Blowpipe problems

[Jonathan]

Dear all,

 

I have been playing the Kaba Gaida for a little while now, and as of late I have started to have problems with the blowpipe valve. During playing I do not get problems, but when applying a little pressure to the bag the blowpipe valve makes a sound (a little bit like duck noise), and I can't inflate the bag to play without making this sound easily (which is loud, and not good when playing in front of others). Does anybody else get this / know how to solve this, or is it just me who is not playing the Gaida properly as I inflate it?

Kind Regards,

 

Jonathan

[Julian Russbach]

It is common for the valve to make that sound until the bag has enough pressure in it to push the valve closed. This should only occur when blowing up the bag and deflating it, but not when playing. Since this is what you described, it is unlikely that the valve is malfunctioning. What you experienced is normal. There are a couple of things you can do to prevent this noise from occurring when you blow up the bag.

1.) Do not put any pressure on the bag with your arm when you are starting to blow it up. If you put pressure on the bag while you are blowing it up it can force air back through the valve and cause that noise. Hold the bag in your arms, but do not squeeze it until you are ready to play. It is an acquired skill, and you have to go by feel.

2.) Do not remove your mouth from the blowpipe in between breaths while blowing up the bag. Keep your lips on the blowpipe, so air will only escape back into your mouth. Breath in through your nose.

3.) If you have trouble with #2 you can place the tip of your tongue over the blowpipe in between breaths.You don't have to stick your tongue out, just keep the blowpipe on your lips and place the tip of your over the hole after you exhale. Keep your tongue on the hole while you breath in through your nose. When you have enough air to exhale, remove your tongue and blow.

[Цветелин Андреев]

Try to soften the valve with water, oil, etc. I chew it up if it is too dry to close the hole of the blowpipe.

Cvetelin Andreev
+359 889 651 656 

http://www.kabagaida.com 

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[Dimitar Vassilev]

oil works best for me  - water causes more rot on the wood compared to it. E.g: when i used water i needed to clean the dead wood once a month plus replace the metal suspender each 2. after switching to oil, i clean up rotten wood   once every 3 months. as a bonus I don't get the issues with  a stuck blower. 2 sheets of sandpaper -  180 grit and 320 will help as well for cleaning the rotten wood where possible and reasonable - clean the rot, sand gently and evenly and let it dry. in the meantime dip the skin into a container with oil. e.g one for urine samples unused or in a plastic cup. assemble gently,  firmly without excess threads

2013/10/3 Kaba Gaida on behalf of Cvetelin <kaba...@googlegroups.com>

[Jonathan]

Thanks Julian, I will follow your instructions - they seem best!

Cvetelin - Thanks as well.

Див Бушмен - Thank you!

[Julian Russbach]

Both Dimi's response and Cvetelin's response are very applicable. I am not Bulgarian and don't have immediate access to the wealth of knowledge that they have. My perspective is different than theirs as I can only make it to Bulgaria once a year, if at all. Please heed their advice as it relates to the maintenance of your instrument. Oiling your pipes and the leather components of your gaida is essential.

The blowpipe in particular (and its valve) absorb alot of saliva. Just as saliva chap's your lips, it will dehydrate leather;  and thus chap your leather blowpipe valve. You must rehydrate it with the methods that they have described. My advice is more towards technique, while theirs is toward maintenance. Both are important. You must keep your leather in good condition as they have described in order to maintain the function of the gaida.

[Jonathan]

Julian - I tried to take a look at the leather valve by turning the bag inside out (as the blowpipe has no stock, this is the only way), but it appears the maker of my Gaida has used some sort of glue to attach the chanter stock to the bag (As well as cord), so I can't open it to have a look!

[Dimitar Vassilev]

I would say that it's a mixture of everything. Me personally avoids chewing the skin valve as the best results are achieved by using your wisdom teeth and the taste of the residue that accumulates in the skin after playing can make you jump 3 feet up. Use slow pressure from meat tenderizer if you can to achieve the rugged surface. Chewing too much wears out the valve as well and makes it longer compared to the hole for covering and later can lead to increased pressure for tucking the air in.
Get some old shoes/ leather jackets and etc that have the skin unprocessed and use it to cut blanks in the shape of your current leather valve. Something like the shape of a tadpole or keyhole should do. Get a pencil to circle out the diameter and leave a bit of sling at the end 1.5 inches of tail is enough

After each playing please dip for 2-3 minutes in oil so that you have it ready for next time. I had a vacation of 10 days without pipes and when i came back all was solid.

@Jonathan,
can you post a photo what your current situation is. Some of the makers put the leather valve at the end of the wooden hub that holds the skin together. If this is the case your leather valve should be made from bicycle tire and be pretty solid. I will post some pictures of mine as well tomorrow. Might be the case you're unable to find where the string ends on your blow pipe. This is because some tallow/fat has been applied to hold the strings together and avoid unwinding.

So please post pics and send the link over or in the next mail message.

Thanks

2013/10/5 Jonathan via Kaba Gaida <kabagaida+noreply-APn2wQe18Pt2pD...@googlegroups.com>

Julian - I tried to take a look at the leather valve by turning the bag inside out (as the blowpipe has no stock, this is the only way), but it appears the maker of my Gaida has used some sort of glue to attach the chanter stock to the bag (As well as cord), so I can't open it to have a look!

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[Jonathan]

Correction - I managed to tease apart the bits of bag stuck together with glue and turned it inside out, applied oil to the leather, examined the drone and blowpipe ends inside the bag to make sure they are clean, and put it the right way round again!

[Jonathan]

I need to ask as well - what sort of cord do you people use to tie the chanter stock to the bag? The cord on mine is some sort of elastic one, but I am not sure where I can buy the same type.

[Dimitar Vassilev]

Cotton mate, always use organic. You will tell the artificial cotton from the natural one easily - artificial has a thinner thread compared to the natural one. I pass the thread through olive oil as well prior to winding it up. Most crucial exercise is leaving some excess thread - 2 fore index lengths lengthwise the blower and then winding up tightly as possible 3-5 times to the edge where the blowpipe ends where the final jot from the lathe is. From there on start waving the thread close after each lap up the valve till you reach the end. then wave down and up again. Finally apply some tallow to prevent the thread from loosening.

Let me know if you would like a small video on the topic.

Cheers,

2013/10/5 Jonathan via Kaba Gaida <kabagaida+noreply-APn2wQe18Pt2pD...@googlegroups.com>

I need to ask as well - what sort of cord do you people use to tie the chanter stock to the bag? The cord on mine is some sort of elastic one, but I am not sure where I can buy the same type.

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[Jonathan]

I mean the cord used to attach the Glavina for the Gaidunitza to the bag, not the blowpipe. My maker has used some sort of elastic string which is quite strong, but I'm not sure where I can buy the same type. Is there anything better maybe?

[Dimitar Vassilev]

does it look like this - http://www.shutterstock.com/s/%22capron+thread%22/search.html

2013/10/6 Jonathan via Kaba Gaida <kabagaida+noreply-APn2wQe18Pt2pD...@googlegroups.com>

I mean the cord used to attach the Glavina for the Gaidunitza to the bag, not the blowpipe. My maker has used some sort of elastic string which is quite strong, but I'm not sure where I can buy the same type. Is there anything better maybe?

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[Dimitar Vassilev]

Ok got you - usually for the gaudinitza hubs 2 types of string are used - capron - link above and then for aesthetic purposes on top - hemp string. Once you're done cleaning the hub and you are successful in tightening up the capron string, then you may tie on top the hemp string which has been moistened in advance. Finish it by making a knot at the rear part and then cut the hemp string.

Cheers

2013/10/6 Dimitar Vassilev <dimitar....@gmail.com>