I'm getting a set of Scottish smallpipes to play, and I thought I might ask people more experienced than I: What is the best key for smallpipes? I know that the most common keys are A and D, but I am not sure which would be best.
Seriously though, it depends on what you want do to with them. For most people (like myself) that come from a GHB background, a D chanter is just to small. Since the music that you´ll be playing on the small pipes will pretty much be scottish pipe music (caveat: I know nothing of the Lowland repertoire) there´s no resaon to choose anything but A.
D would most likely be useless to you as you will not be able to play the majority of tunes written for the pipes and if you want to play Irish tunes then you will not be able to play the majority of them either as the scale will be too restrictive. A is the only sensible choice as that is where the instrument is designed to play. If you are willing to practice a lot (a lot) then go for Border pipes (by Nigel Richard) instead. Much more demanding than smallpipes, but much more versitile. A keyed high B and chromatic chanter means it's possible to play a lot of Irish tunes. I have Borders by Nigel and Smallpipes by Hamish Moore - the smallpipes sound fantastic but I probably play the Borders 100 hours to every 1 on the Smallpipes.
In A even without accidentals and extended range, there are a surprisingly large number of tunes in the Irish repertoire which just "happen" to fit in the Scottish bagpipe scale and are played in A-Mix. There have been a number of discussions here giving examples to get stuck into.
Sliabh Russell works well for example. Some other tunes work with minimal changes to the settings. Calliope House in the setting on this site for example only needs a couple of low Fs transposed up an octave to work.
D used to be used for smallpipes a lot when the smallpipe revival began, but I have heard from a maker that in recent years many more sets in A are being bought. A combination set could be a compromise, but it would be just that, a compromise.
Some people also play a border chanter (A) in smallpipes too. This seems not to be regarded as ideal but is possible when access to the semitones is desired. And keeping separate chanters in the case is not a great burden, though they should probably be fitted with split stocks to protect the reeds and simplify swapping.
Surely if you put a Border chanter into smallpipes the drones would be rendered useless. There is far too much of a pressure difference between the two.
With e.g. Ezeedrone reeds, one can set up the drones to cope with the border pressure and still play. Still not a way of acheiving the full border sound you'd get from the border drones, but... You'd be a bit louder in sessions, you'd have the half tones, and you'd still have your smallpipe chanter for when you need that.
I must add the caveat that I have not yet tried this, but will be doing so soon. I am currently only relating other people's advice given to me on the subject. At least a couple of them were respected makers of both types of pipe. Right now I have the Garvie mouth blown border pipes ("Session pipes") and I have ordered a set of bellows blown smallpipes - I will be trying it out when they arrive.
Two sets of pipes would obviously be a better way but: Money, carrying around, etc...
Here is a quote from Nigel Richard's web site on the subject:
_____________
Separate Border Pipe Chanters
Our border pipe chanters have a reputation for tone quality, stability and the accuracy of their cross fingered notes, and as a result we sell many on their own, generally to be fitted to existing sets of pipes. Often players of smallpipes who want a louder chanter for playing in sessions fit them in their smallpipes for particular tunes. The smallpipe drones don't support the border pipe chanter as well as border pipe drones, but where other instruments are playing this is not usually an issue. We can fit split stocks so the reeds on both the chanters are protected when not in use. We will match our chanter to the internal and external diameter of your chanter stock, unless the stock has a very narrow bore (under 5/8th inch 15.8mm) in which case please enquire regarding a solution for this problem. These chanters can be made to suit your requirements are usually available with little delay.
______________________
Anyway, going back to the original subject, A is the way to go unless you have a very specific set of friends and repertoire for which you need the D set.
APH has not really stated what kind of playing he intends,nor if he is going a set that are bellows or blown.
Personally, I like an "A" set, the "D" tires my ears after awhile (IMHO only, play what you like, of course!).
For what it's worth: I do not know how far along you are with piping, APH, but if you are going with Scottish bellows pipes, you might look into the tutorial "More Power To Your Elbow" from Lowland and Border Pipers Society. A nice collection of tunes old and new to learn on, and a helpful CD rom included with the basics on playing Scottish bellows blown bagpipes.
And the membership of the LBPS included some very helpful and generous people.
I too really never liked the sound of D Scottish smallpipes, and the small size of the chanter.
I love playing my A smallpipes.
They are too quiet for larger sessions.
That's why I went the so-called "border pipe" route.
("So-called" because the things used to be called Lowland pipes if bellows blown, reel pipes if mouth blown. The term Border pipes has been shown to be bogus- look it up.)
With my Lowland/reel chanter I can play all the accidentals and I have a key for high B.
By the way, interesting that Nigel Richard is now calling his things "border" chanters. When I bought a chanter from him, he called it a "session" chanter.
Nigel made me what he describes as Border pipes and as far as I'm concerned that is what I play. It's the sound that comes out, not what something technically might previously have been called that is important. I love my Border pipes
If you look at eighteenth and nineteenth century pipes, there are no such things as border pipes. As Richard says, what you find are similar looking bellows driven bagpipes called Lowland pipes. Fair enough. But I don't think there's any reason not to call them border pipes, as that's what they are called now and most people who listen to Scottish traditional music will know what you mean. It's no more bogus than uilleann pipes. That term didn't really exist until the twentieth century. Eighteenth and nineteenth sets of a similar instrument were called union pipes and a yet earlier incarnation were pastoral pipes.
Fair enough. It's simpler and clearer for everybody if one term becomes the standard term for something, and the term "border pipe" is becoming standard.
For example I owned three nearly identical chanters:
1) Hamish Moore "reel" chanter
2) Garvie "session" chanter
3) Jon Swayne "Lowland" chanter
But the fact remains that in the 18th and early 19th century these chanters were played in two sorts of pipes, the bellows-blown "Lowland" pipes and the mouth-blown "reel" or "Lovat reel" pipes.
The "border" term is recent and bogus.
Scottish Smallpipes
Scottish Smallpipes
I'm getting a set of Scottish smallpipes to play, and I thought I might ask people more experienced than I: What is the best key for smallpipes? I know that the most common keys are A and D, but I am not sure which would be best.
# Posted on April 18th 2008 by AHendey
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
A is best for playing in A. But if you want to play in D, I'd say that D is best
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
A comes before D, so A has to be better.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Björn
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
Seriously though, it depends on what you want do to with them. For most people (like myself) that come from a GHB background, a D chanter is just to small. Since the music that you´ll be playing on the small pipes will pretty much be scottish pipe music (caveat: I know nothing of the Lowland repertoire) there´s no resaon to choose anything but A.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Björn
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
D would most likely be useless to you as you will not be able to play the majority of tunes written for the pipes and if you want to play Irish tunes then you will not be able to play the majority of them either as the scale will be too restrictive. A is the only sensible choice as that is where the instrument is designed to play. If you are willing to practice a lot (a lot) then go for Border pipes (by Nigel Richard) instead. Much more demanding than smallpipes, but much more versitile. A keyed high B and chromatic chanter means it's possible to play a lot of Irish tunes. I have Borders by Nigel and Smallpipes by Hamish Moore - the smallpipes sound fantastic but I probably play the Borders 100 hours to every 1 on the Smallpipes.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by bogman
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
In A even without accidentals and extended range, there are a surprisingly large number of tunes in the Irish repertoire which just "happen" to fit in the Scottish bagpipe scale and are played in A-Mix. There have been a number of discussions here giving examples to get stuck into.
Sliabh Russell works well for example. Some other tunes work with minimal changes to the settings. Calliope House in the setting on this site for example only needs a couple of low Fs transposed up an octave to work.
D used to be used for smallpipes a lot when the smallpipe revival began, but I have heard from a maker that in recent years many more sets in A are being bought. A combination set could be a compromise, but it would be just that, a compromise.
Some people also play a border chanter (A) in smallpipes too. This seems not to be regarded as ideal but is possible when access to the semitones is desired. And keeping separate chanters in the case is not a great burden, though they should probably be fitted with split stocks to protect the reeds and simplify swapping.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
Surely if you put a Border chanter into smallpipes the drones would be rendered useless. There is far too much of a pressure difference between the two.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by bogman
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
With e.g. Ezeedrone reeds, one can set up the drones to cope with the border pressure and still play. Still not a way of acheiving the full border sound you'd get from the border drones, but... You'd be a bit louder in sessions, you'd have the half tones, and you'd still have your smallpipe chanter for when you need that.
I must add the caveat that I have not yet tried this, but will be doing so soon. I am currently only relating other people's advice given to me on the subject. At least a couple of them were respected makers of both types of pipe. Right now I have the Garvie mouth blown border pipes ("Session pipes") and I have ordered a set of bellows blown smallpipes - I will be trying it out when they arrive.
Two sets of pipes would obviously be a better way but: Money, carrying around, etc...
Chris
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
Here is a quote from Nigel Richard's web site on the subject:
_____________
Separate Border Pipe Chanters
Our border pipe chanters have a reputation for tone quality, stability and the accuracy of their cross fingered notes, and as a result we sell many on their own, generally to be fitted to existing sets of pipes. Often players of smallpipes who want a louder chanter for playing in sessions fit them in their smallpipes for particular tunes. The smallpipe drones don't support the border pipe chanter as well as border pipe drones, but where other instruments are playing this is not usually an issue. We can fit split stocks so the reeds on both the chanters are protected when not in use. We will match our chanter to the internal and external diameter of your chanter stock, unless the stock has a very narrow bore (under 5/8th inch 15.8mm) in which case please enquire regarding a solution for this problem. These chanters can be made to suit your requirements are usually available with little delay.
______________________
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
Anyway, going back to the original subject, A is the way to go unless you have a very specific set of friends and repertoire for which you need the D set.
Chris.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
APH has not really stated what kind of playing he intends,nor if he is going a set that are bellows or blown.
Personally, I like an "A" set, the "D" tires my ears after awhile (IMHO only, play what you like, of course!).
For what it's worth: I do not know how far along you are with piping, APH, but if you are going with Scottish bellows pipes, you might look into the tutorial "More Power To Your Elbow" from Lowland and Border Pipers Society. A nice collection of tunes old and new to learn on, and a helpful CD rom included with the basics on playing Scottish bellows blown bagpipes.
And the membership of the LBPS included some very helpful and generous people.
Best of luck.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Rook
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
I'd second both of Rook's suggestions. Join the LBPS and get the book.
Chris.
# Posted on April 19th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
I too really never liked the sound of D Scottish smallpipes, and the small size of the chanter.
I love playing my A smallpipes.
They are too quiet for larger sessions.
That's why I went the so-called "border pipe" route.
("So-called" because the things used to be called Lowland pipes if bellows blown, reel pipes if mouth blown. The term Border pipes has been shown to be bogus- look it up.)
With my Lowland/reel chanter I can play all the accidentals and I have a key for high B.
# Posted on April 20th 2008 by Richard D Cook
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
By the way, interesting that Nigel Richard is now calling his things "border" chanters. When I bought a chanter from him, he called it a "session" chanter.
# Posted on April 20th 2008 by Richard D Cook
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
Nigel made me what he describes as Border pipes and as far as I'm concerned that is what I play. It's the sound that comes out, not what something technically might previously have been called that is important. I love my Border pipes
# Posted on April 20th 2008 by bogman
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
If you look at eighteenth and nineteenth century pipes, there are no such things as border pipes. As Richard says, what you find are similar looking bellows driven bagpipes called Lowland pipes. Fair enough. But I don't think there's any reason not to call them border pipes, as that's what they are called now and most people who listen to Scottish traditional music will know what you mean. It's no more bogus than uilleann pipes. That term didn't really exist until the twentieth century. Eighteenth and nineteenth sets of a similar instrument were called union pipes and a yet earlier incarnation were pastoral pipes.
# Posted on April 21st 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Scottish Smallpipes
Fair enough. It's simpler and clearer for everybody if one term becomes the standard term for something, and the term "border pipe" is becoming standard.
For example I owned three nearly identical chanters:
1) Hamish Moore "reel" chanter
2) Garvie "session" chanter
3) Jon Swayne "Lowland" chanter
But the fact remains that in the 18th and early 19th century these chanters were played in two sorts of pipes, the bellows-blown "Lowland" pipes and the mouth-blown "reel" or "Lovat reel" pipes.
The "border" term is recent and bogus.
# Posted on April 22nd 2008 by Richard D Cook