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Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 2, Page 5

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 2, Page 5
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periodical Publisher
Na Píobairí Uilleann
periodical Editor
Chairman, NPU
periodical Title
Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music
volume Number
1
issue Content
Irish Music1SOME DESIGN AND TUNINGCONSIDERATIONS FOR THEUILLEANN PIPESWriters on the subject of Irish music have tackled, from time-to--time, theinvention or evolution of the uilleann pipes. The musical historians do not giveus any specific proofs of origin, only suspecting a period of development duringthe eighteenth century. The oldest sets of this type of bagpipe still in existencewould appear to date from about 1760. A study of the early work of the elderKenna or of Egan (said to be the father ofJohn Egan the harp maker) of Dublin,shows the instrument in a simple but well developed form. That these makerswere having their problems with the designs is also evident. Typically these veryearly uilleann pipes are made of boxwood with brass ferrules and keys (most ofthe woodwind trade of that period used these materials); keyless chanters withsmall finger holes and narrow bores; sometimes a tenon at the lower end sug-gesting a foot joint; four drones, usually not too narrow in bore and likely tooverpower the chanter; one regulator with four keys, what we would call thesmall or tenor regulator today. Between the years 1760 and 1800, developmentwork was completed to such an extent that sets with two or even threeregulators and fully balanced drones were matched to chromatic chanters.I wish to discuss the invention of the uilleann pipes from the piper/makerspoint of view. With that in mind, let us then go .back to the early eighteenthcentury and examine the period just prior to our earliest existing uilleann pipes.There were quite a few different types of bagpipes being used in Europe,some with two chanters (the suggestion of the regulator for a sit downinstrument may come from this), but no bagpipe had a range of notes muchmore than one octave. However, some forms could over blow a note or two.A bagpiper and wind instrument maker by the name Jean Hotteterre,working in Paris, is attributed with the development of the shawm into the oboe.This is said to have occurred about 1657. Now the oboe and the early uilleannpipe chanter are very similar: narrow conical bore, double reed, plays twooctaves. By the early eighteenth-century the oboe was firmly established in theorchestra. If the oboe was devised by a bagpipe maker/player then maybeattempts were made to improve a bagpipe chanter at a similar period.So we might assume that someone who has heard or examined the new oboeNo. 15 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1.Sketch by Willie Matthews.
issue Number
2
page Number
5
periodical Author
[Various]
issue Publication Date
1994-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 2

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