The timbre of the pen tube is soft and rich, with brighter treble and a thicker nasal tone, similar to the middle range of the Western instrument clarinet, which is full of pastoral flavor. Often used as a soloist or to accompany local folk songs. The performers use the accompanying accompaniment or the long tone to support the tune, so that the folk songs sung by the Bouyei girls, the pen-pipe songs, become the unique Bouyei folk songs.
Buyi's pen songs have a wide range of content, from legends to production and labor, from life to love, and they are all-encompassing. For each piece of music, a unique introduction is usually played by the pen tube first, and the ingenious lining used in the accompaniment is like a green leaf reflecting a red flower, which makes the color of the song extraordinarily bright. They are interdependent. If there is no pen tube, there will be no unique pen tube song; without pen tube song, pen tube will lose the foundation of survival and development. For a long time, the pen tube and the Buyi people have forged an indissoluble bond, they often play during the Spring Festival and during the March outing to entertain themselves. On festivals or festive days, when people congratulate relatives and friends, they often use pen pipes to accompany them.
The pen tube songs include: "The First Month Pen Tube February Xiao", "Remember That Year Liberation", "Gaopo Chopping Firewood for Firewood", "Sound Pen Tube Expressing Feelings" and so on.