Siku (panpipe)

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The Siku (also "Sicu," "Sicus," or "zampoña"), is a panpipe. It accompanies the folk music of the high Andes, where it is widely used.

The Siku uses a diatonic scale, split across two rows of pipes. One must alternate rows with every note in order to play a complete scale. Traditionally, two musicians were required to play the siku - each one taking one row of the instrument It is now more common to see one musician playing both rows of the instrument together.

There are multiple different sizes of Siku, typically tuned an octave apart, usually in the key of E minor / G major. Most Sikus have 7 pipes in the top row, and 6 pipes in the lower row, though it is not uncommon to see Sikus with more pipes, giving the musician more versatility and range with the instrument. The smallest of the family is called "Ika" or "Chulli". The next larger size, the most common, is called "Malta". An octave lower than the Malta is the "Sanka" or "Zanka". The largest of the family is the "Toyo" or "Chiris". The longest pipe of the Toyo is typically around 4 feet long.

There are other different types of Siku used in the Andes, which are less common. 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.

Sikus are typically made from bamboo tubes, 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 thin-walled bamboo, gives a louder, more resonant sound than regular thick-walled bamboo, but is less common due to its fragility.

Since it only requires one hand to hold a Siku, it is traditional in the Andes for musicians who play the siku to also play a drum, such as the Bombo legüero simultaneously. Marching bands of 40 or more musicians in this arrangement occur in the Andes during celebrations like the harvest festival.