The result!
Workshop reedmaking and Border pipes by Nigel Richard
Category Archives: Music
Staircase pictures
Maybe you also have a white area to fill, here is a suggestion.
For years we collected picture frames, weird and ugly.
We wanted to have a collection of images in our staircase, to fill the white area.
The images are all something we like, have interest in or are personal.
It needed to be on 3 walls, so here was my first design.
Death of a space piper
I love the music of the Canadian Band “Rare Air”.
I’ve got 3 Rare Air cd’s
- Hard to beat
- Primeval
- Space piper
Their sound was a fusion of Celtic, rock and a Caribbean beat, and their last cd (1991) was jazz-oriented.
Snake MacMurray, new swing reel, Chicago Shopping Mall .. but Death of a spacepiper blew me away.
I’ve heard some accidentals in piping, like playing natural notes and vibrato’s .. but nothing like this.
So i wanted to play this wonderful piece!
I sat down with a friend of mine, Thomas, and wrote the thing down.
(I will post these when i find them again)
So here is a clip of me playing the piece. (until the part i played for the dancers of our pipe band to come marching in.)
Most of the audience had no clue pipes could be played like this, and there is an audible reaction in the movie clip.
(There were some guests from other pipe bands in the audience, they came after the show to get more information about this tune.)
Another set of reeds for our band
I ordered reeds again for our pipe-band.
A nice set of reeds from P/M Linden “Dixie” Ingram.
From which we got lessons at the Breuberg Summerschool.
Now i have to sort them by strenght and tuning. I have to take into account: peoples strenght to blow them, which ones needs scraping, hard blowers who get them into shape at the end.
Above is easy, middle and hard to blow .. increasing in strenght from left to right.
Next to do, is give them a number, and assign them to players.
While doing so i started playing with them to make a little website visitor counter 🙂
Audio CD index
I’ve got a large Folk Music collection. And i wanted to have an overview of the Audio CD’s (mp3/flac) i’ve got from every Band or Artist.
So I made some PHP scripts and a scraping tool. To get a nice overview.
A part of it looks like this:
Most is auto-generated:
The scraper part needs eyed3 (made at a later date)
PHP Files
::::::::::::::
artist.php
::::::::::::::
<html><head><title></title>
<style type="text/css">
img.clams { border: black dotted 1px; }
</style>
</head><body vlink=black alink=black link=black>
<? $filebak=$file; ?>
<center><P>
<table border=2><tr><td bgcolor="#cccccc">
<P>
<?php include "list.php"; ?>
</td></tr></table>
<P>
<table>
<?php
$file=$filebak;
echo "<tr><td bgcolor=black><a name=\"$file\"><font color=white face=tahoma><b>$file</b></font></a></td></tr>"; include "readcovers.php";
?>
</table>
<P>
<?php if (file_exists("thumbs/$file/info.txt")){ include "thumbs/$file/info.txt"; } ?>
</body></html>
::::::::::::::
index.php
::::::::::::::
<html><head><title></title>
<style type="text/css">
img.clams { border: black dotted 1px; }
</style>
</head><body vlink=black alink=black link=black>
<a name="top">
<font face=tahoma color=red>missing</font> ::
<font face=tahoma color=orange>not complete</font> ::
<font face=tahoma color=blue>special</font> ::
<font face=tahoma color=green>got this one</font><P>
<center><P>
<font face=Tahoma>TODO: List artists, per-page covers (per artist)<BR>
Sort A-Z<BR>Counters<BR>filter <i>got this one / Missing</i>
<table border=2><tr><td bgcolor="#cccccc">
<P>
<?php include "list.php"; ?>
</td></tr></table>
<P>
<table>
<?php
$dir = "thumbs/";
// Open a known directory, and proceed to read its contents
if (is_dir($dir)) {
$dh = opendir($dir);
while (($file = readdir($dh)) !==false) {
#echo "filename: $file : filetype: " . filetype($dir . $file) . "\n";
if (filetype($dir . $file)=="dir" && $file!=="." && $file!=="..") { echo "<tr><td bgcolor=black><a name=\"$file\"><font color=white face=tahoma><b>$file</b></font></a><a href=\"#top\"> <f
ont face=tahoma color=\"grey\"><small>(top)</small></a></td></tr>"; include "readcovers.php"; }
}
}
closedir($dh);
?>
</table>
</body></html>
::::::::::::::
list.php
::::::::::::::
<html><head><title></title>
<style>
<!--
A:link {text-decoration: none; color: "#000000";}
A:visited {text-decoration: none; color: "#000000";}
A:hover {text-decoration: none; }
//-->
</style>
</head><body>
<center><P>
<?php
$countart=0;
$dir = "thumbs/";
// Open a known directory, and proceed to read its contents
if (is_dir($dir)) {
$dh = opendir($dir);
while (($file = readdir($dh)) !==false) {
if (filetype($dir . $file)=="dir" && $file!=="." && $file!=="..") { echo "<a href=\"index.php#$file\"><font color=black face=tahoma><b>$file</b></font></a><a href=\"artist.php?file=$file\
">@</a> "; $countart=$countart+1; if ($countart==4) { $countart=0; echo "<BR>";} else { echo ":: ";} }
}
}
closedir($dh);
?>
</body></html>
::::::::::::::
readcovers.php
::::::::::::::
<tr><td align=left>
<table><tr><td width=30></td>
<?php
$dir1 = "thumbs/$file";
$counter=0;
// Open a known directory, and proceed to read its contents
if (is_dir($dir1)) {
if ($dh1 = opendir($dir1)) {
while (($file1 = readdir($dh1)) !==false) {
#echo "filename: $file : filetype: " . filetype($dir1 . $file) . "<BR>";
$fileinfo="leeg";
if ($counter==7) { echo "</tr><tr><td width=30></td>"; $counter=0; }
if ($file1!=="." && $file1!=="..") {
if (stristr("$file1", ".jpg")) { echo "<td valign=top width=105><center><img src=\"$dir1/$file1\" class=\"clams\">";
$fileinfo = str_replace("jpg", "txt", $file1); $counter=$counter+1;}
if (file_exists("$dir1/$fileinfo")) { echo "<br><font face=tahoma><small>"; include "$dir1/$fileinfo"; }
echo "</small></td>";
}
}
closedir($dh1);
}
}
?>
</tr></table>
</td></tr>
Scraper
mkdir -p /tmp/1 find celtic/Celtic/ -type d | while read ; do countmp3=$(ls "$REPLY" | egrep -i mp3$ | wc -l) if [ $countmp3 -gt 0 ] ; then rm -f /tmp/1/* album=$( echo $REPLY | rev | cut -f1 -d/ | rev) artist=$( echo $REPLY | rev | cut -f2 -d/ | rev) countslash=$(echo "$REPLY" | tr -cd '/' | wc -c) if [ $countslash -lt 4 ] ; then artist=$album album="" fi echo "artist : $artist - Album : $album" mkdir -p "thumbs/$artist" ls "$REPLY" | egrep -i "mp3$|flac$" | while read biggest; do eyeD3 --write-images=/tmp/1 "$REPLY/$biggest" if [ ! "$( ls -A /tmp/1/ )" ] ; then cp empty.jpg /tmp/1/FRONT.jpg ;fi deze=$(ls -S /tmp/1/* | head -1) convert -resize 200x200 "$deze" "thumbs/$artist/$album.jpg" echo "$album" > "thumbs/$artist/$album.txt" done fi done
I’m planning to make an version which shows every individual mp3, and shows me if they are valid mp3’s/flac and have a good cover.
(Using tiny thumbnails) (Made this, didin’t post)
Last performance Tapsalteerie Folkband
https://media.henriaanstoot.nl/websites/tapsalteerie/en/
The folkband Tapsalteerie dates back to the spring of 2001. While enjoying a nice glass of wine Henri and Henny discovered that they had the interests in folkmusic. Together with Monique and Matthijs soon a band was formed. Recently Coline joined the band. From their mutual interests a varied repertoire was put together. Tapsalteerie plays Celtic music from Scotland, Ireland and England. Some tunes are played in their original state as much as possible, others have received a modern face-lift. The band is inspired by: The Tannahill Weavers, Mackeel, The Rogues of Scotland and Fairport Convention.
Our last big performance, as a whole band. In the years after stopping we played with Henny on different occasions.
Our band started in 2001, when i joined the Highland Valley Pipe Band.
A few years later we started the Nae Bother Folkband
Making whistles
We play a lot of different whistles in our folkband.
But as always it started with one simple high-d tinwhiste.
We bought many more in all kinds of keys and also Flutes.
I wanted to have a Low whistle, so i did some research and made my own.
When making a whistle you have to take into account the diameter and wall thickness of your material.
Even the hole distances together with its diameter is important.
After a lot of calculating and some trial ‘n error.
I had my first own made Low-D whistle. The mouthpiece was the hardest part. But it worked!
After that I made a Low-Eflat which you can use together with Highland Pipes.
Also a Low-G was build, for this one i used the mouthpiece of another (bought) low whistle.
Some old pictures below.
And the Eflat & G whistles.
I tried to make one using metal, but i didn’t have the right tools to do so.
I made a Android Application a few years later to do the calculations.
Bagpipe Drone Tune Trainer
Somewhere in 2006 i made a drone trainer for our pipe band.
I was based on Flash, flash is dead. So i redid it in pure HTML5.
There is a long explanation howto tune in Dutch, it was in the Bands Wiki. Listen to the wave-beats and get it in tune!
The page and source can be found here. (Just save page source to your computer!)
https://media.henriaanstoot.nl/dronetrainer.html
Electronic pipes
While they are not the real thing, and sound mostly bad. These little electronic devices are great on the move.
Great for using with headphones. Nice to have one of those in your backpack on holiday.
I’ve bought a Technochanter in 2004 and a deger in 2005, both with their benefits.
(I’ve got a little batterypowered mixer with dual output, so Coline and I can play a duet in silence 🙂 )
Both can play accidentals like natural C/F and more.
Links
http://www.fagerstrom.com/
https://www.deger.com/
I designed a electronic bagpipe in the 90’s myself, but it never was a success. ( Shall update this page when I find the schematics )
In 2010 I bought a Yamaha QY100 seqencer. I can connect the deger using a DIY midi cable, and use its buildin instruments.
Specs deger:
- Same size and finger spacing as a long practice chanter.
- Dual output: PHONES and MIDI! Headphones and MIDI devices can directly connect to the DegerPipes Chanter. It’s also possible to connect the phones output to an amplifier or a stereo.
- The chanter contains all electronic components as well as the battery. No external box or additional equipment is needed.
- Authentic Bagpipe sound including drones generated by wavetable sound synthesis. Highland Pipe and Smallpipe sounds integrated.
- Perfectly tuned chanter scale and drones by usage of crystal oscillator and microprocessor control.
- The Pitch is adjustable in a range of more than three octaves. This enables you to play together with other instruments in any key.
- The drones volume is variable and can also be switched off.
- Through MIDI output every MIDI compatible tone generator or other MIDI equipment can be used (for example PC with notation program).
- An extended cromatical scale is available allowing you to play tunes which are not playable on the real pipe chanter.
- Driven by a cheap standard 9V Battery, Accumulators are also usable.
- Up to 100 hours of playing with only one battery.
- Automatic power off after a minute of no activity.
- A Metronome is integrated within the Chanter.
Specs Technochanter:
- Fits in your pocket: only Ø16 x 225 mm (Ø5/8″ x 9″)
- Uses earphones (not included): therefore perfect to play on buses, trains etc. Ideal for the commuter.
- Natural C and F.
- Pitch alterable.
- Unforgiving at detecting crossing noise.
Below a link to the QY100
Funky bagpipe covers
We made a template to make some bagpipe covers, using a sheet of plastic.
