|
www.pipebands.co.uk
the independent site for up to date information, results and tips. |
|
|
|
To tune your drones quickly, turn on the meter, select manual mode, set pitch to 445, select note A#. Position the mic 1-2 inch away from the top of the drone and move drone up or down so as the needle shows 0. The meter should not be relied on as being accurate and well trained human ears should be used along with the meter to achieve a good steady drone sound. Any chromatic meter should be okay for the above, if your chanter is set sharper then it should be possibe to set the pitch on the meter higher than 445. A = 440 is concert pitch, this is the pitch concert musicians will use. The pitch of the bagpipe A has sharpened over the years and is now about Asharp (b flat). A = 440 gives Asharp = 467 as 27 is added to each step (tone or note). In recent years bands have had low A set as high as 480, so this would require A on the meter to be set to 453. This is why musicians have trouble playing along with bagpipes, they are setting their instruments to a different pitch and therefore have to play different notes to achieve harmony with a bagpipe. Using 445 would give a low A of 472, tenor drone 236 bass drone 118. More detailed explanations of pitch and meters can be found, a good explanation was posted on rmmb and I have copied it here. Andrew Graham |
|
www.pipebands.co.uk
the independent site for up to date information, results and tips. |