![]() ![]() Both Edward II and Edward III had pipers at court. The drone would preclude the possibility of any change of mode, and the continuous sound would prohibit observance of rests.ĭuring the Renaissance, the bagpipe gradually moved from country to court. It has been mentioned for use in polyphony, but if so, problems would arise. The bagpipe is ideal for solo dances and monophonic music. The chanter has seven finger holes and a thumb hole, and has a usual range of an octave and one note. As the player blows air in, the flap opens when he stops blowing the air pressure within the bag forces the flap shut. The mouthpipe contains a round piece of leather hinged onto the bag end which acts as a one way valve. Other features of this instrument are the mouthpipe and the double reed of the chanter and drone. By squeezing the bag with his left hand while a breath is taken, the flow of air can be kept up in both the drone pipes and chanter. The construction of the bagpipe allows a continuous supply of air to be maintained. The Renaissance also saw the advent of small, quiet chamber pipes such as Praetorius' Hummelchen or the French shuttle-drone models, some blown with bellows under the arm rather than with the mouth. ![]() See paintings by Brueghel and the illustrations in Praetorius' Syntagma Musicum. Around 1400 (give or take 50 years), most shepherd-style pipes acquired a second drone. Medieval pipes usually had a single drone - see contemporary illustrations of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales for English single-drone pipes. ![]() In fact, a Roman historian of the first century wrote that the Emporer Nero knew how to play the pipe with his mouth and the bag thrust under his arm. During the Middle Ages, however, the bagpipe was heard and appreciated by all levels of society.īagpipes have always been made in many shapes and sizes, and have been played throughout Europe from before the Norman Conquest until the present day. Through Celtic migration it was introduced to Persia and India, and subsequently to Greece and Rome. The instrument is mentioned in the Bible, and historians believe that it originated in Sumaria. The bagpipe probably originated as a rustic instrument in many cultures because a herdsman had the necessary materials at hand: a goat or sheep skin and a reed pipe. The origins of the bagpipe can be traced back to the most ancient civilizations. Click image for bagpipe sound (175kb wav) ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |