According to an ancient Greek myth, the god Pan invented the first musical instrument – the pipes that
are named after him – after he accidentally breathed heavily through old reeds beside a river and
produce a wail. He so liked the sound that he broke the reeds off and tied them together. Because the
reeds were different lengths they produce different notes. Although this is a myth, not reality, it shows
that most early musical instruments may have been made because someone noticed a natural effect
and decided to make use of it. The first instruments were probably drums, made of hollow logs, and
sticks that were hit together to provide a beat for dancing. Animal horns were later used to make simple
wind instruments and early stringed instruments include the lyre, in which strings are strung from a
simple frame and plucked.