Colin, the thing you recall is Rob Say's Northumbrian Smallpipes Simulator:
http://www.milecastle27.co.uk/simulator/ I'm sure that Rob might reply himself, omitting to say how absolutely brilliant it is. So I shall do so instead. Francis On 7 Jan 2011, at 18:53, Colin wrote: > This talk of drone tuning reminded me of something. > Some years ago, someone on this list directed us to a website which had (I > hope I can explain this and make sense) a keynote playing and you had to use > sliders to tune the drones (using the mouse) and got a score for how near you > were (it was an aid to tuning by ear) and showed how far out you were (I > think it also had a "this is how it should sound" audio as well). > Anyone remember it (I lost the URL several PCs ago) and does it still exist? > > Colin Hill > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gibbons, John" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 12:11 PM > Subject: [NSP] Re: Drone Tuning > > >> >> Anthony, >> >> Certainly adding drones on the 2nd time through, works well on UP, >> especially on airs. >> Irish slow airs, being usually vocal music rather than pipe music, maybe >> don't require a drone so fundamentally. >> Musically this idea makes less sense on drone music though - double-tonic >> tunes etc. >> But with NSP, it is rare to have an on-off drone key, so it is hard for us >> to do in practice. >> >> As for drones being out of tune on recordings - as I said, it is the effect >> on the listener which matters. >> I can think of an otherwise excellent recording where the drones were badly >> out in places, so I know what you mean. >> But shutting them off is a cop-out, not a solution. >> >> John >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf >> Of Anthony Robb >> Sent: 07 January 2011 10:52 >> To: [email protected]; [email protected]; Gibbons, John >> Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning >> >> >> 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: >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> [1][10][21]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> -- >> References >> 1. [11][22]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> -- >> References >> 1. >> [23]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> u >> 2. >> [24]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> u >> 3. >> [25]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 4. >> [26]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 5. >> [27]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]. >> uk >> 6. >> [28]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]. >> uk >> 7. >> [29]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]. >> uk >> 8. >> [30]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]. >> uk >> 9. >> [31]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]. >> uk >> 10. [32]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> 11. [33]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> -- >> >> References >> >> 1. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 2. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 3. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 4. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 5. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 6. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 7. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 8. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 9. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 10. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 11. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 12. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 13. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 14. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 15. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 16. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 17. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 18. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 19. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 20. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 21. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> 22. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> 23. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 24. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 25. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 26. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 27. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 28. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 29. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 30. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 31. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] >> 32. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> 33. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> >> >> > > > >
