ProgressBy now, I am expecting for you to have a practice chanter in order to practice playing. To begin, let's go over some basic music theory. Music theory is the study of sound, rhythm, pitch, melody and harmony, and musical notation. Sheet music is a version of musical notation and ranges between eight letters, A-G. One range of A-G makes one octave (a.k.a. key). The GHB only plays in one octave and is mostly, if not, always written in the treble clef. A clef establishes a note in which the octave is set in. The left images is a treble clef. It establishes the G note. There are always 5 lines and 4 spaces in between them. The above and right image is the range of the GHB. It has only nine notes: low G, low A, B, C, D, E, F, high G and high A. From bottom to top, the line notes are E, G, B, D, and F. There are many acronyms such as 'Every Good Boy Does Good' which may help with memorizing the clef. The four spaces notes are F, A, C, and E. If you haven't already noticed, it spells 'FACE' which many, including me, used to aid in memorization. Now to hold the chanter properly. I used the above image to help in memorizing. The chanter is held with both hands and will later rest on the piper's lower left flank when playing the actual GHB, not just a practice chanter. You will use your thumb(LT), index(LI), middle(LM), and ring(LR) finger of your left hand. For your right hand, you will use your index(RI), middle(RM), ring(RR), and pinky(RP) The LT is on the top back hole. The LI is on the top first hole on the front. The LM is on the second. The LR is on the third, RI on fourth, RM on the fifth, RR on the sixth, and the RP on the seventh. When playing, do not use the tips of your fingers as this will make it more difficult to play and probably won't get a proper air seal. Use the pad (middle bone of the fingers) of your fingers to cover the holes. Only the tips of the thumbs are used.
Before I actually show and demonstrate some scales, assemble your chanter and play with the notes. It won't sound too pretty, but it is necessary as it will enable you to play notes. Blow into your chanter on any note and see if you can get a note to play consistently. If you blow too hard, the reed will not play and may be difficult to even get air through. If you don't blow enough, the note may not be consistent or not sound at all. Experiment a little and get used to playing and fingering. ReflectionOverall, I regret not having any photos or videos prepared. It is funny, looking back, how I began to teach myself in the method that I hope others may learn to play. I do feel that this will not be effective for learning however. It took me quite some to learn the air pressure needed and getting used to the finger positioning. I wish I had a tutor as well as anyone who is attempting to learn from me, if anyone is attempting to learn from me. That maybe presently or in the future which I may continue or discontinue to write. Cheers to all of those that learn and enjoy the beauty of music and perhaps even join a club/group/clan or have a job as a piper.
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ProgressTo start, we have to know what a Great Highland Bagpipe (GHB) looks like. The image to the left are the bare basic parts of a bagpipe. Both of the drones play the same pitch, and you do not do much to try and play them as it only require air in the bag to begin sounding. The 'Great Drone' (a.k.a bass drone) will play the same pitch but at a high tone than the tenor drones. The 'Blowpipe" remains in your mouth as it allows you to constantly keep the bagpipe inflated and allow the drones and chanter to sound off. The 'Bag' is where the majority of the components are attached. The 'Chanter' was plays the different notes. Play attention to the airman below and notice his fingers move. By now you should have a practice chanter to learn to play the GHB. If you haven't already noticed from the above video, the GHB are actually pretty loud, and unlike most other instruments, you cannot adjust the volume of the instrument. With a practice chanter, you will not have to worry about sound as much, and you will not stress over the bag and maintaining pressure. As far as maintenance goes, the practice chanter requires little maintenance unless they are the high quality wood and metal chanters. I have a synthetic(plastic) chanter, and it requires little maintenance. The GHB, I am sure, requires a lot of maintenance and care. The reeds, and everything else, should be stored in a cool and dry area. Being a woodwind instrument, it can accumulate a lo of moisture. The reed threads should also be kept in the original state and do your best to not dethread the reeds. I have made this mistake and am finding little to no sound difference, but it is more difficult to place in position. Reeds come in many different colors, styles, and will sound vastly different and can also change the amount of air needed to begin to sound off. ReflectionI am looking forward to the progress that I have made. The next blog will get into the playing of the instrument. Hopefully, my viewers find these useful. I myself am a young beginner and need a tutor. I am simply attempting to teach myself and others how to play. I will also probably purchase more reeds for the blog after the next.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2017
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