What you say is true, but still ignores Paddy Maloney's point of adding
drones further into (even 'proper') pipes tunes for greater impact.
We also have to remember that out of tune drones (and this
unfortunately is the norm it seems to me) do little to enhance the
music. This is true even in the most surprising quarters i.e. modern
recordings where retakes could be done fairly easily to correct this.
Yes drones are wonderful and powerful but this power can also be, and
all too often is, destructive.
Anthony
--- On Fri, 7/1/11, Gibbons, John <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Gibbons, John <[email protected]>
Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning
To: "'Anthony Robb'" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]>, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]>
Date: Friday, 7 January, 2011, 10:17
Not at all - but pipes do sound better with drones, which are a
fundamental part of the instrument,
and also of what we might call 'proper' pipe music.
There are some tunes where drones don't work,
and some multi-instrument arrangements where they might get in the way,
but - on pipe tunes at least - there is a price to pay if you shut them
off.
My warning was just to your more literal-minded readers out there,
who might not think about the effect of their music on listeners.
John
-----Original Message-----
From: [1][email protected]
[mailto:[2][email protected]] On Behalf Of Anthony Robb
Sent: 07 January 2011 09:48
To: [3][email protected]; [4][email protected]; Gibbons,
John
Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning
John, please remember I was talking in the context of switching off
drones to let the music shine forth, not silly things like playing a
semitone above everyone else!
Many general music sessions involve key changes from G to D to A.
Are you saying that pipes should not be adding their crystalline
punchiness to the mix just because they have to be droneless?
Cheers
Anthony
--- On Thu, 6/1/11, Gibbons, John <[5][email protected]>
wrote:
From: Gibbons, John <[6][email protected]>
Subject: RE: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning
To: "Anthony Robb" <[7][email protected]>,
"[8][email protected]"
<[9][email protected]>, "[10][email protected]"
<[11][email protected]>
Date: Thursday, 6 January, 2011, 20:50
"Others may not like it but at least you'll be pleasing the most
important person in this whole process, namely yourself. Which is I
would argue is the main purpose of traditional music."
Pleasing everyone else in the room might be a priority for some, as
well!
I have heard too many so-called traditional musicians play to please
themselves (and nobody else) not to add this health warning.
You get them everywhere, but I recall the bloke who wound his flute
up
to E flat because that's the key Matt Molloy played in,
though everyone else in the session was in D, and the one who played
faster than everyone else because it was more exciting.
I've been the latter one myself on occasion....
Think about how it sounds for the rest of the world, and you will
play
better.
John
________________________________________
From: [1][12][email protected]
[[2][13][email protected]] On
Behalf Of Anthony Robb [[3][14][email protected]]
Sent: 06 January 2011 18:19
To: [4][15][email protected]; [5][16][email protected]
Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning
--- On Thu, 6/1/11, [6][17][email protected]
<[7][18][email protected]> wrote:
It's a case of trying and seeing what you like. The other way
round
this would be for the piper not to play drones ... but I wouldn't
recommend that approach.
cheers
Rob
Sorry to disagree, Rob, but occasionally switching the drones off
to
let other instruments provide the accompaniment can be lovely. I
would
also recommend learning and practising mainly on the chanter
alone.
It
is the way I was taught and was the Colin Caisley way presumably
passed
on from Tom Clough. When Colin Caisley was chairman of the NPS in
the
60s the Society hired out a 'goose' (bellows, bag and chanter
only)
for
people to try out the pipes.
Recently I came across an article, from the 70s I guess, written
by
Paddy Maloney who suggests uillean pipers should learn on a
'goose'
for
3 to 4 years before thinking about getting drones. The premise
being
that the chanter is where the music is created and so needs to be
learnt before adding drones or regulators. He also extols the
beauty
and effectiveness of playing parts of a piece on solo chanter
only
and
then adding accompaniment be it drones or other instruments to
lift
the
sound.
On a slightly related topic, people have commented on how well in
tune
the 3 beginner pipers in Windy Gyle Band play on the CD and have
suggested that some digital trickery might be involved. This is
absolutely not the case. All three have learnt to play on chanter
only
and two of them are now (after 3 years) beginning to add drones
occasionally.
The drones can add excitement like nothing else to the pipes
sound
but
they can also mask some of the music at times. So my message
would
be
follow your ears, try all the options and go with what works for
you.
Others may not like it but at least you'll be pleasing the most
important person in this whole process, namely yourself. Which is
I
would argue is the main purpose of traditional music.
Cheers
Anthony
--- On Thu, 6/1/11, [8][19][email protected]
<[9][20][email protected]> wrote:
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