The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #66040   Message #1093180
Posted By: Pied Piper
15-Jan-04 - 05:51 AM
Thread Name: help with pipe fingering
Subject: RE: help with pipe fingering
Scottish Small pipes generally use GHB fingering, but because of the small cylindrical bore the holes are less interactive, and using whistle fully open fingering will not affect the accuracy of the intonation as much as on GHB.
I'm sorry to over complicate things a bit but there is another issue to consider.
Conically bored GHB type Chanters are louder on the lower notes than the high notes, Small pipe type Chanters are the opposite.
This means that all the GHB lower note pyrotechnics (like the Birl) tend to sound muddy and indistinct on Small Pipes, and single high grace notes much more clear and distinct. This changes the emphasis of the music.
There are lots of GHB players that use the same style on the Small pipes, but if you only intend to play Small Pipes it might be a more effective style musically to keep it simple just using a minimum of single grace notes and doublings.
Another possibility if you want to play a GHB type instrument but with an indoor volume is look at Garvie Session Pipes I'm lusting after a set of these.

TTFN
PP