DRONE TUNING
Sound high A then with same pressure play low A and tune drones one by one starting with outside tenor, bass and finally middle tenor. Do this with only 1 drone sounding at a time. Note when tuning each drone get pulsing sound and then tune until this disappears then it is in tune.
From: claptonpiper@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 10:28:07
To: Dr Bruce Copley<bruce@aahalearning.com>
Reply-To: claptonpiper@gmail.com
Hi Bruce
Thanks a lot for such an amazing Holiday and time it was amazing beyond words!
- Getting on to the pipes
- From the set up!
- Make sure each hemped part of the pipes is properly hemped and is not lose nor slipping
- When setting check that bag is fine and the no reeds have slipped out ( you will soon find out when you can’t blow up due to air loss )
- Place the chanter in carefully and you ready to go!
- Strike up/Getting Started
- As you know from the Didge you have to be gentle and have patience
- With striking up the bag you need to blow up and when you hear the double toning drone (high pitched squeak) you then blow and give a slight jerk to the bag not to hard that it cuts out the drones but not to soft to carry the double toning drone sound! Also not to hard that your chanter comes in
- All about control… 3 steps
- 1) Jerk (Getting your drones in with no double tone)
- 2) place bag underarm ( feel where the bag sits comfortably, you always want to make it a great experience for you! Either place it high up towards your should or even at an angle by your elbow)
- 3) Sound “E” –the note where your bottom hand(Right hand) pinky is up and your Top hand (left hand) 4th finger is up! Finger before pinky
- Tuning the pipes
- With a tuner
- Strike up and hold “Low A”- Note where just your bottom hand (Right hand) pinky is up
- Get someone to hold a tuner at the chanter and calab up or down till needle sits on green! Obviously the less unsteady you blow the harder it will be to tune aswell as get a reading
- Once you have a reading then restrike up and block your bass and inside tennor (inside tennor- closest to the bass
- Once you have blocked them get someone to hold tuner slightly above the hole of the drone just above but not touching
- Tune your drones one by one individually with only the drone that you tuning sounding! No other drones should be sounding
- You tuning the drones to the same calab as the chanter
- To tune the Drone someone must hold the tuner and turn the stock on the wooden pin on your drone up or down till it sits on green! Trun the stock clock wise and anit clock wise but what ever direction you go one way go the opposite for the other
- eg- Clockwise Down Anti Clockwise Up
- Also remember you won’t get it to sit green if you not blowing properly
- Remember not to play with the top tuning pin and stock of the bass
- Packing up and Looking after the pipes
- When packing away remember to take your pipes apart only by the middle tuning pin of the bass before doing that take a measure of the gap between the stock and the bottom of the pin roughly so you know more or less where to place your stock on when you play again
- Always take your Chanter out and plave Dry-stock on it (Dry-stock- the white PVC protector) this well keep your reed dry and protect it!
- Always check your hemp and check that you have no air leeks as this will effect your playing!
- Practice Chanter
- Always practice your scales -Normals, G grace note, E grace not and D grace note scale as well as Triplets GDE
- Simple tunes to learn are Green hills of tyrol, Morag of Dunvegan
- Try do atleast 5 exercises before playing a tune!
- Practice all your Doublings up and down the scale aswell as D-throws and burrles
- Bagpipe player
- A program that will help your playing a great amount!
-scottishpiperclub.com
-pipetunes.com - Or just type on google bagpipe player tune download!
- you can get tunes they in a file format of BWW you can download them from
- A program that will help your playing a great amount!
This is all your Basic tips to get you started!
I will send you emails as you advance, Just let me know how you getting along!
You can get hold of me anytime on
Whatsapp- 0723337061
Facebook- Dylan Maraz
Email 1 claptonpiper@gmail.com
Email 2 claptonpiper@yahoo.com
Skype- dylan.maraz
Feel free to ask me anything anytime!
Good luck and blow like the wind!