From: owner-bagpipe-digest@lists.xmission.com (bagpipe-digest) To: bagpipe-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: bagpipe-digest V1 #110 Reply-To: bagpipe-digest Sender: owner-bagpipe-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-bagpipe-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk bagpipe-digest Monday, October 4 1999 Volume 01 : Number 110 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 23:38:48 GMT From: pmlerwick@wavetech.net (Royce Lerwick) Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Adult Learners On Fri, 01 Oct 1999 16:47:31 GMT, John Mitchell wrote: >The best types of students are the ones that shutup >and do as their told. If you like sociopaths and cpa's. >Such short memories! I'm sorry, what were we discussing? Royce - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 21:58:10 -0600 From: sdon Subject: (bagpipe) 1927 Robertsons How much should a set of 1927 Robertsons go for? They have button mounts, and nickle ferrules with immitation ivory ringcaps. Have the original sales receipt and documentation. They are a complete set. The set is in pritine condition the wood is great and the drones sound fantastic. Thanks, Don Smith - -- PIPER AT LARGE (sdon@utah.uswest.net) White Peaks Pipe Band http://www.angelfire.com/ut/sdon/index.html - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: 02 Oct 1999 04:27:41 GMT From: ccc31807@aol.com (Ccc31807) Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Good posts from Sunnyboy > tip of the day We all know what Royce's "tip" will be. But at least we know he won't be "bitching." - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 04:01:29 GMT From: oshpiper Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Shut the Fuck Up & Play!!! In article , toneczar@erols.com wrote: > Sorry, they offered me women and beer ... how can a beer-swilling > sex-addict resist ... ... You must concentrate. Pat Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 23:41:10 -0500 From: Richard Mao Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Steady Blowing Hi Chris...Hi Ron.... The feedback from the manometer works if the piper lets it.... I don't use it so much in a band environment but more with my students in a one-on-one environment.... students have more intense motivation to improve... My less experienced students at first, without trying to use the feedback of the manometer to maintain steadiness, have a fluctuation in height of the water of between two and four inches... My students tell me that MY playing/blowing with my back to the manometer fluctuates less than two inches... I think I heard at a piping school where Alasdair Gillies was pursuaded to try it and fluctuated less than an inch and was almost rock solid for long phrases at a time.... The students can steady their blowing fluctuations while looking at the manometer.... then I have them close their eyes... and though there may be some deterioration... on net, it is improved over their first attempts.. and can get better over time....as I direct them consciously to correlate what they see and are trying to control on the manometer...with what their own body is hearing and feeling at the time....so they, in turn, can continue to benefit when they aren't plugged in. I find that in my students ... in the beginning...the biggest slump in pressure comes in the transitions from blowing to arm and vice versa... and this is great feedback for my students... (BTW for students who don't have a manometer... I get some of the same effect by having them blow one note and try to keep it steady in pitch in front of a tuner)... I find that, as a prerequisite, I have to have my students build their strength and stamina... e.g. the ability to play almost continuously for about a half hour.... before they have the strength, and stamina, and reserves of strength to really benefit from the feedback of the manometer and control the water pressure levels in a narrow band. =========== Most recently, in the last few weeks (after Bill Carr posted ranges of weak, medium, strong reeds)... I've been using the manometer as a very fast, fairly objective measure of chanter reed strength... It allows me both to tell quantitatively what results/changes I am effecting on a reed when I scrape it...and to aim for a target range as I soften my students' new reeds... I can show them in a way that they will believe.... that I am coming up with a reed of the same strength that they are blowing or just a little harder (because I encourage my students to build up their blowing strength)... It will also probably allow me a basis to come closer to establishing a standard reed strength (minimum) for my (street) band pipers.... I have felt that some of them allow their reeds to become too weak (hang on to them too long) before they ask for a new reed or that I finally notice that they are blowing whiney weak tone that is certainly not contributing to the sound of the band (it may be so weak in volume no one is hearing it).....I should /hope to be able to establish more uniform volume/tone coming from the band's pipes and drones....and eventually raise that level in incremental steps ============ As far as reading/reporting the manometer water height is concerned... my engineering friend set me straight on how to read the height... The water starts out in a U-shaped tube....in equilibrium...equal height in both "arms"... then the piper blows steadily.... the pressure level he is blowing at is measured as the difference in height (in inches, for me) from the lower water level in the nearby arm... to the height of the water level in the higher arm...(Chris, I find that the 36/40 inches you are reporting is incredible...spikes, maybe, but consistent levels?...I am blowing at the 27 inch level... I think I remember Bill reporting 28 inches? I think my instructor is going to measure out less than me) In practice I have a yard stick laid in the middle of the U.... I have marked the equilibrium level... When the piper is playing I note the difference from the equilibrium level in inches to the higher water level (average height maintained by the piper).... and double that reading. I think/hope that everyone is giving their readings using one of these methods... in this way when we are tossing around height readings.... we are on the same measuring system)... ================================== Ron, I disagree that stronger reeds are generally easier to blow steady... (or the feeling that I'm really aiming for...that a easy reed CAN be controlled to a consistent tone) many world class solo pipers are able to blow relatively easy reeds and are very able to blow steady tone with good responsive reeds.... I feel sure it is a matter of experience and developing sensitive feedback, hearing control....similar to an opera singer singing a soft air....with loooong slow controlled tone and pitch....(similar in concept to the Jim McGillivray quotes that Doug came up with) My students could blow a stronger reed for a very short time...before their ability to control that high a pressure collapses and fluctuates.... my feeling is that if they aim to develop enough strength and can blow within their strength for say 1/2 hour... then I would want them to learn to calibrate and control that strength to maintain steady tone....whatever level of strength is comfortable for them... I imagine that you folks in the higher level bands.... blow as strong/loud reeds as you can... and gear yourself to give/be at your ultimate peak for 5-7 minutes of the competitive effort...but such a path is not for me... =============== FWIW If it feels squishy and wet...when you step in it in the dark of night .... you don’t want to turn on the flashlight to find out what it was.... from a recent conversation.... Richard Mao, The Peking Piper ( PekingPiper@mao.org ) lsrapm wrote: > Ron Bowen wrote in message > news:Uo7J3.1736$jg2.1699@news20.bellglobal.com... > > I'm trying to catch up on a few questions that were directed to me late > last > > week. One was on steady blowing. I went back to pick it up, however I > > couldn't find it so I'm going to "wing it" here. > > > > I'd like to start with a question. Does this manometer thing work? I > have > > to confess that I have never used one, or even seen one for that matter, > > other than pictures on the Internet. I understand the logic of being able > > to visually track modulations in blowing, however I'd like to know, from > > both beginners and experienced pipers alike, does it help you to improve > the > > steadiness of your blowing? What happens when you aren't "plugged in?" > Are > > you still able to blow steady? > > I had never seen or used a manometer before last month. The reason I've > built one now is that I'm aiming for better blowing and better tone in the > band this year as a priority. I made it up from Bill Carr's specifications > (see his website) and it works a treat. I started a couple of weeks ago, > just wondering round the circle for a while during a practice with this > thing that looks like a 6 foot thermometer in one hand and the end of the > long tube in the other. (I'll get someone else on the job soon). I just > stand in front of a piper where he can see the gauge and stick the tube down > one of his tenor drones. It stops that drone and the water then registers > the pressure for the piper to watch. It doesn't affect his playing or his > ability to blow steady. He can just carry on playing as normal but he can > watch the pressure gauge for several minutes to see just how good he is as > keeping it steady. It's been quite a revelation seeing the results. Most of > them are blowing between 36/40 inches of water, which is just around the > border between medium to stiff (for ordinary mortals, anyway). Most of them > are finding it very difficult to keep the pressure steady to within 2 inches > either way. Many of them are fluctuating up to 4 inches either way at times. > > One of the things I noticed was that with some pipers the pressure often > peaked when High A occurred (overblowing - or underblowing for the rest of > the tune and only blowing up to strength when High A occurred) and sometimes > dipping at the change over between parts or at the beginning of a new tune > (not confident on the tunes?). > > It's actually telling me quite a lot about what is going on during an > individual's performance that isn't immediately obvious when they're playing > in a large circle of pipers. It's too early yet to tell how effective it is > going to be in improving them! It's certainly giving them something > constructive to think about. And they're enjoying it. > > > 9) May be a no-brainer, but you will be surprised at how many pipes that > > I've seen that were border-line unplayable due to poor maintenance. > > Funny you should say that, Ron.... > One of my pipers has been blowing unsteadily for some time now. He's getting > on a bit now and I thought perhaps it was just his age beginning to tell. I > also have a learner piper that I have mentioned in an earlier post who works > for the Gas Board and who had been showing me a modern digital manometer. > Anyway, after the last practice, I learned that he had also brought with him > an aerosol cannister that gives off some sort of visible bio-degradable > spray which he uses to detect gas leaks. It seems that after the practice, > he used it on said gentlemen while he was playing (with the bag cover off) > and detected several leaks that he was not aware of. > > Chris Eyre - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 04:39:22 GMT From: oshpiper Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Adult Learners In article <7t3qmh$v3o$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, John Mitchell wrote: > What I said was, that students shouldn't be too concerned > about all the intrinsic details of the bagpipes, and should > concentrate on learning to play the music and execution as instructed. What difference does it make to you what intrinsic detail someone wants to know more about? It might just make a difference to the person that asks. And that's where the importance lies. > Christ, there are players on here that can barely manage > to get thru a 2 parted,2/4 march and their asking questions > about the best methods to ream chanters, or make reeds. Those players may just be the next in a long line of great pipe chanter or reed manufacturers. And, if you take the time to answer their question...well you never know. > All that will come in time, but for now just listen to > your instructor, and let them do the setting up for you. > > What's so insulting about that? It's insulting to anyone who believes you. It's interesting to see how you have come full-circle, right back to the same spot. You made this very same comment, just before the Worlds I think, that caught my attention. Pat Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 04:43:33 GMT From: oshpiper Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Good posts from Sunnyboy In article <7t3rkc$vqh$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, John Mitchell wrote: > why don't we start a tip of the day thread. > there will be no replies allowed to it, > just helpful hints. > > Fair enough! Just as long as you don't title it, "Shut-up and read". Pat Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 22:27:51 -0700 From: "Lance Hallgren" Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Good posts from Sunnyboy John: Phenomenal idea! what if, each day, someone presents their 'TOPIC'. Reeds, tone, whatever. Those wishing to present the next day would email that day's presenter with a potential next topic. That day's presenter would then pick the next day's presenter and so on. Yeah it does have a potential for political corruption but I trust that the NG will see that if it happens and spank it. A single threaded, flame resistant, positive contribution to the NG, open to everyone, sounds like a good thing to me! Just a thought, Lance John Mitchell wrote in message news:7t3rkc$vqh$1@nnrp1.deja.com... > Well some have been bitching that I haven't > posted anything that they can learn from. > > so here's an idea. > > why don't we start a tip of the day thread. > there will be no replies allowed to it, > just helpful hints. > > Fair enough! > > > > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 21:14:26 -0800 From: Michael New & Diane Rossmiller Subject: (bagpipe) Re: The "Right" Bagpipe Ron Bowen wrote: > I have taken heat elsewhere in this thread because I have stated that too > much emphasis is placed on the bagpipe and not enough on the piper. That > the "right" bagpipe might be something other than a 100 year old set of > Lawrie drones. I have been told that the ability to afford such an > instrument is the only prerequisite to owning one, nothing else. A few thoughts... I'm going to buck the trend and agree with Ron here. I don't think that anyone learning to play the pipes needs anything more than a good quality set of modern pipes until such time as they have gained the skills needed to milk every last ounce of tone possible out of them. I would guess that the skills needed to set up and play a good set of pipes to their maximum potential are not attained until a piper has reached a skill level similar to a high grade II or Grade I status. I still play the pipes I started with, still find ways to improve the setup, still realize that _I_ am the limiting factor in how good my pipes sound. Peter - I have the impression from previous conversations that you were _not_ a beginner when you bought your Lawries - that you were, in fact, accomplished to the level where you could make good use of them. Please correct me if I'm wrong. A good teacher should be able to advise any learner when it is time to move on and move up. The fact is, anyone can buy whatever they want on the open market. It is also true that there are few sights so incongruous as a Grade V piper butchering Scotland the Brave on a set of 1860s vintage MacDougalls. Personally, I'd feel a right eedjit playing a set of pipes I'm not capable of doing justice to. Perhaps it's up to the teachers out there to direct their students resources where they will do the most good. Some years ago, I attended a Balmoral School session. Gordon Mooney had a beautiful set of silver and ivory vintage pipes for sale (can't remember the maker for sure). I was working on the North Slope at the time, and had plenty of money, so inquired after the pipes. He simply smiled and said "no - you don't need these pipes". He wasn't trying to insult me - just trying to find the right home for a special set of pipes. Someday, I'll perhaps outgrow the pipes I have now (perhaps not - they're very good pipes). When that day comes, I'll go shopping. In the meantime, I'm gonna shut the f**ck up and go practice. FWIW, Michael - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: 02 Oct 1999 04:41:13 GMT From: ccc31807@aol.com (Ccc31807) Subject: (bagpipe) Information overload - piping Have you all noticed that in the last week to ten days a glut of good, useful information has been posted on this ng? It takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes for me to read and digest a good post, and that there has been at least one, and many days more than one. I am finding that I am marking several posts a day "unread" so as to be able to come back to them, and that these are now reaching the bottom of the list. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to sit and read them all. Stop posting all this good stuff! I can't take it - it's too rich! I feel like a glutton every time I read rmmb! Isn't it great! - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 23:13:50 -0700 From: "Lance Hallgren" Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Lerwick's Hold Spot on, Zu. And speaking of Xmas, maybe we all could take up a collection and get Lindsay a blow job! Then maybe he'd calm down a little ;-) Lance Zudupiper wrote in message news:19991001224526.11945.00000908@ng-fz1.aol.com... > Lindsay, > > Why don't you just shut the f* up and play? > > Or at least shut the f* up. > > Whine whine whine about Royce. At the rate you're going, you'll be up to 3000 > posts by Xmas. > > Zu > > - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 06:47:37 GMT From: Bill Carr Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Good posts from Sunnyboy Good Idea John Can anyone post a tip of the day? or do you have to have 10 years experience? Just kidding :-) Bill Carr John Mitchell wrote: > Well some have been bitching that I haven't > posted anything that they can learn from. > > so here's an idea. > > why don't we start a tip of the day thread. > there will be no replies allowed to it, > just helpful hints. > > Fair enough! > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Sep 1999 10:23:52 -0500 From: "Maeve" Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Slogan: Piper's Spouse Shirt lsrapm wrote in article <7sn89q$r2j$2@news5.svr.pol.co.uk>... > What about: > > " He's only a drone..... > .....I'm the queen." > > > Chris Eyre Uhmmmmm . . . Chris? . . . I think my husband would have objections to wearing this shirt!!! ROTFLOL!!!!!!!!!!!! But it might work for ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - -- Love and Light be with you, Maeve http://people.delphi.com/terralyn terride@sanctum.com - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 09:37:17 +0100 From: "lsrapm" Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Striking In Problem This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_006E_01BF0CB9.B7D16620 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable There have been times when I have had this problem with a bass drone. = One way round it that I find usually works is to adjust the way I hit = the bag at strike-in. Instead of hitting it with the flat of my hand, I = hit it smartly with the tips of my fingers right under the bass drone = stock. I don't know the mechanics of it but I find it makes for a much = more reliable strike-in. Chris Eyre M.R. Rapp wrote in message = news:37f5867d@news.goes.com... Nice post. E-Z Drones are about the hardest synthetic reed to strike = up. I've found that a firm even pressure when striking in works best. = when striking the bag do not vary the pressure while placing the bag = under your arm, sustain the pressure until your chanter comes in. It's = the fluctuation in pressure which causes the reed to double tone.=20 - ------=_NextPart_000_006E_01BF0CB9.B7D16620 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
There have been times when I have had this = problem with a=20 bass drone. One way round it that I find usually works is to adjust the = way I=20 hit the bag at strike-in. Instead of hitting it with the flat of my = hand, I hit it smartly with the tips of my fingers right under = the=20 bass drone stock. I don't know the mechanics of it but I find it makes = for a=20 much more reliable strike-in.
 
Chris Eyre
M.R. Rapp <alrapp@goes.com>=20 wrote in message news:37f5867d@news.goes.com...
 
Nice post. E-Z Drones are about = the hardest=20 synthetic reed to strike up. I've found that a firm even pressure = when=20 striking in works best. when striking the bag do not vary the = pressure while=20 placing the bag under your arm, sustain the pressure until your = chanter=20 comes in. It's the fluctuation in pressure which causes the reed to = double=20 tone.
- ------=_NextPart_000_006E_01BF0CB9.B7D16620-- - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: 02 Oct 1999 10:01:28 GMT From: bagpiip@aol.com (SENDMEMORESPAM) Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Good posts from Sunnyboy >Can anyone post a tip of the day? or do you have to have 10 years >experience? > >Just kidding :-) In light of his past posts, that's a valid question. Bill Mar a bha, mar a tha, mar a bhitheas gu brath, ri tra'ghadh's ri lionadh. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: 02 Oct 1999 10:12:34 GMT From: bagpiip@aol.com (SENDMEMORESPAM) Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Lerwick's Hold >Spot on, Zu. And speaking of Xmas, maybe we all could take up a collection >and >get Lindsay a blow job! Then maybe he'd calm down a little ;-) > >Lance I'll throw in a few bucks... at least it'll keep em away from the keyboard for a few mins LOL Bill Mar a bha, mar a tha, mar a bhitheas gu brath, ri tra'ghadh's ri lionadh. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: 02 Oct 1999 10:25:54 GMT From: bagpiip@aol.com (SENDMEMORESPAM) Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Adult Learners >Bill, I think that sucker was twisted at both ends! That was thrird grade, the same year I became the first child in the towns history to bring a gun to school. It was a german luger left over from WW2 that I found in my dads war chest in the basement. I still remember the teachers face when I took it out of the paper bag! I had no clue it was real. Boy was I a dumb kid! >So, count me in, if you will. I too >am an adult learner. WELL! Your an "adult learner" now? HA! I'm not reading anymore of your posts... ask John why! >Now Bill, sit back and light up! I just quit smoking a month ago (slowed me down on those 10mile runs) so no more lighting up for me. >But do me a favor. Ease >up a bit. You're starting to answer your own posts! Will do Ron! > By the way, how's the car running? My heart went out >to you over that Capital District fiasco. I hate cars. Well once I got it home to my mechanic who charged me 60$ to fix it (that included reconnecting the vacuum lines and cruise control that the thieves in NY charged me 380$ to disconnect) it's mediocre. We'll see how it does driving to Goshen and Scotland over the next few weekends before I'll comment. Wish my daughter luck in her comps, since taking a third place (two firsts, then Altamont 3rd) she's mad as hell and practicing away hard now! cya all there! Bill Mar a bha, mar a tha, mar a bhitheas gu brath, ri tra'ghadh's ri lionadh. - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 11:32:27 GMT From: Bill Carr Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Striking In Problem Simple solution. 1 - Set the bridle so that the reed is not taking too much air. You should be able to shut the reed off by exerting extra pressure on the bag while playing. If you can't do this then it's taking too much air. 2 - Make absolutely sure the two tuning pins are properly hemped and not leaking air. 3 - Make sure that when you look down the full length of the drone bore, that it's as straight as possible 4 - Set your drone top section so that a little bit of hemp is showing...maybe 1/8", max. 1/4" 5 - Screw the tuning screw on the reed almost all the way out. This should solve the problem....perhaps so much so that you won't be able to make the drone misbehave. Your bottom joint will now be tuning quite low, perhaps very low. If you can't live with this then you can screw the screw in a bit to push the drone up. HOWEVER, the more you screw the more chance you will have of causing the same problem again. Let me (the ng) know if this works for you. (and anyone else who tries it) Bill Carr tntbirch wrote: > The short version: Simply put, why does my bass drone strike in an > octave high sometimes? > > The long version: I recently bought a set of Ezee-drone reeds and had > them set up in my Kintail pretty steady. My chanter reed was getting > old so replaced it with a like (easy-medium) reed. Since doing so my > bass drone strikes in an octave high 50% of the time. I've adjusted > the bridle, extended and shortened the drone, adjusted the tuning pin, > etc... and ... argh... still strikes in high unless I gently "push" > the bag rather than strike in. The problem with that is of course the > drones don't come into full tone until about the same time the chanter > does. > > Possible answers to my own question: > a) I'm a rookie who has only played for 1 1/2 years and only recently > learned how to strike in (after finally talking myself into going to > an instructor again). > b) I'm a rookie who might have bought a more forgiving set of drone > reeds? (But, if that's true why were they fine with the old chanter > reed?) > c) I have no friggin idea > d) All of the above > > Thanks > > - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 12:38:14 +0100 From: "lsrapm" Subject: (bagpipe) Re: canntaireachd question Rick wrote > Chris; > See if you can find "The Bagpipe" from Lyrichord Discs Inc., 141 Perry St., > New York. Contains a track of Cannataireach, also examples of bagpipes from > Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Galicia and, oooh, should I? yes - Canada! ;-) > > Good luck, > Rick Thanks, Rick Chris Eyre - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 12:39:38 +0100 From: "lsrapm" Subject: (bagpipe) Re: Steady Blowing Richard Mao wrote > As far as reading/reporting the manometer water height is concerned... my > engineering friend set me straight on how to read the height... The water starts > out in a U-shaped tube....in equilibrium...equal height in both "arms"... then > the piper blows steadily.... the pressure level he is blowing at is measured as > the difference in height (in inches, for me) from the lower water level in the > nearby arm... to the height of the water level in the higher arm...(Chris, I > find that the 36/40 inches you are reporting is incredible...spikes, maybe, but > consistent levels?...I am blowing at the 27 inch level... I think I remember > Bill reporting 28 inches? I think my instructor is going to measure out less > than me) In practice I have a yard stick laid in the middle of the U.... I have > marked the equilibrium level... When the piper is playing I note the difference > from the equilibrium level in inches to the higher water level (average height > maintained by the piper).... and double that reading. I think/hope that everyone > is giving their readings using one of these methods... in this way when we are > tossing around height readings.... we are on the same measuring system)... OK. I'll be recording my findings for each piper over the next band practice or two so I'll let you know what I get. I'm only going on remembered impressions at the moment. So you can compare my results, here is exactly how I made my manometer: I bought 6 metres of 10mm ID transparent plastic tubing and a 6 foot plank of wood. I fixed the tubing to the plank so that one end is at the top and the rest goes down to the bottom, loops round and is brought back up to the top, leaving 2 metres free to attach the other end to the piper's tenor drone. I then filled the pipe with coloured water so that the water reached halfway up on both sides of the loop (i.e. about 3 foot high on both sides). I then marked off a scale in inches from the water level up to 25 inches above it. Then I wrote an even number beside each inch division, ie. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, ....... so that each inch on the scale indicates a pressure of 2 inches of water. That matchs what you describe above, so we are using the same scale. > > Ron, I disagree that stronger reeds are generally easier to blow steady... (or > the feeling that I'm really aiming for...that a easy reed CAN be controlled to a > consistent tone) many world class solo pipers are able to blow relatively easy > reeds and are very able to blow steady tone with good responsive reeds.... I > feel sure it is a matter of experience and developing sensitive feedback, > hearing control....similar to an opera singer singing a soft air....with loooong > slow controlled tone and pitch....(similar in concept to the Jim McGillivray > quotes that Doug came up with) I think blowing steady on an easy reed is an art in itself, just as is blowing a stiff one. I have a piper who, playing on his own, would usually blow a decent tone, but until recently was consistently blowing too hard in the circle, when he was unable to hear his reed as clearly. He's fairly new to the band and I think he's still getting rather keyed up when playing in the circle. I have usually had to find a stiff reed which would best suit his blowing, but even then it's not satisfactory, because he isn't THINKING about his blowing. He is improving slowly now that he is more aware of his problem. I also have an old piper who doesn't play regularly with us now as he can't march any more and who just comes from time to time to have a blow with us. He is 80 years old and blows a chanter reed that's virtually made of paper. But he never overblows it. He knows how to blow just the pressure that the reed needs and I rarely need to alter it. The reed is so quiet I have to stand close to him in order to hear it in the circle, but he's blowing a better tone than the one with the stiff reed. It's not the tone I would want from the rest of the corps but it just goes to show it is an art in itself. Chris Eyre - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 11:51:20 GMT From: Bill Carr Subject: (bagpipe) tip of the day Before seasoning a pipe bag. Fill the stocks with rolled up tissue / kitchen paper or similar and plug as usual. This stops seasoning from getting up the stocks. Bill Carr - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 12:57:30 GMT From: "Ron Bowen" Subject: (bagpipe) Re: 1927 Robertsons I have never seen a set of Robertson's with other than a massive projecting mount. I have seen these made of wood, black plastic, aronite (sp), and Ivory. But I've never seen a Robertson with button mounts. Can you send me a picture? Thanks. Ringo sdon wrote in message news:37F582D2.F0456232@slkc.uswest.net... > How much should a set of 1927 Robertsons go for? They have button > mounts, and nickle ferrules with immitation ivory ringcaps. Have the > original sales receipt and documentation. They are a complete set. > The set is in pritine condition the wood is great and the drones sound > fantastic. > Thanks, > > Don Smith > -- > PIPER AT LARGE (sdon@utah.uswest.net) > White Peaks Pipe Band > http://www.angelfire.com/ut/sdon/index.html > > - - To unsubscribe to bagpipe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe bagpipe" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ End of bagpipe-digest V1 #110 ***************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.