Take a look at Michael Eskin’s “Just Drones” app (at least for iPhones/iPods). I believe it allows both the first and fifth of several keys. That plays as long as your phone has a charge.
Best wishes.
Steve
Agree, and with what followed, although sometimes if it is very hot or cold I may adjust.
I was ‘caught out’ once though. At a mixed-instrument workshop with a very experienced leader. The strings tuned to the a nominated free reed instrument, a boehm flute player had a guitar in hand so it was just me. “What notes good for that flute? G I think” “Yes please I say, and play a note in tune”, “Fine, but how about the second octave as well?” I do that too - but this time I am concious that I am lipping the note up - so I adjust the slide.
Half way through the first tune I can tell that the flute has warmed up and I push the slide back to the usual place.
Years back a close musical friend referred to some albums made by a great modern Irish Trad flutester. My friend had taken some university music course in classical music , don’t know the level or details.
The earliest album from the great player was recorded on an antique flute. My friend said that the recording was not properly in tune, but his later recordings were as they were on a very good modern makers flute (simple system wooden / ‘trad Irish’ if you like ). He told me that if I listen carefully I would hear the difference. I did and I think I could. Not sure but feel that if I was to listen to that player on the antique and the modern I would just about be able to tell. I can’t recall if it was much of a problem for my friend listening to the album with the antique flute, I seem to recall it was at least a slight problem to him. Sadly he is no longer with us.
I’ve played a lot of antiques and less modern flutes. My limited experience is for both types some adjust is needed, sin sceal eile. My friend would be referring to the antique being not fully in tune with itself, some notes flat or sharp, (as we well know) not the general pitch of the recording.
We adjust those notes when they are sustained, but probably not so much when they are short in faster tunes.
Question .Part of my rambling here is to ask a question to classically trained or others who might be ultra pitch sensitive. Would they find such recordings a problem? Would you even detect it unless you were listening closely? I am only asking about fast notes in dance tunes. For classical players what level would be expected. Maybe 1/20th of a semitone detection (5 cents). I don’t know and have not checked myself. Here I am taking of sustained note detection. I would expect the same people would be less accurate for short notes in a tune?
Years ago (too !) a simple system flute dealer said to that some players prefered the flutes that were not fully in tune with themselves. Still not sure what this meant but have some idea, ideas. For example some pipes play C# a good bit flat. On a flute I would probably not vent the c# with the key in this case (I mean on sustained notes within a dance ‘fast’ tune) as it is easy to hear the difference between the flatish and normal c sharp. Some fiddle styles play some notes slightly off ‘correct’ pitch. Is that maybe why the dealer said they prefer the flutes not fully in tune within their scale? On faster tunes it is difficult for the flute to adjust fast notes and sounds better with the quirks?
I think on this board I saw a post from a classical player saying that when he first heard the Chieftains he felt they were out of tune? really? Later he wished he could play like them.
Years ago (too !) a simple system flute dealer said to that some players prefered the flutes that were not fully in tune with themselves. Still not sure what this meant but have some idea, ideas. For example some pipes play C# a good bit flat. On a flute I would probably not vent the c# with the key in this case (I mean on sustained notes within a dance ‘fast’ tune) as it is easy to hear the difference between the flatish and normal c sharp. Some fiddle styles play some notes slightly off ‘correct’ pitch. Is that maybe why the dealer said they prefer the flutes not fully in tune within their scale? On faster tunes it is difficult for the flute to adjust fast notes and sounds better with the quirks?
I think to answer any of your questions, first step would be to determine what you consider ‘in tune’. Equal temperament? a meantone temperament, just intonation or any other of the many possible tunings?
Particular notes on the pipes are out of tune. You hear that one often. But if they are tuned at perfect intervals with the drones, are they out of tune or is your bog standard ET in the wrong? Determine that first. And remember: the matter of temperament is an important one in Irish music. And tuning is, to a degree, situational.
One question about the pipes. I know that on drone flutes (as played in many traditional European styles) sometimes the drone is slightly out of tune on purpose to get a slight “beat” (in German it’s called a “Schwebung” which roughly translates to “floating”). For example in some types of German medieval music, they play on a drone flute that has one side tuned like a tin-whistle in (alto) G and the drone has one hole that changes the drone from G to A so you can play “minor” scales (rather dorian, like in many ITM tunes). And the G can be tuned slightly “off” so the two Gs together produce a beat.
Is that done on the Uilleann pipes, too, or on GHB drones?
Agreed, I like to say that intonation is in the ear of the beholder!