Ooh, need to take care with words like "expressive", I think.
In an attempt to get more expression, isn't that what choyting is all about?
We need to be careful when comparing different instruments. I have found a
great deal of expressiveness listening to some pipers but in the way they
play and their technique rather than the sound produced (which, on the
pipes, would be pretty consistent, I hope).
A fiddle player can alter the pressure, the speed of bowing etc - things
that are just not possible to the same extent on the pipes, I would have
thought.
One of the beauties (to me) of the pipes is that the sound produced remains
more or less the same (unlike many instruments when all sorts of wails and
vibrato can be added) but the WAY they are played can vary so much between
pipers (and I mean good pipers, of course).
Many instruments with fixed reeds can be made to be more "expressive" of
course (thinking things like concertina and volume/tremolo etc) but I just
don't see that for the pipes.
Maybe that's why they are such an important instrument.
I may, of course, just be waffling in the breeze (oh, good name for a tune
there - must write it) and, if so, ignore me but I just can't see a point in
comparing apples and potatoes (you choose which is which).
Colin Hill
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard York" <rich...@lizards.force9.co.uk>
To: "Anthony Robb" <anth...@robbpipes.com>; "NSP group"
<nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2010 11:28 PM
Subject: [NSP] Re: Doubleday
I'll think more on what he meant when I have more time!
For expression - I quite agree with you on fiddle tunes.
On the other hand, there are expressive tunes written primarily for pipes,
surely, where they sound superbly best on pipes?
And it is truly hard for anyone to make them work with these, because of
the very dynamic limitations you mention.
When I had some lessons with Jean-Pierre Rasle on my first Swayne pipes,
he rightly said that the old pipers (in France in his case) rated it much
harder to make a good job of a slow air than a dance tune.
And it's all subjective, ain't it!
For me, I find the nsp's far more expressive than my very nice toned piano
accordion, which has any amount of dynamic control.
All best wishes,
Richard.
On 17/12/2010 22:46, Anthony Robb wrote:
Hello Richard
Doubleday wrote:
The Northumberland small-pipe is fitted up upon the plan of
construction common to all bagpipes aEUR" that is to say, aEUR" it
consists of a pipe with stops, by means of which the melody is
played,
and of three longer pipes sounding different musical intervals in
such
a way as to produce a rude and imperfect accompaniment to the melody.
Taking this in the context of his whole argument he seems to be
saying
that common forms of bagpipe have chanters which aren't in tune over
their range and therefore clash with the constant reference point of
the drones. But he then goes on to say that the special quality of
the
smallpipes is that they can be played in tune and make a melodious
sound.
It's interesting how we arrive at two contrasting interpretations of
his words. For me he delights in the sound of the small-pipes.
On the point of expression I've been moved to tears as much by the
pipes as the fiddle. The question is, can they match the fiddle when
playing the big fiddle tunes? I have to say after 45 years
involvement
at all levels in this music I have yet to find a single example.
I would dearly love to as the pipes are my heritage.
I heard them as a school boy and loved them more than any other
instrument in the world, but loving them more than any other
instrument
is one thing, convincing myself they are the most expressive
instrument
in the world is another.
As aye
Anthony
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