GB190823839A - Improvements in Wood and like Wind Musical Instruments relating more particularly to Bag-pipe Chanters. - Google Patents

Abstract

23,839. Starck, H. Nov. 6 Wood wind instruments ; bagpipes.-In a bagpipe, the compass of the chanter is increased and all the notes are pitched in true relation with each other, the arrangement being such that the performer can play in either the major or minor keys without cross-fingering. By adding a mouthpiece, the chanter may be used as a wood wind instrument, suitable for orchestral and other purposes. In Fig. 1, which shows a three - keyed chanter for the scale of A major, the usual back vent-hole is placed in front of the instrument with a normally-closed key 1, and the usual first front vent-hole is placed at the back, as shown at 2, the positions and sizes of the holes being such as to give the upper A and the upper G or G# in the treble clef. The back hole 2 is normally covered by the thumb of the left hand. The following vent - holes, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are respectively covered by the first, second, third, and fourth fingers of the left hand, and the first, second and third fingers of the right hand, the hole 8 being arranged to give the octave note A from the key 1. The compass of the instrument may be increased down the scale by the addition of normally-open keys 9, 10 adapted to be closed by the fourth finger of the right hand. The compass of the instrument above the key 1 may be increased by further keys to be operated by the thumb and first finger of the left hand, and the instrument may be adapted to produce all the tones and semi-tones within its compass by the addition of nine normally-closed keys. Such an instrument may be adapted for natural fingering in any desired key, an instrument for the key of C major being described in the Specification.