Bagpipe tuning is built around the drone, not equal spacing. Every note on the chanter is placed at the exact pitch where it locks in best with the low A drones. Move a melody up a step and the spacings change, which is why harmony work often needs custom retuning.
You can create notes the chanter doesn't have. Tape a B hole heavily to flatten it to A sharp, tape an E down to D sharp, and sharpen the F with an alternate fingering plus tape. That's how a six-part choral piece became playable on six bagpipes.
A click track and patience turn one piper into a six-pipe choir. Record each part separately to a metronome with earbuds in, then nudge stray notes in the edit. Slow music with long notes can be every bit as impressive as blistering technique.
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Member Videos — March 20, 2025
41m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
01:06two-year bagpipes for A six project: Chesnokov🔒
02:15variable-pitch drone part Synthesizing a🔒
03:24sharp D and with sharp Manufacturing tape A🔒
05:02pipes six Created Watching Is Salvation on🔒
09:15Why harmony clash fixed drones moving with🔒
11:52flat chanters B pitch and 466.17 concert🔒
15:40above fifth F B Sharpening to a perfect🔒
18:29temperament Bagpipe equal vs. tuning🔒
23:41B drone A the from shifts again: Listening to🔒
27:56side by choral version side The original🔒
33:31screen nudging, green and Click tracks, the🔒
38:01score the final reflections Finding and🔒
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