Whistle Players Hornpipe

[colomon]

Pleeeese correct me if i'm wrong:
Low range (Chalmeau) d e f# g a b c#
High range (Clarino) g a b c d e f#

If you're talking the registers on a clarinet, you've got them backwards, I believe -- the bottom register fingerings approximate the bassoon (six fingers down is G), the upper register fingerings the D whistle (six fingers down is D). (Of course, those are the notes written; on a standard Bb clarinet, the note sounded is a whole step below that.)

[SteveK]

If the low octave is D E F# G A B c#, the upper octave is a b c#' etc. how do you play d e f# and g ? Or am I totally misunderstanding this ?

I don't think you are. As far as I can tell those notes don't exist on the instrument-except for d. It is produced by opening a thumbhole. Then when you go to the 2nd octave you start playing a a scale. That may not be right but it's the best I can figure out.

[Chiffed]

Crud. Whoops. My transposition was totally off.
If the lowest note's a D then that overblows an octave and a fifth higher, to A. If the lowest note (fundamental) is a G, then it overblows to D. Mea culpa.

I just looked over a bunch of hornpipe tunes, and an amazing number could be played on a hornpipe, regardless of the register gap. Imagine that!

[colomon]

Ah -- I never consider transposition error, I just assumed you had to be talking about the clarinet. Right, Duncan's instrument has D for its bottom note, and the second register starts on A.

[Free Tinker]

If the low octave is D E F# G A B c#, the upper octave is a b c#' etc. how do you play d e f# and g ? Or am I totally misunderstanding this ?

I don't think you are. As far as I can tell those notes don't exist on the instrument-except for d. It is produced by opening a thumbhole. Then when you go to the 2nd octave you start playing a a scale. That may not be right but it's the best I can figure out.

That's right. It plays from D to D (thumb-hole, no big deal) and then from A to A.

[Band Nerd]

Those hornpipes seem really cool! I think I'm gonna get one! They have such a unique sound, and I really like it!

[anniemcu]

I'm more interested in the Wee Dee Highland Hornpipe... (edited to add) Same company, apparently... the price of this one linked above is waaaaaaay too much for me.

[Unseen122]

I actually own a Wee Dee Annie and I like it a lot but it is kind of hard to use Piper's Grip on (you know it is meant to use the same fingerings as GHBs).

[anniemcu]

I actually own a Wee Dee Annie and I like it a lot but it is kind of hard to use Piper's Grip on (you know it is meant to use the same fingerings as GHBs).

I am waiting till I can afford one to try to get used to that grip... er rather... I already use the "piper's grip" on whistles, particularly the lower ones, but is the *fingering* different... like it is for a piper?

[barbuck]

I play (somewhat) the traditional Welsh hornpipe (the pibcorn or pibgorn)



It's in key of D, plays one octave plus the high D with a thumbhole. It too uses same fingering as a whistle. Has a great sound when it's "on" but keeping the cane reed consistent/stable is a real challenge.

[Geraint]

I play (somewhat) the traditional Welsh hornpipe (the pibcorn or pibgorn)... Has a great sound when it's "on" but keeping the cane reed consistent/stable is a real challenge.

Tell me about it.... I'm having trouble with my reeds.

Who made your pibgorn, Barbuck? Was it made over here in Wales? Mine is by John Tose, by the way.

[barbuck]

Tell me about it.... I'm having trouble with my reeds.

Who made your pibgorn, Barbuck? Was it made over here in Wales? Mine is by John Tose, by the way.

Mine was made by Alan Keith in the US, who is no longer making them. I was first turned on to the instrument when I saw Carreg Lafar, a Welsh band that has played over here several times. Their player's (Antwn Owen Hicks) instrument was made by Jonathan Shorland, who I believe is also from Wales.

I know another player who has a John Tose instrument, and one other who has a John Glenydd model (who I don't believe is currently making them )

I've done some experimenting with synthetic reeds (in concert with a pipe drone reed maker); starting to approach a usable version, but not there yet. Every change that improves one aspect worsens something else!

[Geraint]

I've done some experimenting with synthetic reeds (in concert with a pipe drone reed maker); starting to approach a usable version, but not there yet. Every change that improves one aspect worsens something else!

Aha. Yes, I've heard Carreg Lafar. Have you come across 'Pibau' - the Fflach Tradd Cd of pipes and so on with Jonathan Shoreland and Ceri Rhys Matthews? Good stuff.

Now, I've got a some bapipes on order from John Glennydd but I'm not sure when it they be ready, and am itching to get hold of them. I had a go on one of John's pibgyrn at the start of the month, in the National Eisteddfod. Nice! Now, John uses carbon fibre reeds on his pipes nowadays, but an old-fashioned cane reed on his pibgyrn. The pipes are much more stable, I believe.

John Tose's pibgorn has a very interesting sound - he describes it as being 'ethnic', I think. Mine is also the chanter for a set of his 'bag-horpipes'.

Let me know if you make any progress with synthetic reeds for your pibgorn, eh? There's a pint in it for you, or a cup of coffee

[Key_of_D]

I think the thing sounds like a saxaphone.

[Chiffed]

A saxophonist with weak embouchure and poor support. But I should know better than to judge based on sounds from $9 computer speakers.

Reminds me a bit of the Hungarian Tarogato I played in a Klezmer band.