Chiff and Fipple Forums

The Kennedy set played by Finbar on the early vinyls is sharp of A=440. This is also the case with a number of makers beside W. Rowsome, including earlier Leo Rowsome sets. By the 1940's, the demand for concert sets at A=440 began to be met by some makers, though other makers continued the old sharper pitch. These days, some slaves to their tuning meters are upset if their newly arrived flat set is a few cents off
of what he meter says it should be. The times they are a changin'.

Ted

Ted wrote:These days, some slaves to their tuning meters are upset if their newly arrived flat set is a few cents off of what he meter says it should be. The times they are a changin'.

Anyone who restricts themselves to a meter should have their head examined..I mean reed head. Say the maker sends the instrument to different climate and the reed (or chanter) goes out of tune, ±. You tune the instrument to itself (tape, putty, or rushes). The stringed instruments tune to you. If it always has to be perfect, even regardless of bag pressure, and other variables, maybe they've chosen the wrong instrument to be playing.

Never mind the fact that it takes a good long while before a person can control the instrument well enough to be able to play it in tune and figure out the correct fingerings and pressure for each note on that particular chanter.



Patrick.

I don't disagree with any of the above, but if you totally forgo the meter you can get yourself way off base. Sure you can be a bit off, but you can only ask other instruments to retune so far. You're not going to get a box to retune, and not all whistles or flutes can retune, or not retune very far. Even other pipers may object if you're totally out to lunch on tuning.

I think the meter should still be a baseline. If you're going to sit down to work on your reeds for a couple of hours (especially these damn regs) then the meter should be an approximate goal. If things drift a bit afterwards, at least you won't be too far off when you go to play with others.

djm

Absolutely! Maybe I'm contradicting someone but these days there are so many people playing on all pitches. You have to be in tune if you want to play to anyone else... it's only good manners.

I would also say that if you have an historic instrument that it should be played at wehatever pitch it is happiest at be it sharp or flat. It is a representation of musical history. If the owner wants it to be, of course... it is up to them of course... then we get into modifying historic sets for modern pitches... this is way off IMO.

Patrick.