tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies

Subject: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: Mo the caller
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 05:32 AM

After spending most of yesterday at the B & HG day at Audlem I am wondering about how they are tuned .
Are they all / none / some tuned in equal temperament?

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 06:07 AM

Playing equal tempered melodies over drones does not quite produce the effect any player with a bit of ear would be looking for.

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 08:50 AM

"After spending most of yesterday at the B & HG day at Audlem I am wondering about how they are tuned" Poassibly not as often as might be required?

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 09:40 AM

Massed wasp buzzing!

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: Mo the caller
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 10:16 AM

I don't know, Greg. It seemed to be happening a lot. Quite often when someone else was playing a tune.

Like guitarists strumming; you can never be sure if they are about to burst into a tune, or not.

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 12:27 PM

And, like most guitarists who do that, they're usually amazed that anyone can actually hear them tuning the gurdy or strumming the guitar!

'bongling' we used to call it in Olio ...

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 04:45 PM

It is a great do, the Audlem Bagpipe and Hurdy Gurdy day. Touble is, there always seems to be an inordinate number of hurdy gurdies and bagpipes there.Still, there's always a down side.

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 07:24 PM

Gurdies can at least tune to the same scale with relatively little effort. Bagpipes come in several different temperaments and can can only be made to agree with each other by the application of wax or insulating tape.

An event like the Audlem one really needs to be a two-day one with the first day spent tuning.

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: Little Robyn
Date: 11 Nov 12 - 08:12 PM

For bagpipes, tuning depends on which sort you're playing.
Northumbrian Small pipes are usually tuned in 'nominal G' which means F and a bit. Mine are actually concert F but they can be anywhere from slightly below F to nearly G. And then there are concert pitch G pipes as well as concert pitch D!!
That's just Northumbrians!
The Scots pipes are typically tuned in nominal A - that's around Bflat, while Irish uilleann pipes can be tuned anywhere from B to Eflat.
And then there are many different pipes from all around Europe and they can be in all sorts of keys.
So expecting everybody to be in tune with each other is a big ask!
I'm guessing, if you know your pipes are in an unfriendly key, you won't be joining in??
Robyn

Subject: RE: tuning of bagpipes & hurdy gurdies
From: greg stephens
Date: 12 Nov 12 - 07:30 AM

The sound as Bonnie Prince Charlie marched into Carlisle with his 100 pipers must have been indescribable. No wonder the Duke of Cumberland thought they should be sent back to Scotland as quickly as possible.