Thanks John. It's a gem! Sunny up here on the plateau.
Francis On 12 Jan 2011, at 01:11, John Liestman wrote: > Francis, you must have the earlier "pre-plateau" version! > > I have posted a pdf file version at http://www.liestman.com/plateau.pdf for > anyone to read that is so inclined. It is called "Drone Reeds and the Plateau > of Stability" but it is truly the plateau of happiness if you can achieve it! > Let me know if for some reason the link does not work and I will just email > you (whoever "you" are . . . or is) a copy. > > Happy droning on the plateau! > > > On 1/11/2011 12:18 PM, Francis Wood wrote: >> Colin, are you using composite drone reeds or all-cane ones? Adjustment >> techniques will, of course differ. >> >> Whatever you're using, I'd check the drone itself as a priority, checking >> that everything is sealing correctly (tuning beads are often suspect), that >> the bore is clean and smooth, and that the tone hole is entirely free of any >> invisible debris or excess lubrication, which often accumulates invisibly >> there. Any of these deficiencies will cause instability. >> >> I have John Liestman's excellent book, but probably an earlier version than >> the one you mentioned, since I can't find the reed advice on those or >> adjacent pages. I do recall reading >> John's remarks about the parameters of stability (I think he calls that area >> the 'Plateau of Happiness' or something similar) and this may be in a >> subsequent edition or even in an NPS Magazine article. It's very good >> information. >> >> Of course, it is one thing to adjust a good reed and an entirely different >> matter to spend ages on a drone reed that does not work well and never will. >> Unfortunately some drone reeds are not worthy of that attention. >> >> Pitch of almost any woodwind reed will rise with pressure. The ideal reed >> behaviour for NSPs is one where pitch changes relatively little, and evenly, >> with all drone reeds and the chanter reed behaving similarly. That's a rare >> but not impossible situation, requiring not only skill but luck. I suspect >> that as much success comes from knowing when to reject a reed, as knowing >> when and how to adjust it. >> >> Francis >> >> >> >> >> On 11 Jan 2011, at 12:40, Colin and Cheryl McNaught wrote: >> >>> Following on from these sage comments, does anyone have ideas about >>> what causes some drones to be significantly more pressure sensitive >>> than others. By this I mean their pitch varies more for a given change >>> in bag pressure. Once they are adjusted for pitch and pressure there >>> doesn't seem to be anything else to tweak without spoiling the >>> pitch/pressure set-ups. I have a set that is very stable and another >>> that has a couple of drones that aren't and would like to improve them. >>> >>> I always try to play other pipe sets when at NSP get-togethers and it's >>> been my experience that every set I have played has some quirky notes. >>> I'm sure there's a reed dependency in this too. Making small (often >>> unconscious) adjustments in bag pressure seems to be a part of playing >>> this instrument well (just as embouchure adjustments on, e.g. oboe, >>> flute). Consequently, a set of drones that is more stable can result >>> in a 'sweeter' end result than one that isn't. >>> >>> Colin (McNaught) >>> On Sat, Jan 8, 2011 at 7:05 PM,<[1]gibbonssoi...@aol.com> wrote: >>> >>> As many notes on an NSP chanter can be bent about a quarter tone >>> without putting the drones far out - at least on a good reed day - >>> I >>> guess one difference between a good piper and a fairly good one is >>> the >>> former will squeeze notes into tune unconsciously and accurately, >>> the >>> latter consciously and only fairly accurately. >>> I often think of singing the note, so I have an idea of the >>> pitch >>> in my head, to aim for. Listening to the chord with the drones - >>> if >>> these are in tune - also helps with some notes. It is the notes >>> that >>> harmonise with the drones which are most exposed if out of tune, >>> so >>> recognising a just 3rd or whatever tells you you've got there. The >>> singing trick doesn't work so well if you are still thinking >>> equal-tempered, mind. So chords are better. >>> Long notes are good practice for this - I wonder if this is >>> one >>> reason Tom Clough liked playing hymn tunes? 'Oh God our Help in >>> Ages >>> Past' (aka St Anne, or 'The Goldfish') is a good one for this, >>> dead >>> slow. >>> I sometimes use this to see if the drones are 'really' in tune. >>> When I started playing NSP after playing the flute for years, >>> my >>> embouchure would bend to try to bring notes in - ineffective of >>> itself, >>> but I found I was doing something useful as well, as the notes >>> came >>> more into tune (I pinched a non-existent thumbhole to get the top >>> octave on the whistle, as well). That first set I had needed a bit >>> of variable squeezing to bring some notes close to where they >>> should >>> be. >>> Intonation is a mystery on most instruments, and the hardest >>> part >>> to get right. A related issue is tone colour - finger vibrato >>> alters >>> the harmonics of a note substantially, changing the colour a lot; >>> pressure vibrato much less so. Taking a lower finger off the >>> chanter >>> may vary the pitch up or down, so you can use finger vibrato to >>> improve >>> the intonation as well as the colour. Or worsen the intonation, if >>> you >>> use the wrong finger. >>> Knowing which lower finger moves which notes in which direction is >>> something one ought to learn. I tend to use the same finger >>> whatever, >>> if it works. >>> John >>> -- >>> To get on or off this list see list information at >>> [2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >>> >>> -- >>> >>> References >>> >>> 1. mailto:gibbonssoi...@aol.com >>> 2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >>> >> >> >> > > -- > John Liestman >
