440Hz pipes

[Chas]

I have no idea what this thread is about.

But,

I stand straighter when I hear Flower of Scotland

And,

I usually cry when I hear Highland Cathedral.

Regards

Chas

[OC Richard]

My problem is that I find the pitch of a pipe chanter too high for my liking.

Are bagpipes ever made tuned to "C" or concert key, Bb1-Eb5?

I'm not quite sure what you mean, but a Highland Bagpipe in the key of C would be a step-and-a-quarter HIGHER than ordinary modern Highland pipes (which are tuned a quartertone higher than Concert B Flat, that is, halfway between Concert B Flat and Concert B Natural).

The traditional key for Spanish bagpipes (Gaita Gallega, Gaita Asturiana) is C. If you think Highland pipes are high and shrill, just listen to these things!

A bagpipe an octave lower than that, in low C, are rare but existed in the Central French tradition. These bagpipes are HUGE.

[OC Richard]

it would seem a lot less trouble to obtain a concert pitch chanter (plenty of sources) than to alter a chanter that is not intended to be played that low. Then you would have the best of both worlds, i.e., you can play with other instruments with your concert pitch chanter and play with pipe and drum bands or just other pipers with your "normal" chanter.

I should point out that Highland pipe chanters are available in the sharp modern pitch (with "Low A" around 480 cycles), in the key of Concert Bb ("Low A" at 466 cycles), and in the key of Concert A ("Low A" at 440 cycles).

The chanters pitched at 466 and 440 are both "concert pitch chanters", that is, they both play at Concert Pitch (A=440), but they are in different keys, the key of Bb and the key of A respectively.

So, with a Concert Pitch chanter built with Low A at 466 cycles you could play Amazing Grace perfectly in tune with a Pipe Organ in the key of Eb.

With a Concert Pitch chanter built with Low A at 440 cycles you could play Amazing Grace perfectly in tune with that same Pipe Organ, but now in the key of D.

See? The Pipe Organ hasn't changed pitch; it's still in Concert Pitch, with its A tuned to 440 cycles. So both chanters are equally in Concert Pitch. But they are in different keys and produce all their music in different keys from each other.

Here's another little chart of various keys on the two chanters

440 chanter = 466 chanter

A Major = Bb Major (Colin's Cattle, The King of Love My Shepherd Is)
B minor = C minor (The Mist-covered Mountains)
D Major = Eb Major (Highland Cathedral, Amazing Grace)

[TheBlackTaylor]

I play with one of my 1890s drones set and chanter and my A is 440; of course the reed is not like a modern one but this is another story.
IMO this is the best to play piobaireachd, and I've got a second set (a vintage from the same maker) with which I play at 460 with a Naill chanter to play modern tunes.

[ScotFree]

I'm a trombone player. Do I count as a "normal" musician?

In concert band settings, we tune to Bb, which drives the oboe players crazy.

Being a musician myself, and a former oboe player to boot, I can confidently state that the words normal and musician do not belong in the same sentence. Oboe players are crazy to start with, so it's a very short drive. I think its all the years of high back pressure. I understand that French Horn players suffer from the same syndrome.

[TheBlackTaylor]

Anyone else tried getting down to 440 without drone reed extenders and purpose built chanters? Am I crazy? Wait... don't answer that one.

Hello Ohiopiper, which drones are you playing with? And no, you are not the only crazy one to do that!