The English tabor pipe is a 3-hole pipe traditionally used in conjunction with a tabor drum since the 11th century. A single musician would beat the drum with his right hand while playing the pipe with the thumb and first two fingers of his left hand. The origins of the tabor pipe can be traced back to the bone flutes of prehistory, are found in many different cultures around the world and occur in many different styles. And from the royal courts of the Middle Ages to Shakespeare's plays and folk customs, this little three-hole pipe has quite a colourful history.