flat sets lower than Bb

Pekkos · Post by **Pekkos** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:48 am

Just got to think of a french pipe by Rogge...

http://uilleann-pipes.de/images/cat/bourb_5.jpg

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:12 am

And of course (since we're not talking uilleann anymore) there's the Itallian gran zampogna:

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:21 am

Nevertheless I'm still happy about any info about makers of lower-than-low sets...

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 12:37 pm

I've had my Bb chanter halfway to A on occasion. I've a tape of Ronan playing that G chanter - some wiseacre turns on a digital pitch pipe, somebody complements him on "Steady on the drones, Ronan! Very steady!" Ronan has a bit of trouble with "the span," getting the hard D in and so forth. Practical limitations kicked in with pipes, which is why they never went past 18 1/2" = Bb. Denis Brooks mentioned A pipes in his tutor, though, perhaps he came across a lower chanter.
A Siccama key for the Eb hole might make lower pitches feasible. An A chanter would be weird in a session, let's see, you'd get key of D while playing in G...yeah, you could play G string notes but how are you going to get up to the fiddle's high A and B? On the chanter that would be high D and E in the third octave.
Colclough's piping tutor (from the 1840s) shows bass notes on the bass regulator, maybe some innovator type could work some tunes up that way.

giggleswicksam · Post by **giggleswicksam** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:35 pm

Of course keys to get high D and E are not unheard of, they have been used by Ronan on a Bb hunter chanter he has. According to Peter, notes up there are very pure in terms of lack of overtones when fed into an oscilloscope. I came across the G drawing the other day . . . . One day when I'm really bored I might make myself one!

If you want to hear something silly try www.hunterpipes.co.uk in an hour or so.

I swear to God I'm not promoting anything!

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:40 pm

Hmmm, I agree, silly. Were you pumping helium into the bag? (That works, apparently!)
And are you Peter H. himself? I played a half set in B once - great pipes!

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:25 pm

http://hunterpipes.co.uk/Sounds/Very%20silly.mp3

sean an piobaire · Post by **sean an piobaire** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:30 am

Thanks Mr.Lee for throwing in my (5 palmi long) gran Zampogna, but Ted Anderson has a 6 palmi, matched by Brad Angus' neighbor____ , who has now ordered an 8 palmi (palmi= one streched out hand span from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger). When that arrives from Italy, I'll slip to 3rd place and Ted will be 2nd place for largest Zampogna on the west coast. I don't care, mine is more portable! When it comes to pipes in general,
"Lower is Better" for most listeners, and the pipers who play those sets...I love the story about Wally Charm asking Kevin Reitman why he didn't he get a"B" set, like all the other pipers, instead of the B flat Angus multi reg set? The reply from Kevin was that the B sets were way too shrill ! That funny crack is one for the book...Good on you Kevin!
LONG AND DEEP SEAN FOLSOM

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 3:38 pm

yahh, B is like fingernails on the chalkboard...
Hearing Willie Clancy on the 2nd Pipering LP was some of the first pipes I heard, the first four cuts are Willie playing a 18 1/2" Moloney chanter, with Sean Reid playing the drones. It always stuck with me, that and Leo Rowsome playing a Bb Coyne set on the Drones and Chanters. Those are still some of my favorite tracks ever. I'd love to hear more of Leo playing that set - what a sound! Maybe Garech de Brun has something tucked away...
"______", eh? He's taller than Ted, I think, you guys could line up for a good photo, like a police lineup! "No. 3, let's hear that Tarantella. Turn to the left..."

billh · Post by **billh** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:10 am

Kevin L. Rietmann wrote:... Practical limitations kicked in with pipes, which is why they never went past 18 1/2" = Bb....
A Siccama key for the Eb hole might make lower pitches feasible.

Since the F-E stretch is often the more troublesome one, perhaps two Siccama keys would be required. Seems workable anyhow - but there's a much more pedestrian limitation, in that yer typical Myford ML7 (aka pipemakers' special) can't manage more than about 20" between centres, and it's very difficult to step-drill or bore the foot under those conditions. IIRC Ronan's G chanter is made in two parts, with a joint between the top and bottom hands like a flute, for that reason.

An interesting side-effect is that you might be able to keep both the reed resonance and acoustic tonehole cutoff frequency high enough to allow better harmonics in the far-upper register, possibly making the third octave more achievable.

Bill

BzzzzT · Post by **BzzzzT** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:12 am

I used to own a Bb by Brad Angus. I LOVED that FAT sound. But my hands could not handle the strech for the E. I can play a B just fine, but that extra strech for the Bb did me in. When I went to play my D chanter it felt as if I was holding a twig. Despite the pain I really miss that chanter.

- Jason

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 6:55 pm

I just heard a set pitched in A on liveireland.com...wonderful sound.

billh · Post by **billh** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 5:24 am

Gabriel wrote:I just heard a set pitched in A on liveireland.com...wonderful sound.

Hmm, details? You've got our curiousity up now

Where on liveireland.com? Was it in the middle of some long live stream, or what?

Bill

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 5:38 am

billh wrote:
Gabriel wrote:I just heard a set pitched in A on liveireland.com...wonderful sound.
Hmm, details? You've got our curiousity up now Where on liveireland.com? Was it in the middle of some long live stream, or what?

Bill

I'll second this.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 12:04 pm

Sorry, can't remember, I just heard some uilleann pipes and tried to play the tune with my whistles, and only the A did it, so it had to be an A set ...

I'll note down the song name and artist the next time I hear it and report back in here

Chiff and Fipple Forums

flat sets lower than Bb

Daft low chanter