Flat chanters

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 7:25 am

Not sure about "new". C sets are derigeur amongst many of the higher calibre players at tionóls. I think this is their way of getting to play together without the minor leaguers getting in the way.

djm

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Feb 25, 2005 8:19 am

wharfedalecarving wrote:Trying to have an "all singing all dancing" set of drones suitable for a chanter of another key is asking alot from a set.

Now that's an idea!!

Has anyone ever set up a stock with two sets of drones and no regulators - one set of drones would be concert and the other would be flat? It would probably require a 3-way switch (Concert/Flat/off), but it would enable a piper to change chanter, flick the switch and be playing in another key with accompanying drones.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 8:33 am

PJ wrote:
wharfedalecarving wrote:Trying to have an "all singing all dancing" set of drones suitable for a chanter of another key is asking alot from a set.
Now that's an idea!!

Has anyone ever set up a stock with two sets of drones and no regulators - one set of drones would be concert and the other would be flat? It would probably require a 3-way switch (Concert/Flat/off), but it would enable a piper to change chanter, flick the switch and be playing in another key with accompanying drones.

I'm not certain if such a beastie exists, but DAMN, would it be cool!

ChristianRo · Post by **ChristianRo** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 8:54 am

[quote="PJ"

Has anyone ever set up a stock with two sets of drones and no regulators - one set of drones would be concert and the other would be flat? It would probably require a 3-way switch (Concert/Flat/off), but it would enable a piper to change chanter, flick the switch and be playing in another key with accompanying drones.[/quote]

I've seen and heard it done. I am sure A. Froment does this kind of sets. I have heard Tom Kannmacher play a set with 3 D and 2 E drones between which he switched back and forth while playing. Nice effect, when you hear it for the first time...

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:01 am

ChristianRo wrote:I've seen and heard it done. I am sure A. Froment does this kind of sets. I have heard Tom Kannmacher play a set with 3 D and 2 E drones between which he switched back and forth while playing. Nice effect, when you hear it for the first time...

I'm thinking about Bb and D - imagine the effect of the key change!! You'd have to be pretty quick on the change from one chanter to another - but maybe there's a way to have 2 chanters on the one bag, fitted with chanter stop valves. Imagine what that set would look like - Cerberus

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:05 am

PJ wrote:I'm thinking about Bb and D

I'm wondering if B and D wouldn't be a better choice. There are plenty of Bminor tunes that would go nicely on a D chanter with B drones humming away well under it all. Food for thought.

ChristianRo · Post by **ChristianRo** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:10 am

[quote="PJ"

I'm thinking about Bb and D - imagine the effect of the key change!! You'd have to be pretty quick on the change from one chanter to another - but maybe there's a way to have 2 chanters on the one bag, fitted with chanter stop valves. Imagine what that set would look like - Cerberus
quote]
Ah, c'm on, get past your Jimmy Page-stage and focus on making music

[/

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:17 am

Joseph E. Smith wrote:I'm wondering if B and D wouldn't be a better choice. There are plenty of Bminor tunes that would go nicely on a D chanter with B drones humming away well under it all. Food for thought.

You may be on to something here!!

What if...

Instead of 2 sets of 3 drones, you had 3 sets of 2 drones (and either a 4-way switch or three 2-way switches). Have three base and three baritone drones, B, D and E. That way you could cover Bmin, Dmaj and Emin. Now all we have to do is figure out a way to add Gmaj and Amin and we'll never need regulators again!!

Tim Hall · Post by **Tim Hall** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 10:37 am

On the topic of D/C convertible drones, has anyone from the uilleann world ever tried out the concept of "tuning beads"? On a set of Northumbrians, the drones often have a hole drilled a whole-step higher to enable changing the drones to fit the key of the tune. However, this can also enable the player with a traditional (e.g., "flat") set in F to re-tune drones to play with a concert G chanter. The "bead" is nothing more than a brass ferrule which can be rotated to open the hole. I've even (IIRC) seen sets with more than one tuning bead on some drones, to enable more than a whole step change in pitch. This would require the drones to be built or reeded in "C" first, and then the "D" hole/bead created to raise the pitch.

I once briefly owned a set of Swedish sackpipa, and the single drone on that pipe has an open hole which allows the piper to cover the hole and drop the pitch of the drone (sort of a keyless regulator).

Best,

Tim

mukade · Post by **mukade** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 10:58 am

Yev all gone feckin' bonkers!

Mukade

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:00 am

mukade wrote:Yev all gone feckin' bonkers!

Mukade

Yes, it is true. Nutty as fruit bats are we.

mukade · Post by **mukade** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:12 am

Talking about crazy....

I have posted this pic before. It's a Davey Stevenson G chanter that was on his now defunct site.

Has anyone ever heard one of these beasts play?

Mukade

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:47 pm

AAAAGGGGHHHH

You'd need hands like shovels to play that chanter. I can only imagine the drones and regs that go with that set.

Where can I get one of these??

tommykleen · Post by **tommykleen** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:45 pm

We humans cannot actually hear the G chanter.

When you play it, elephants and cassowarys on the other side of the globe pick up the infrasound generated by such a chanter.

It makes them dance.

t

Jim McGuire · Post by **Jim McGuire** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:49 pm

Alain has added a 4th drone that can be (1) shutoff all together, (2) opened to play 'A', or (3) 'A' is shutoff and 'G' opened.