Are there any zampogna owners around here who would be prepared to do me the HUGE favour of taking some photos of their instruments for me. I would love to see the large and small chanters out of the stocks from a couple of different angles in order to improve my understanding of the instrument.
Also Im looking for tech drawings of a ciaramelle.
Thanks
Bob
well you can start with what I have on line already:
(check your pm’s)
I have plenty of jpg’s also.
Try Circolo della’ Zampogna’s website: www.zampogna.org
I, for one, would be happy to chunter on indefinitely about my zampogna,
as Im sure others would about their zampogne too.
so, what do you want to know?
Great Thank you.
Is the tenon which fits into the stock a standard parallel hemped affair or is it, as I suspect, a tapered wedge fit?
The small chanter appears to have a thumbhole and five fingerholes, from the top, thumbhole, three fingerholes, double fingerhole, and a further fingerhole. Is this last fingerhole actually a venthole, or can you play it with the other hand? I thought there was a double venthole a little lower down, but I could well be wrong.
That will be a great beginning.
Thanks
Bob
Ive seen two types of fit into the blocco (a.k.a. ‘mainstock’)
1st: Tapered: the outside of the chanter fits directly into the hole. there is no ‘step-down tenon’, or knop on chanter top, like ghb.
From a good zampogna maker, no hemp is needed: wood to wood makes airtight seal.
From a lesser-skilled maker, some hemp may be needed. Even so, there’s no 'step down ’ tenon.
2nd: Threaded: mostly in older instruments; the two pieces of wood screw together, like a chair leg into its seat. Usually found now on the bell/ body joint of the chanters.
(I’ll assume you’re speaking of the most common zamp, the 25 inch/tre palmi molise/scapoli type, pitched around sol /la flat???)
The ritta (sm chanter) is actually sized to play a4th lower and uses only the top half of the instrument. For ex you have the notes ascending:
F#, G, A, B, C, D, (with G#, Bb, C# cross fingerings)
so the un-used extra holes make up the lower portion of the scale, E, Eb, D, so the instrument has a whole octave, you see?
there are in use ; thumbhole, 3 finger holes, double hole for the RH pinky (i’ll explain that later)
then not used:
tuning hole for the double pinky (when covered plays F nat)
a further double hole (E with one covered, D with both covered)
and finally a tuning hole for D all the way down by the bell.
The doule RH pinky hole is so that the ritta can be played right handed or left handed. Ritta & Manca exchange places in the blocco.
I have seen a one handed zampognaro outfit his instrument so he could play both chanters with one hand, but only this guy.
In the larger zampogne (6,7, 8 palmi) it matters more which side of this double vent is used( at least in the ones ive played) but not so much in the smaller molise.
Manca (Lg chanter) is another story altogether, as is the drone, which can play 3 tones. In the older type ther eis two drones, in an octave D, but not as popular to have this now.
Of course, if you’re talking about A Paro type zampogne, with equal length chanters, this is completely different. Also ther are single reed scapoli type, which ive never seen, may be different also. There’s a plethora of zampogne.
pictures on th eway (if I dont do it now youll never get them !)
ginormous:
Nota Bene: this is not my good zampogna- Im not taking that apart.
The reed in view was expertly made by Sean Folsom (credit where credit’s due, eh?)
you won t be able to see the E & D holes below the RH pinky F# hole, they are on the sides.
Thanks for that it was most helpful. Yes Im talking about a 25 or 28 molise type. If there are any more pics I would love to see them wether of the chanters or the instrument in general.
Cheers for now
Bob
this is my good zampogna, a 2004 Luigi Ricci Molise 25 with modified drone. Due to some blowpipe valve problems (not Ricci’s fault: he couldnt forsee the weather in my town) Ive since installed an altered ghb airstream blowpipe and wider blowpipe stock to accomodate it.
and here we are performing at a Festivale in 2005 (6?)
Wow nice. Are the ritta and manca fairly thin-walled? They dont look particularly thin walled in the photos but I thought Id ask.
Cheers
Bob
no
Some ciaramella bells can be very thin though.
Great, thanks for all the help. A couple of final things.
Why isnt the small drone used? It seems daft to have one and not use it.
Do the drones use single or double reeds?
There is no reed seat on a zampogna the reed goes straight into the bore, is that true?
Thats me all done
Thanks
Bob
well some zamp use the small bordone, but not Molise 25 type.
It poses some problems- as under a mic , all you hear is this screaming, often out of tune tone obscuring whats going on underneath.
Another reason is that, because the larger bordone, when modified, plays d, Eb, & e; the zampognaro can play some interesting harmonic modulations unavailable to any other bagpipe. The stuborn high D tends to wreak havoc on the underlying counterpoint. So a dummy is inserted where the smaller bordone usualy sits, for aestetic reasons I think.
In larger zampogne, the higher bordone is more essential: the big sei + otto palmi zamps sound SO much more fuller with it going than the smaller ones.
In fact there’s almost as many bordone configs on zampogne as ther are zampogne: Ive seen molise types with a low& high G bordones, for ex. and A Paro types as many as 4 bordones: including a screaming tinky high d drone(yeech).
MOST molise Zamps use double reeds exclusively: although there is no clear rule here either: there are molise type with all single reeds, A paro have been built to use either, or combination of double + single.
Ciaramedda I don t know, ask Giovanni lo zampognaro he plays one.
Safe to say, majority today are using double reeds, mostly composite. Yes, the tone can be ‘buzzier’ than cane but the convienence FAR outweighs the loss of tone. and if properly set up and tuned composite imho beats cane any day.
reed seat: a good question. I haven seen xrays of zampogne; feeling down the bore with a paperclip I sense no great step-up-increase in inner diameter, the one I have in my hands now the reed fits directly into th ebore: but, this may not be the case with all zampogne. Its a widely varigated species of pipe, one of the oldest and most imitated of all bagpipes.
Capisce? VA BENE!
CIAO AMICO
Hi Zampogne Lovers
It’s Giovanni Lo Zampognaro here (aka: Sean Folsom)
If you’re interested in solo playing, I recommend the “A Paro”
( literally: “A PAIR” of equal size chanters) style Zampogne,
which are played in Lazio and Molise, in either the key of
G OR F major.
So, see the makers in Scapoli, or the “Calamus” people
on line.
The “A Paro” uses all double REEDS and they
don’t easily clap shut, like those PESKY single Reeds
do, on the Sicilian Ciramedda.
The “A Paro” has, however,
the same overlapping scale of one Octave,
between the 2 Chanters.
(see my Ciramedda page on Oliver Seeler’s web-site for the dots)
If you want a Piffero to play along with the “A Paro” Zampogna,
then by all means, order one ( in G or F)
to go along with it, but you will need to FIND
another musician, as it’s hard (to impossible)
to play the Zampogna AND the Piffero at the same time.
The other Zampogne that have Chanters in Octaves,
REALLY HAVE TO HAVE a Piffero, playing along with them,
to fully “REALIZE” the full extent of the repetoire.
The only Chanters in Octaves that use ALL SINGLE
REEDS are the ones from the Catanzaro part of Calabria,
and are made by Senore Salvatore Buffanio
(contact Circolo Della Zampogna for his address ).
Good Luck Everybody !
Sean Folsom