I don't know exactly how flat A = 398 is but it can't be very far off F+, given that A = 392 would correspond to concert G. I wonder if Anthony would agree therefore that since lots of the notes are sharp, a good starting point would be to pull the reed out a fraction? C
>-----Original Message----- >From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu >[mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Anthony Robb >Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 12:56 PM >To: Dartmouth NPS >Subject: [NSP] Chanter Tuning > > > > From Chris Gregg: > > So that is why my pipes always sound out of tune, and I >thought it > was > just poor musicianship on my part! > The whole tuning thing is a bit of a quagmire, and as a solo > instrument > it is not a problem, but I would like to know how people >get around > it > in recording sessions. > > > Hello Chris > > This sounds to me as though your bottom G is a tad flat and >that's why > so many notes seem sharp. > > The other thing to say is that the chanter, in all >likelihood, could be > brought in tune with careful use of PVA glue (for sharp notes) and a > scalpel fitted with an 11P blade (for flat notes). > > Before doing anything drastic, however, I would get to know your > chanter's idiosyncrasies by removing the cotton wool plug, >if there is > one, from the bottom of the bore. Then I'd repeat your measurements > (draw up a table) with a cotton bud inserted at set >positions into the > bore. I'd start off with the rounded tip in at 10mm then go >up by 5mm > increments to within 15mm of your bottom D (for a 7 key chanter) > checking the tuning of each note as you go. Write down your >results so > the pattern can be seen at a glance. This will tell you how >much effect > the standing waves below each chanter note are affecting >the pitch of > each note. You might find one position will bring your >chanter closer > in tune with itself. If the cotton bud makes matters worse >I'd insert a > 20mm narrow cone of cotton wool (point first) into the >chanter and see > if that helps. > > If you do need to resort to scalpel & glue I'd do this with >the cotton > wool cone to minimise standing waves interfering with your tuning. > > Let me know how you get on. > > With regards to recording sessions every group of pipers of >pipers will > have their own solution. As you say solo is fine as the piper can > adjust where necessary. At the other end of the scale >massed pipes are > OK too because variations with 5 chanters or more tend to >balance out. > The trickiest we find is when 3 pipes are playing together. We found > that recording the three chanters together without drones (live or > recorded) works best as each of us listens out for what is happening > with the other players and adjusts where necessary. Then drones are > tuned to the chanters and added to the mix. This can mean up to 11.5 > mins of constant drone without fingering the chanter at all which is > surprisingly tiring on the fingers. It also means that >chanters have to > be played at a fairly consistent pitch and in with each >other without > any external reference point at all. But then as we can see from the > recent posts external references are often a hindrance rather that a > help in that situation. > > I hope some of this helps but please remember no theories whatsoever > have been used as a basis for this advice just 40 years >mucking about > with some of the loveliest chanters around (Burleigh, >Gruar, Hedworth, > Nelson and Ross) and nowt but my own lugs as final arbiter. > > Good Luck > > Anthony > > -- > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
