Pipe Chanter Pitch
Note name |
Ratio to low A |
Cents from low A |
Closest ET Note |
ET cents |
Deviation from ET |
Freq for A =466 Hz |
Freq for A =475 Hz |
High A |
2 : 1 |
1200.0 |
A |
1200 |
0.0 |
932 |
950 |
High GM |
9 : 5 |
1017.6 |
G |
1000 |
+17.6 |
839 |
855 |
High GJ |
16 : 9 |
996.1 |
G |
1000 |
-3.9 |
828 |
844 |
High GH |
7 : 4 |
968.8 |
G |
1000 |
-31.2 |
816 |
831 |
F (#) |
5 : 3 |
884.4 |
F# |
900 |
-15.6 |
777 |
792 |
(F natural) |
(8 : 5 ) |
( 813.7 ) |
(F) |
(800) |
( +13.7 ) |
(746) |
(760) |
E |
3 : 2 |
702.0 |
E |
700 |
+2.0 |
699 |
713 |
DM |
27 : 20 |
519.6 |
D |
500 |
+19.6 |
629 |
641 |
DJ |
4 : 3 |
498.0 |
D |
500 |
-2.0 |
621 |
633 |
C (#) |
5 : 4 |
386.3 |
C# |
400 |
-13.7 |
583 |
594 |
(C natural) |
( 6 : 5 ) |
( 315.6 ) |
(C) |
(300) |
( +15.6 ) |
(559) |
(570) |
B |
9 : 8 |
203.9 |
B |
200 |
+3.9 |
524 |
534 |
Low A |
1 : 1 |
0.0 |
A |
0 |
0.0 |
466 |
475 |
Low GM,GJ |
8 : 9 |
-203.9 |
G |
-200 |
-3.9 |
414 |
422 |
Low GH |
7 : 8 |
-231.2 |
G |
-200 |
-31.2 |
408 |
416 |
The second complication - The bagpipe’s key pitch
(Take this with a pinch of salt.) Because many tuners on the market and differend prices and pitches. Someone its not perfect calibrade. (The second complication is that the pipe's A isn't the same as concert A. Concert A is 440 Hertz (abbreviated Hz). That is, the air vibrates 440 times per second. The bagpipe's pitch has been rising steadily, and is now commonly set between 470-480. This is not only sharper than concert A, it's sharper than concert Bb which is 466 Hz! When using a tuner, you need to compensate for this. There are several ways you can do this; the easiest are:)
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Some tuners allow you to set the pitch for A over a very wide range. For example, the Korg CA-30 allows you to set the pitch for A anywhere between 410 and 480. The rest of the notes will then read out properly - with C and F being noted as C# and F# respectively. This makes the CA-
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Some tuners don't have as large a range for setting the pitch for A. For example, the Korg CA-20 is more limited and allows you to set the pitch only between about 430 and 450. This is still quite adequate for our purposes; you just have to remember that an A on the pipe will correspond with a Bb, and then adjust the calibration to take into account the amount to which you're sharp of Bb. Subtract 26 from the pipe's pitch for low A to obtain where to set the pitch for A on the tuner. In the band we usually tune between A=472 and A=474, so set the tuner's calibration to 446 when tuning our low A to 472, or set the calibration to 448 when tuning chanter's low A to 474. Other notes on the scale will likewise need to be adjusted upwards by a half-step, so that our C will register as D, etc. Don't let any of this confuse you - drop down a half step to convert from the note displayed on the tuner to the note on the pipe chanter. If you're tuning higher than 476, you may not be able to calibrate the meter so that it registers 0 on low A since 476 - 26 = 450 and some meters won't calibrate higher than this. If that's the case, you need to add the number of Hertz that you're sharp of 476 onto the needle display on the meter - this can get tricky depending on the design of the meter.
With those two things taken into account, you can tune your octave (low A->high A), or check the tuning of your drones. In both cases you would tune them so that the needle would show up on 0. You can also practice steady blowing by watching the needle - it should not move while you hold a single steady note. What you still can't do is properly tune your chanter, which leads us to the third complication:
Testing a Pipe Chanter
The First requirement for testing a pipe chanter is a reed that is reliable, perfectly true, and able to fit a variety of pipe chanters. Having set the chanter properly it is tested against a good steady bass drone which will readily show up any variation in trueness. A good pipe chanter will require to have:
(a) A correct Piptch. (b) A true Scale. (c) proper resonance and quality of sound.
Pitch Test
For a variety of reasons, the Pitch of the Highland Bagpipe has been rising grudally for some considerable time. Almost all pipers nowadays play the note LOW A at a pitch which is significantly higher than the Western standard concert pitch, wher the note A vibrates at 440 Hertz.
To test for a required pitch a chanter of the required degree will be needed and the drones tuned to it. Using the same reed set the new chanter properly, and try it against the tuned drones. if more than the slightest alteration has to be made to the drones, the new chanter will not be of the same pitch.
Scale test
Stop both tenor drones and tune and tune the Bass drone to Low A. Should the chanter be true as each note is sounded it will blend exactly with the drone, although the drone is two octaves lower in pitch.
Should the chanter no be true, the extent of the variation from trueness can be gauged by how much the drone needs to be tuned to make it blend with that particular note. When the fluctuation of sound between drone and chanter is slow the note is only slightly out, but when it is fast there is a serious discrepancy. If the drone requires to be tunedup to suit a note, the note is flat, and when tuned down the note is of course sharp. It is quite a possibility that the Low A be untrue, consequently when testing a chanter the initial tuning must also be made to another note as a check. Always suspect low A when all the other notes sound out of true when the tuning is made to low A.
The sequence of notes for testing are:
(a) Tune to Low A, Test High A
" " " " E and High A.
" " " " C,E and High A
" " " " B, D, F, High G, Low G
(b) Tune to E, re-test using the same sequence as above but adding Low A
(c) Tune to E, Re-Test as above.
This test should only be made be someone who can tune accurately, blow a steady tone, and set a chanter properly, and as various makes of chanters have certain peculiarities every effort must be made to see that a suitable reed is used for testing.
Volume
The volume of the chanter ca be noted during the scale test. A chanter that burrs on low G with good reed should be discarded.
Corrections
Should any note be slightly sharp, the pitch can be lowered by using some black tape. across the top of the hole.
trial and error will determine how much is required. LOW G can be flattened by across the top hole sound hole. Do not diminish the hole too much as this will decrease the volume of the note. use tapy only to attain fine tuning of notes as often a good reed has small defects which can be cured in this manner to give perfect sound.
