KEYWORK

Garvie Bagpipes
Edinburgh

www.borderpipes.co.uk
Nigel Richard

email
garviebagpipes@zetnet.co.uk

We have been specialists in fitting keywork to bagpipe chanters for many years, for those pipers who want to play notes which are not available on the standard chanter with it's nine note scale.

On the Border pipes where cross fingered accidentals are possible, this generally means notes outside the nine note range such as high B. On the Smallpipes this means notes within the range as well. Pipers wanting to play these extra notes need to have keywork which is easy to use and makes fluent musical expression possible.

In order to achieve this we fit the kind of keywork which uses pillars and rods. This method of construction has been the standard for instruments such as the clarinet and oboe for around 200 years. It is complicated to make, but has the advantage that the key lever can be positioned to give the easiest direction for the movement of the finger. Nonetheless I respect the skill also required by those pipemakers who wish to stick with the block mounted style of keywork which is traditional for the Northumbrian and Irish pipes.

Longer Extended Range Chanters are available for the A Border pipes. They feature a keywork assembly operated by the left hand little finger which gives a low F# and E below the normal range, and there is a high B key operated by the left hand thumb. Other keyed additional notes such as low G#, low F natural and high C# can also be fitted if required.

Examples of some of the additional keyed notes available on Scottish smallpipes are as follows: