistan flute doneli audio another doneli [ two separate pipes, one a drone] 1976 satara flute, Thar desert, Barnawa village, Rajasthan source
21st century desert	2012 with circular breathing
Rajasthan nose pipes 2009 Rajasthan nose pipes 2010 India double nose pipes

Tibet

19th century duct pipes
South Africa
1949 ceramic

10th century, Byzantine, country not known

 

Videos: 1.
2. - Tre Fontane, anon 14th century
3. - how to play the double whistle
4. - double flute of Rajasthan

 

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