Record

Practice chanter scale (audio clip)

< 1 of 1 > Back
Postcard of Practice chanter scale (audio clip).
000-000-580-040-C
© National Museums Scotland

Practice chanter scale (audio clip)

Iain MacInnes plays a scale on the practice chanter. The practice chanter is a scaled-down, mouth-blown version of the Highland bagpipe chanter, used for teaching and learning tunes. It has a double reed, and plays in a pitch approximately one octave below the Highland bagpipe chanter.

The Highland bagpipe has a scale of nine notes. In music collections the keynote is written as A, although in reality modern pitch is slightly sharp of B flat. The scale runs from A to A' on the treble clef (incorporating the notes A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G and A'), with an additional note (G) pitched in a full tone below the low A. All the notes are produced by directly covering and uncovering the 8 holes of the chanter, without the use of additional keys.

In its origins, the Highland bagpipe in common with other European and World bagpipes is a prehistoric wind instrument. Its main elements are the melody pipe or 'chanter' on which the music is played with the fingers (usually on a scale of nine notes) and with an accompanying fixed note or chordal accompaniment from the drone or drones, all of which are held in stocks tied into an animal skin bag (now coming to be replaced by synthetic materials). The player blows into the bag to supply a constant pressure and flow of air onto the reeds which are set into the chanter and drones and which make the sound. The air flow is controlled by a simple non-return valve on the blowstick.


Record details

To search on related items, click any linked text below.

Online ID: 000-000-580-040-C
Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
Project: 0869: The Bagpipe Collection
Project description | View all records in project
Ref: National Museums Scotland  Sound Asset.1
Date:
Material:
Dimensions:
What: Practice chanter
Subject:
Who: Iain MacInnes (performer)
Where:
Event:
Description: Practice chanter played by Iain MacInnes.
References:
Translations:
Related Records:
< 1 of 1 > Back
 
Powered by Scran