Tabor pipe?

jackorion · Post by **jackorion** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 11:48 am

I was listening to Robin Williamson's score for a play based on the Mabinogi (Welsh) legends. On one track he plays the Tabor drum and pipe. I was amazed at the melodic range he got out of a three holed whistle.
I was hoping to receive a few comments from tabor players. how limited or expansive do you find the melodic range, is it awkward to play with one hand (two holes on top and one thumb hole on the bottom)? I see that Bernard Overton makes Tabor pipes, anyone have one of these that they can comment on?
Thanks, Jack Orion

[ This Message was edited by: jackorion on 2001-11-13 12:48 ]

[ This Message was edited by: jackorion on 2001-11-13 13:30 ]

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 12:12 pm

I have seen a Dutch band perform playing this sort of tunes on a generation whistle with the top three holes taped up and it worked well!

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 12:20 pm

I have an Overton Low G tabor pipe. I have to say that it is one of my favorites. The balance throughout the octave and a half range is wonderful and the change in breath pressure required for the harmonic crossover is very smooth. I also have a Susato Low G tabor pipe (narrow bore) that plays louder than the Overton but is not as well balanced. The Susato A is better in that regard. I prefer lower pitched tabor pipes as opposed to the likes of a Generation D. Considering that the upper notes are equivalent to third octave tin whistle it can get pretty piercing. With regards to the scale the tabor pipe does have it's limitations. Half holing isn't always as easy as a tin whistle and the octave and a half range puts limits on the tunes one can play. But they are great fun. I got used to the one handed approach pretty quick. The harder part is learning to beat the drum with the tune you play. Some of us have trouble chewing gum and walking at the same time

You don't have to spend a huge bundle on a drum. I have a small rope tension hand drum that I think I paid $12 for. I also have a 12" Eames that I got for $150.

Cheers,
David

[ This Message was edited by: Feadan on 2001-11-13 13:22 ]

jackorion · Post by **jackorion** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 12:34 pm

on the G Tabor, the bell note is G right? How does the scale go from there, G, A, B-thumb???? Thanks for the posts.

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 1:22 pm

If you want to look at a fingering chart as well as get other info on tabor pipes go to
http://www.sussexbrew.freeuk.com/intropt.htm

Mack.Hoover · Post by **Mack.Hoover** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 1:28 pm

Hi Jeff,
Here's a good starting place.

http://www.s-hamilton.k12.ia.us/antiqua/pipetabr.htm

Mack

If this is in the link Feadan gave, excuse the redundancy.

Thomas-Hastay · Post by **Thomas-Hastay** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 2:15 pm

A Tabor pipe achieves 2 octaves by using overblown harmonics. Here is a fingering chart given by Anthony Baines.The scale begins an octave above the fundamental mode.

fingers / 2nd mode/ 3rd / 4th / 5th / 6th

*/** .../d'/a'/d"/f"#/a"
*/*0 .../e'/b'/e"/g"#/none
*/00 .../f'#/c"#/f"#/none/none
0/*0 .../g'/none/g"/none/none
0/00 .../g'#/none/none/none/none

c'# can be made by half closing the bell hole. simple beats are made on the Tabor/Tambourin.

T.H.

[ This Message was edited by: Thomas-Hastay on 2001-11-13 15:22 ]

jackorion · Post by **jackorion** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 3:53 pm

Right on! Thanks for the info and the sites. Both sites are great. I tried a google search for tabor but didn't get much up front. The photos are perfect, I can see how one holds the pipe. The scale chart answers many ?'s but brings up a new one. Mack this might be up your ally, as well as whoever else knows the puzzle.
On a tin whistle, lets say D, all fingers down is a D, the second octave overblow is a D as is the third oct. How is it on a D Tabor pipe all fingers down first overblow creates an A? How do the physics differ? Is it an actual overblow on the tinwhistle when you jump up to the second octave? I know the Sax and clarinet share the same problem, but why?
Again thanks for all the info supplied!

[ This Message was edited by: jackorion on 2001-11-13 16:55 ]

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 10:13 pm

I know the Sax and clarinet share the same problem...

I am not clear on what you see as a "problem" here.

Actually, the overblow with all holes closed is the same on a tabor pipe as the six hole whistle. You can play a second octave A with all fingers down on a tin whistle. Although the useable scale of a tabor pipe starts where the second octave begins on a tinwhistle you can also play a 1st octave D, E, F#, & G. These notes are rarely, if ever at all, used. If you take a generation tinwhistle and keep the upper holes covered and adjust the tabor pipe fingering chart to match your fingers over the lower three holes you can indeed play it like a tabor pipe. To differ with Thomas Hastay's chart, I prefer to play the high D with all three holes open.

Cheers,
David

[ This Message was edited by: Feadan on 2001-11-13 23:29 ]

Grannymouse · Post by **Grannymouse** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 7:34 am

Thanks for the thread, guys. It jogged the old memory into remembering that I was going to master "Little Drummer Boy" on my tabor pipe by THIS Christmas. I'd better get busy. It's one of those "Generations" .....WhOA is me.....Gm

jackorion · Post by **jackorion** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 3:24 pm

David, I see what you mean now. I broke out the old tuner and started experimenting with overblows. I can get the A on the second octave easly but not the first, it just jumps up to the D, so I get why you say the "Usable" range. This great because it has given me a very important exercise to practice that I have overlooked on the whistle. Brass players run through overblow exercises all the time and it just hadn't occured to me to practice this on the whistle.
I was getting confused because on the clarinet, when you open up the thump key or register key it jumps up something like an octave + a fourth. On Sax it's just an octave right. I guess it's not realy a problem just an added challenge to learn the fingering names. I've never set myself to reading music so I guess it's never realy matterd to much. That plus I don't play sax, but wouldn't mind picking up a Bohem system flute:) anyways, thanks for the valuable tips!!
Grannymouse, your right Xmas is coming up fast!! Lets see, I'd like an Overton Tabor A,G,and F, a Baritone C, Bflat, a mezzo G, Bflat, a Hoover big bore D, maybe one of those Burke thingies, and uhhhhh:)