Gaita Questions
Frank Dumont
>Frank,
>
>I just got home from band practice, and we had our first "gaitera" show up
>tonight. This lady had one new gaita (?set of gaitas?) with one drone, and
>an older set with two drones. She had several questions that I thought you
>might be able to help us with. They are:
Dear E.W.:
The first item is to see is to decided what you have. Is it a playable
Gaita or are they for tourist (Gaita de Turista). Secondly, a Gaita is not
necessarily from Galicia (although most probably), I have two one from
Galicia and one from Asturias (and they look the same, but sound and play
totally different). The answers will become obvious from the following
discussions.
>1. The new set is playable -- i.e. set up with reeds, bag is in good shape,
>etc. The lady bought one of our GHB tutor books and an inexpensive practice
>chanter, but I was wondering if the fingering is the same as for the GHB.
The fingering for the Gaita Gallega is not the same as the GHB. The
practice chanter for the Gaita Gallega is the simple $3-$5 plastic recorder
that is purchaseable in any common music store. The fingering is the same,
read in the key of C as any clarinet or saxophone(B flat). Up the scale by
opening the fingers one at a time from the bottom up. The Asturiano
fingering is closed ie., keep all fingers closed but lift one finger at a
time up the scale, then closing it behind the next finger lifted (some
exceptions but good enough for now). Now you can see that the GHB fingering
is a hybird between the opened and closed style of fingerings. If you go up
the scale like a recorder, and you don't get a regular scale, you have a
turista Gaita.
>2. The older set has a couple of problems, namely reeds and bag. It
>appears that the diameter of the drone reed may be too small to allow her to
>use a GHB tenor reed. If that is the case, where can we find replacement
>drone reeds (and chanter reeds for that matter)? As for the bag on the
>older set, she believes it has a leak somewhere. If we find a leak, how do
>we determine if it's reparable, and HOW do you go about repairing it? If it
>is not reparable, where can she get a replacement bag?
Gaita Gallega and Asturiana reeds are totally different than GHB reeds. The
Gallega reed is a much smaller reed, is moulded, and has a medal band around
and above the shoulder of the reed. The Asturiano reed has like two twigs
strapped together up the middle and accross the reed blades. If the
discussion of tuning hasn't bored you as it has some on this list, the GHB
reed is tuned by scrapping. The Gaita Gallega reed is superior as it is
tunable by byting the medal Band. The reed is flatten by bitting open the
lips of the reed. The reed is sharpened by biting closed the lips of the
reed. Once the reed has been bitten either way, one slides the reed in or
out to tune low C and high C, just like tuning low A and high A on the GHB.
There was once a scam for new composite reeds on the list for GHB. The kick
in the ass is that the Gaita Gallega reeds perform as well as these dream
mystical composite reeds.
The bag tells if the bagpipe is a proper musical instrument or one for
tourist. The bag for the Gaitas Gallega and Asturiana are a double bag.
The GHB has a bag and maybe a covering that is decorative. The outside bag
in both Gaitas is functional and decorative. The inside bag should be made
of goatskin, and should be accessable by a zipper (on the botton,
underneath). The inside bag and whole bagpipe should be removable through
this zipper opening. The outside bag on a tourist pipes is laced together.
The important feature is that the inside bag and outside bag function as a
bicycle tire. The inner tube takes the air, but the outside tire holds the
air pressure and rigid tire shape. The same engineering design is used for
both Gaitas. The inside goatskin bag takes the air, but the outside bag
holds the air pressure and shape. This is a superior engineering design to
the GHB. You get no leaks with regular usage. However, when you get a leak
you have a puncture of the inner bag ( like the bicycle tire ), or the inner
bag may not be properly tied to the stocks. When the Gaita Gallega
functions properly and has good reeds, it plays like a dream. It makes you
want to take your GHB and slam it against the wall and stomp on it. But, I
don't do it because I love the instrument and its music, and I tolerate the
endless agony and fiddling with it to make it play. If you think I'm
prejudiced, I quote Antony Baines in his Book"Bagpipes" on page 13. "Of all
the bagpipes existing today, it is the Spanish which is my own favourite for
playing on, mainly because for a busy musician it is the least trouble to
look after." Baines is correct and agrees with my experiences.
>That covers all her/my questions -- reeds, bags & fingering. If you have
>anything that you could add, I'm sure she would appreciate it. I won't see
>her until her lesson on 28 June, but if you answer before then, I'll just
>mail it to her.
>
>Thanks in advance.... :-)
My question is, does your Band go to the Stone Mountain Games? I have
performed at those games, and I have a following from some Pipers from San
Antonio. One is of Spanish decent but from the Phillipenes. If your Band
members remember me, give them my regards.
Frank El Gaitero Solitario
PS. Your Gaitera has to decide if she wants to proceed along the GHB route
or the Gaita route. She can't go both initially. I would suggest the GHB
route or she will be isolated as I am. But I don't care and I play and
enjoy all three.
David C Daye
Frank Dumont <fdu...@digital.net> wrote:
> When the Gaita Gallega
>functions properly and has good reeds, it plays like a dream. It makes you
>want to take your GHB and slam it against the wall and stomp on it. But, I
>don't do it because I love the instrument and its music, and I tolerate the
>endless agony and fiddling with it to make it play.
Just a suggestion, this is a sign of trouble, I'd think. I play simple
instruments such as tin whistle and flute, yet I've never thought of my
GHB as requiring "endless agony and fiddling." For a musical person to
have this opinion, there may be an important but solveable problem with
reed supply, reed selection-&-setup knowlege, or, less likely, the
instrument. It's worth hunting for a competent piper or supplier
willing to help a noncompetitive but otherwise musical player.
David Daye's Rule #1:
We mustn't fight our bagpipes--because we can't possibly win!
--
David Daye http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/~bdaye/bagpipes.htm
scot & uilleann Pipe & reed modification diagrams, sound files of
Columbus Ohio USA GHB-A440, UP trad & silly, beginner finger tricks,
day...@osu.edu and Sounds of Extra Terrier - estrial Intelligence.