Allow me to offer two possible/likely explanations for leaving the seam
facing outward:
1) To sew the whole bag and then turn it inside out sounds like a
(Warning: Americanism Alert!) tin-plated bitch. I don't see either
the chanter stock hole nor the drone stock hole being big enough to do
this readily, if at all.
2) The bag seasoning is more likely to flow into the seam if the seam
is left on the outside. Think of what the two versions look like from
the inside: An outside-seam bag has a groove into which the goo will
flow. If you were to invert the bag, then the seam would stick up from
the inside surface of the bag, making it much harder to get the goo
into the actual junction. In other words, I'd think an outside-seam
bag would take seasoning better, and be a bit less leaky.
One Man's Opinion--Your Mileage May Vary
Alec MacLean
In a message dated 1/26/2010 2:16:51 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
oatenp...@googlemail.com writes:
Hello Richard and Barry,
I agree entirely with the comments here. Comfort and the avoidance
of stress are essential for the effective use of any instrument, and
consequently for musicality.
One aspect of this puzzles me. I have studied a large number of
paintings and engravings showing pipes bags of the past. I have also
examined many examples in museums. Whether they are from Breughel,
Praetorius or any other picture showing a bag without a fabric
cover, they are invariably inverted bags, i.e. with the seam inside
the bag which has been turned inside out after sewing. An extra
folded strip of leather is sewn between the cheeks of the bag but
this does not project.Musettes are always constructed in this
fashion and so are early bags from the time of the Reids and Dunn.
In contrast modern bags have the sewn seam projecting as a narrow
edge. This is not necessarily more uncomfortable than an internal
seam but it has infinitely more potential to be so if the bag is an
awkward shape or held in an inconvenient position.
I wonder when and why this older and better method was discontinued.
Examples here:
Praetorius:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Syntagma07.png
Duerer (click to enlarge - 150%?:
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/d/durer/2/13/4/076.html
And of course, here! :
http://www.richard-york.co.uk/past/bagpipicsmod.html
Francis
Francis
On 26 Jan 2010, at 21:27, Barry Say wrote:
> Hi Richard,
>
> Excuse me while I mount my hobby-horse.
>
> The size of the bag relative to the body shape of the player can
have a crucial effect on the perceived difficulty of playing the
pipes. I observed the posture of many players in piping meetings and
I came to the conclusion that those who had the bag tucked well up
into their armpit leaving the forearm detached seemed to have the
greatest freedom in playing the pipes, so I resolved to adopt this
position.
>
> When playing, my bag rests in the crook of my elbow and 2/3 to 3/4
of my forearm is not in contact with the bag. The problem with
adopting this stance is having the confidence that the bag will stay
where it is put. It took me several years to get my pipes and my
stance comfortable, but now I find that I can play almost any
non-leaking pipes with relative ease.
>
> For a long time, the corner of my bellows was rubbing on my right
wrist and causing an abrasion. Now there is 3 inch separation
between the wrist and the corner. I dont remeber how I got rid of
that problem.
>
> I am currently considering taking an inch off the neck of my bag
to bring the chanter to a more comfortable position.
>
> I experimented with playing with the bag more in front of the
body, but I found that this required active pressure from the arm to
squeeze the bag, whereas with a standard bag I feel as though it is
the weight of my arm which is compressing the bag.
>
> Does this help?
>
> Barry
>
>
> Richard York wrote:
>> I'd welcome comments/advice on nsp bag shape, please.
>
>
>
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--
