I’ve had a few requests to put a fingering chart up on the SLPC site and so I worked out a quick one this evening. Normally it’s linked from “The Pipes” page but I’ll include the direct URL below. I’d be interested to know if anyone has difficulties with display or tone downloads. I’ve got it rigged to play the note when you click on a particular fingering (I think!) If anyone has troubles hearing the notes, I’d appreciate hearing back about it so I can work on a remedy. Thanks! P.S. Does anyone see anything I left out?
Brian,
The blued note holes are a little hard to see. Perhaps white or a lighter blue in the holes to cover for the given note will show up better. Site looks good!
Ailin
Maybe you should explain this chart only one possible fingering for each note. The most ‘closed’ version of the scale taking off only the bare minimum of fingers, opposed to the scale that leaves on the minimum required [and there are many shades in between the two] There’s no reason to stick to this chart rigidly. Taking more fingers of for A for instance will play it more in tune than the usually slighly flat single fingered A [try tuning your drones to that] and recommending people to play a single fingered A in the octave, well that’s really making life unnecessarily hard.
Brian, let me start by saying what a wonderful site you have there. I love the way you give basic information without being redundant, but rather just linking them to others. Everything about this site is pleasing visually, and informationally. Well done!!
While I really like the idea for the fingering chart, I would agree that you should change the color used to show open holes. Go with yellow or lime green (no kidding!) and it will be much more effective.
'Tis indeed castella lemonwood…but doesn’t smell much like lemons…nor like castellas (whatever they are)…sort of smells like David’s shop come to think of it (what does yours smell like?).
I’ll send Brian a photo of the back side of the chanter soon so he can authenticate the site. Speaking of photos…my avatar is of a D set by Koehler and Quinn.
I agree with Mr. Laban that the chart is just a start and oriented to beginners. Perhaps this is one area of the SLCPC site that could grow over time.
I wasn’t able to get these files to play a couple of days ago while using Netscape. Today, I used Internet Explorer and the files played just fine. Not the first time that my choice of browser has made a difference.
…just woke up from a mid-afternoon nap (dozed off listening to Liam O’Flynn in concert back in the early 80’s), but anyway, I had this dream of that image of glands castella lemonwood Quinn/Koehler chanter on Brian’s web site. In my dream, Quinn was in the room and was looking a little like Dr. Phil (imagine!), and was saying that Keenan wasn’t allergic to lemonwood. I said, “that’s not what he said on the internet.” Quinn raised an eyebrow replied, " Paddy doesn’t waste his time on the internet!"
I think that must have come from a number sources in my memory including some things that glands has said like, “what does yours (chanter) smell like?.”
Mine has a faint smell of bagbalm on the surface (Badger).
Thanks for the input guys. I knew the little finger hole dots would be difficult to see at best, and tried to make the best compromise between viewable size of the images, and small file sizes to optimize the loading of the page. I tried several different colors as well, and actually, green and yellow happened to be some of the most difficult to see. I think what I may do is go back in to the images and try to elarge the colored dots slightly to improve visibility.
As some have noted, this is only one variation of fingerings, but this is the one I’ve run across the most in beginning piping circles. The Salt Lake Club is comprised almost entirely of beginners so this seemed the most appropriate. I think, as Peter has been kind enough to point out, that I’ll make a note stating that the chart I show is only one possibility.
As for the sound files, everything on the site is done in Windows Media due to its better compression as opposed to standard .mp3 files. I know that there is a windows media player available for macs, and that almost all current players for almost all platforms can play .wma files. You may need to check for updates though if you are using an older player. Apart from that, I don’t know what to tell ya about sound issues.
Thanks so far, and I’ll see what I can do to spiffy things up on the page a bit more. Thanks again!
Possibly a round circle, couple of pixels wide, in a contrasting colour, perhaps white, around each tone hole as its to be played - kind of like a bull’s eye. You may have to lose the nice image of the chanter and use a straight b&w diagram instead, as the colours of the chanter don’t leave you a lot of options for contrast. Another option (worse) would be to have a short arrow off the side of the chanter image to indicate the tone hole to be played - not as nice, though.
I’ve re-worked the tone hole coloring to add the light ring around them and enlarged the sizes of the dots ever so slightly. Does this help to improve it now guys?
