Anthony, Certainly adding drones on the 2nd time through, works well on UP, especially on airs. Irish slow airs, being usually vocal music rather than pipe music, maybe don't require a drone so fundamentally. Musically this idea makes less sense on drone music though - double-tonic tunes etc. But with NSP, it is rare to have an on-off drone key, so it is hard for us to do in practice.
As for drones being out of tune on recordings - as I said, it is the effect on the listener which matters. I can think of an otherwise excellent recording where the drones were badly out in places, so I know what you mean. But shutting them off is a cop-out, not a solution. John -----Original Message----- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Anthony Robb Sent: 07 January 2011 10:52 To: nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu; rob....@milecastle27.co.uk; Gibbons, John Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning What you say is true, but still ignores Paddy Maloney's point of adding drones further into (even 'proper') pipes tunes for greater impact. We also have to remember that out of tune drones (and this unfortunately is the norm it seems to me) do little to enhance the music. This is true even in the most surprising quarters i.e. modern recordings where retakes could be done fairly easily to correct this. Yes drones are wonderful and powerful but this power can also be, and all too often is, destructive. Anthony --- On Fri, 7/1/11, Gibbons, John <j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk> wrote: From: Gibbons, John <j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk> Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning To: "'Anthony Robb'" <anth...@robbpipes.com>, "nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu" <nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu>, "rob....@milecastle27.co.uk" <rob....@milecastle27.co.uk> Date: Friday, 7 January, 2011, 10:17 Not at all - but pipes do sound better with drones, which are a fundamental part of the instrument, and also of what we might call 'proper' pipe music. There are some tunes where drones don't work, and some multi-instrument arrangements where they might get in the way, but - on pipe tunes at least - there is a price to pay if you shut them off. My warning was just to your more literal-minded readers out there, who might not think about the effect of their music on listeners. John -----Original Message----- From: [1]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:[2]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Anthony Robb Sent: 07 January 2011 09:48 To: [3]...@cs.dartmouth.edu; [4]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk; Gibbons, John Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning John, please remember I was talking in the context of switching off drones to let the music shine forth, not silly things like playing a semitone above everyone else! Many general music sessions involve key changes from G to D to A. Are you saying that pipes should not be adding their crystalline punchiness to the mix just because they have to be droneless? Cheers Anthony --- On Thu, 6/1/11, Gibbons, John <[5]j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk> wrote: From: Gibbons, John <[6]j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk> Subject: RE: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning To: "Anthony Robb" <[7]anth...@robbpipes.com>, "[8]...@cs.dartmouth.edu" <[9]...@cs.dartmouth.edu>, "[10]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk" <[11]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk> Date: Thursday, 6 January, 2011, 20:50 "Others may not like it but at least you'll be pleasing the most important person in this whole process, namely yourself. Which is I would argue is the main purpose of traditional music." Pleasing everyone else in the room might be a priority for some, as well! I have heard too many so-called traditional musicians play to please themselves (and nobody else) not to add this health warning. You get them everywhere, but I recall the bloke who wound his flute up to E flat because that's the key Matt Molloy played in, though everyone else in the session was in D, and the one who played faster than everyone else because it was more exciting. I've been the latter one myself on occasion.... Think about how it sounds for the rest of the world, and you will play better. John ________________________________________ From: [1][12]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [[2][13]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Anthony Robb [[3][14]anth...@robbpipes.com] Sent: 06 January 2011 18:19 To: [4][15]...@cs.dartmouth.edu; [5][16]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk Subject: [NSP] Re: Concertina Tuning --- On Thu, 6/1/11, [6][17]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk <[7][18]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk> wrote: It's a case of trying and seeing what you like. The other way round this would be for the piper not to play drones ... but I wouldn't recommend that approach. cheers Rob Sorry to disagree, Rob, but occasionally switching the drones off to let other instruments provide the accompaniment can be lovely. I would also recommend learning and practising mainly on the chanter alone. It is the way I was taught and was the Colin Caisley way presumably passed on from Tom Clough. When Colin Caisley was chairman of the NPS in the 60s the Society hired out a 'goose' (bellows, bag and chanter only) for people to try out the pipes. Recently I came across an article, from the 70s I guess, written by Paddy Maloney who suggests uillean pipers should learn on a 'goose' for 3 to 4 years before thinking about getting drones. The premise being that the chanter is where the music is created and so needs to be learnt before adding drones or regulators. He also extols the beauty and effectiveness of playing parts of a piece on solo chanter only and then adding accompaniment be it drones or other instruments to lift the sound. On a slightly related topic, people have commented on how well in tune the 3 beginner pipers in Windy Gyle Band play on the CD and have suggested that some digital trickery might be involved. This is absolutely not the case. All three have learnt to play on chanter only and two of them are now (after 3 years) beginning to add drones occasionally. The drones can add excitement like nothing else to the pipes sound but they can also mask some of the music at times. So my message would be follow your ears, try all the options and go with what works for you. Others may not like it but at least you'll be pleasing the most important person in this whole process, namely yourself. Which is I would argue is the main purpose of traditional music. Cheers Anthony --- On Thu, 6/1/11, [8][19]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk <[9][20]rob....@milecastle27.co.uk> wrote: To get on or off this list see list information at [1][10][21]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. [11][22]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. [23]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.ed u 2. [24]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.ed u 3. [25]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=anth...@robbpipes.com 4. [26]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu 5. [27]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co. uk 6. [28]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co. uk 7. [29]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co. uk 8. [30]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co. uk 9. [31]http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co. uk 10. [32]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 11. [33]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 2. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 3. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu 4. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 5. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk 6. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk 7. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=anth...@robbpipes.com 8. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu 9. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu 10. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 11. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 12. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 13. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 14. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=anth...@robbpipes.com 15. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu 16. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 17. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 18. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 19. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 20. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 21. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 22. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 23. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 24. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu 25. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=anth...@robbpipes.com 26. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu 27. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 28. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 29. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 30. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 31. http://uk.mc5.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob....@milecastle27.co.uk 32. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html 33. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
