I’m learning to play the Asturian gaita. I love the traditional Asturian music, but it’s difficult to play with others because the gaita is so loud.
This has me wondering if there is another bagpipe that is quiet or moderately loud and has similar scale. The gaita asturiana chanter has a conical bore and plays about 1 1/2 octaves. With cross fingerings, you can play most accidentals. Mine is in C and ranges from B natural to G (and with a bit more effort A) in the second octave. It’d be better yet, if the fingering pattern was similar; the Asturian gaita uses a mostly closed fingering.
From what I’ve read, it looks like some pipes from central France might fit my requirements. And in some articles it appears that border pipes might be able to do the second octave.
Does anyone have a suggestion for kinds of bagpipes to investigate?
Actually, Swayne’s border chanters ARE constructed (and sound) exactly like central-french-pipe-chanters! German, Dutch and Belgian Schaeferpfeifen-chanters are identical as well! The volume varies strongly from maker to maker…Now, the problem You’ll have is not with the fingersetting in general, but rather with the semitones, since these are within that system not played (anymore…) by cross-fingering, like on the Gaita, but by 2nd thumbhole. I personally never got really happy with that…
Now, I hear-say, that there are makers able to make these half-open fingered (in Spanish terms: “closed fingered”) chanters with a range of 1,5 octaves that are able to play semitones precisely by crossfingering - but I didn’t meer anyone personally yet. So, if You find one, let me know…
Thanks for your very helpful replies! Swayne’s pipes do look like they might work, although they’re pricier than I can handle at the moment.
I’ve tried looking online and see a lot of different bagpipes in France, Germany, Holland, and Belgium. What names do these What names do these central-French-like pipes go by? Schaeferpfeifen? I’d like to buy a used set.
Celtpastor, I’m glad you mentioned fingering. Is there a consistent fingering pattern for these central-French-like pipes?
Yeah, the second thumb hole would be confusing. You said, “the problem You’ll have is not with the fingersetting in general, but rather with the semitones…” Does that mean that the central-French type of bagpipe chanter uses a fingering pattern similar to the Asturian chanter?
The fingering my Asturian pipes use is this:
x xxx xxxx B natural
x xxx xxxo C
x xxx xxoo D
x xxx xoxo E
x xxx oxxo F
x xxo xxxo G
x xoo xxxo A
o xoo xxxo Bb (some require: x xox xoxo)
x ooo xxxo B
o xxx xxxo C
o xxx xxoo D
x xxx xoxo E
x xxx @oxo F (I’m using @ to mean half-holed)
x xxo xxxo G (sometimes)
G and a couple of notes higher are sometimes possible with greater pressure and a soft reed, but they aren’t commonly used.
I didn’t include most of the accidentals because I don’t use them.
Maybe You could talk to Jon Swayne and see, whether he can make something according to what You need? Just a chanter, maybe, that would fit into the Gaita You already have?
The central-french bagpipes are called “cornemuse de centre” (NOT “cornAmuse” - that would be a completely different instrument!). You can get them in different pitches, usually being able to safely play 1,5 octaves. Now, problem is: Fingering would be very similar to Asturian Gaita while playing the diatonic (major) scale, but while at Asturian gaita, playing chromatic semitones between that scale (e.g. to change from major to minor scale) You just lower the tone by just closing the fingerhole underneath, e.g.
from major (x) xxx xoo o, to minor (x) xxx xox o,
the french cornemuse, like modern German/Flemish Schaefferpfeife has a 2nd thumbhole on the back to achieve this.
Many persons find it easy to get used to that - I don’t.
Also, the cornemuse isn’t really a “practising instrument” for Asturian gaita since the volume is just a bit, not very much, lower. In fact, it’s an instrument of it’s own, with it’s own playing techniques, tradition and history (in fact, even more so than Asturian gaita!).
With really quiet bagpipes for practising - there are makers who would be able to make Huemmelchen and other Smallpipe-chanters with half-open fingering and workable semitones (Yuri in this forum is excellent!), but due to physical reasons, really quiet bagpipes are unable to overblow into 2nd octave. Stretching the range is possible only by fitting extra keys, which would not only be very expensive, but also extremly uncomfortable to handle, forcing You to get used to a completely different fingering…
Ah, that’d be a problem! Thanks for thinking of that.
I can get the second octave on quiet penny whistle or recorder (flauta dulce), but I don’t think I’ve heard it with a reeded bagpipe. Then again, my experience is limited, so what do I know?!
Hmmm. On the recordings I’ve heard, Swayne’s pipes sound pretty quiet. Aren’t they? (Maybe you’re just saying they’ll still keep the neighbors awake at night!)
Thanks, Doc, its good to hear from you! The Northumbrian pipes are beautiful, but they use keys to achieve more than an octave because it’s a cylindrical bore.
Does anyone know of there any quietish conical-bore pipes that can reach 1 1/2 octaves?
Has anyone tried making such a pipe chanter? Perhaps I should ask on a pipe-maker’s forum? Is there a forum like that?
Thanks for the links, Michael, I’ll try them and report back if I get any more info.
Luife! It’s good to hear from you again, my friend! Yeah, I’ve considered the electronic instruments, but I’d really like to practice with some real air because I need a lot of practice coordinating my breathing, arm pressing, and fingering. In addition, in folk ensembles, anything electronic is considered “alien”!
As to the second octave, many of the tunes I play, and especially the floreos (flowery introductions and endings), use the second octave.
There is no second octave by overblowing, due to the cylindrical bore. Extended range is achieved with keys.
If you google “pipensack”, you will get to his webpage, and you can contact him for further information.
