Drone Lap Position and other questions

[hpinson]

Is their a proper way to orient drones resting on the lap? As a reference should the thumb shut off valve point towards 12:00 or some other position? This would probably be obvious with regulators, but alas, I have none.

Is there is a perferred method for shutting off individual drones-- mine are all on, or all off. A retrofit valve perhaps? Or just a stopper in the drone bell?

I'm also having a bit of worry with the brass hinge on my bellows coming a bit too close to comfort to the nice wooden drones. Damage could ensue during a lively bit of playing? Any suggestions?

-- Harlow

[PJ]

When I play, the drone switch is up and forward at approx. 2 O'Clock.

You can stop individual drones by covering the hole at the end of the drone with your finger, increasing pressure on the bag and then removing your finger. This closes down the drone reed. To open the drone reed again, just cover the hole with your finger and then remove your finger quickly.

The alternative is to make some stoppers. A golf tee might work for the baritone. I've used toothpicks wraped in electrical tape.

[billh]

Is their a proper way to orient drones resting on the lap? As a reference should the thumb shut off valve point towards 12:00 or some other position? This would probably be obvious with regulators, but alas, I have none.

Is there is a perferred method for shutting off individual drones-- mine are all on, or all off. A retrofit valve perhaps? Or just a stopper in the drone bell?

I'm also having a bit of worry with the brass hinge on my bellows coming a bit too close to comfort to the nice wooden drones. Damage could ensue during a lively bit of playing? Any suggestions?

-- Harlow

drone switch between 1 and 2 o'clock seems reasonable to me.

Also important, I wouldn't advise lying the stock "flat" across the lap - it's better if the stock is higher, thus not really touching the lap. This will keep it out of the way of the bellows value, but more importantly, make it easier to reach the regs later.

There is some margin for personal preference here; some players do have a fairly "flat" mainstock and still manage to play the regs, but I'd suggest you take a close look at the posture of some top players (say, on YouTube?) before forming too many habits.

If you find it hard to hold the stock high with just your left arm, a thin leather strap over the left shoulder can be used to hold it higher.

For shutting off individual drones (other than just momentarily, while tuning), most players seem to use Blu-Tack, but of course little end pins do the job more elegantly. There is no "switch retrofit" to accomplish this, drones are ordinarily expected to be "all or nothing" these days (though O'Farrell stated in his c1805 tutor that 'most good players only use two drones at a time').

Bill

[Cayden]

(though O'Farrell stated in his c1805 tutor that 'most good players only use two drones at a time').

Bill

but then again, the drones of those days were quite a bit louder and the balance of today's sets is very different

[maze]

1 o'clock is about right for me... i for one have my main stock lay very flat on my lap rather than up and at an angle... in fact, i had my bass reg redone so that i could accomplish this... tied it in very low on the bag so i can still get the bag up under my arm. turned to 1 o'clock, i can play individual notes on the tenor reg, chords with it and the baritone, and occassionally reach down with the edge of my palm for a three note chord.

i personally think it all depends upon one's body type. my arms are monkey-like, 6'-8" arm span, so when i used to have the bass reg extension straight, i could never play a single note... now they are just right there.

watch paddy keenan sometime for his reg. playing, or another great master of tasteful regulator playing benedict koehler, who plays a 3/4 set usually laying flat on his lap.

[billh]

1 o'clock is about right for me... i for one have my main stock lay very flat on my lap rather than up and at an angle... in fact, i had my bass reg redone so that i could accomplish this... tied it in very low on the bag so i can still get the bag up under my arm. turned to 1 o'clock, i can play individual notes on the tenor reg, chords with it and the baritone, and occassionally reach down with the edge of my palm for a three note chord.

i personally think it all depends upon one's body type. my arms are monkey-like, 6'-8" arm span, so when i used to have the bass reg extension straight, i could never play a single note... now they are just right there.

watch paddy keenan sometime for his reg. playing, or another great master of tasteful regulator playing benedict koehler, who plays a 3/4 set usually laying flat on his lap.

Hi John;

I'm sure body type has something to do with it - but then again, my arm span (6'-5") is quite long for my height, and I still prefer a high bag. I just looked at a video of Benedict playing, and I didn't think his stock placement was particularly flat...

Paddy's does strike me as flatter than average,

Bill

[Joseph E. Smith]

I could, but I won't even go into how much of an effect one's beer gut influnces the positioning of the drones... not to mention the regs.

[djm]

Paddy Keenan lays his set flat across his knees, and does not use a shoulder strap. When he was here recently he pointed this out specifically. He also has the stock mounted as low as possible on the bag. These are both contrary to tradition or popular "opinion" about how things should be set up, but Paddy says that all the things he does that are considered "incorrect" or non-traditional about his method are things that he felt were getting in his way - so he changed things to suit himself.

One point he was proud to point out was that, while he appreciates and admires traditionalists, he certainly does not consider himself to be one of them, and will change anything up as he sees fit to attain the musical goals he sets for himself (it was a very interesting evening ).

djm

[Key_of_D]

You can stop individual drones by covering the hole at the end of the drone with your finger, increasing pressure on the bag and then removing your finger. This closes down the drone reed. To open the drone reed again, just cover the hole with your finger and then remove your finger quickly.

When I first had this shown to me in person, I was totally amazed... I guess I just thought it was cool. I'm not sure about the science in this either... Is it simply because covering the hole stops the flow of air through the reed therefore silencing it? And how does it stay silent? Which also confuses me as to how putting your finger over the hole then removing it again starts up the drone reed???

[PJ]

When I first had this shown to me in person, I was totally amazed... I guess I just thought it was cool. I'm not sure about the science in this either... Is it simply because covering the hole stops the flow of air through the reed therefore silencing it? And how does it stay silent? Which also confuses me as to how putting your finger over the hole then removing it again starts up the drone reed???

Some very good questions. The answers are surprisingly simple. However, they're also classified, so I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

[Key_of_D]

Kinda defeats the purpose of online help I guess...

[Joseph E. Smith]

Kinda defeats the purpose of online help I guess...

Yes, but not online murder.

When you place your finger over the open end of a drone, the air flow stops and the pressure created closes the tongue of the reed shut. By tapping the open end again, a little back pressure is created which opens the reed and allows the air flow to continue and the reed to play.

So... um... heh... where 'bouts (exactly) are you livin' these days?

[CHasR]

Paddy Keenan lays his set flat across his knees, and does not use a shoulder strap. When he was here recently he pointed this out specifically. He also has the stock mounted as low as possible on the bag.
djm

Having tried the whole shebang at the reccomended higher angle (so that the mainstock + bag connect somewhere around the pectoralis major), For me its easier to think of moving in + out-ish to get to regs instead of up+ down-ish.
My vote's for a lower tie-in point too(doubless the only thing I have in common with PK anyway), one's anatomy being the deciding factor...
(BTW I did this prior to getting an up close + personal look at how Paddy holds his pipes...just instinct, I guess) :shrug:

[PJ]

Here's a good snap of Paddy playing (taken by Ralph Thompson of Montreal)

[Douglas]

PJ wrote:
You can stop individual drones by covering the hole at the end of the drone with your finger, increasing pressure on the bag and then removing your finger. This closes down the drone reed. To open the drone reed again, just cover the hole with your finger and then remove your finger quickly.

Key_of_D wrote:
When I first had this shown to me in person, I was totally amazed... I guess I just thought it was cool. I'm not sure about the science in this either... Is it simply because covering the hole stops the flow of air through the reed therefore silencing it? And how does it stay silent? Which also confuses me as to how putting your finger over the hole then removing it again starts up the drone reed???

When I used to play the Highland pipes in a rock band and my drones would shut off when I was playing, the other band member would come over and try to restart my drones. They seemed to get a kick out of doing that.