Aaron Setunsky
Uilleann Bagpipes and Bellows
Pipe sets are made with the highest attention to tonal quality and design aesthetics. They are cocobolo or African blackwood, with brass ferrules. Chanters are tuned to the most popular key of D and are played with double-bladed cane reeds. Each drone utilizes a brass-bodied, synthetic tongue reed.
All sets are shipped tuned, balanced, and ready to play. They can be upgraded to match skill levels.
Practice Set
Because of the mechanical complexity of the instrument, new Uilleann bagpipers often start with practice sets, consisting of a chanter, bellows and bag. More advanced pipers often use practice sets when playing or recording with other musicians of non-Irish based instruments. This affords tuning to equal temperament, which may not be possible with drones due to the harmonics of the Uilleann pipes.
Half Set
The next step in skill level from a practice set is the half set. It consists of a chanter, bellows, bag and three drones (tenor, baritone and bass) which can be switched on or off. The drones accompany the melody of the chanter and are laid across the right thigh when playing. The tenor drone is pitched at the lowest note of the chanter, the baritone is pitched an octave below that, and the bass drone is pitched another octave lower.
3/4 Set
The 3/4 set consists of a chanter, bellows, bag, three drones (tenor, baritone, and bass, as in the half set), along with two regulators for the tenor and baritone drones. Students generally add regulators to existing sets as they become more accomplished players. Regulators use keys, arranged in rows, to further accompany the melody of the chanter, allowing for chords or emphasized single notes. There are five keys on the tenor drone and four on the baritone.
Full Set
As the label implies, this is the full Uilleann bagpipe instrument. It includes all the parts of the 3/4 set, with the addition of a bass regulator. There are four keys on this regulator, and it is attached farthest from the piper on the stock of the drones.
Aaron Setunsky
Tacoma, WA USA
erniethepiper@hotmail.com