Promoting the Bagpipe Revival since 1986
The Bagpipe Society
The Cornish Bagpipes
This edition is from our archives, so it is presented as scanned pages rather than text.
Frontispiece from O’farrell’s National Irish Music for the Union Pipes
Another possibility is that “union” is a variation of “unison”. The tenor regulator would sound in unison with the chanter. At this stage I can reintroduce Shakespeare namely the character of Shylock who talks of a “woolen” pipe in Act iv, Scene 1 of the Merchant of Venice. Flood did suggest that this was a corruption of Uilleann. The word uill comes from the Irish word for elbow. It would be difficult as Breathnach suggests to anglicise it into union in 18th century Ireland. The term uilleann has caught on and is used today. “Woolen” as previously mentioned more than likely refers to the bag being an animal (sheep or goat) skin turned with fleece outermost. It may even be a corruption of wooden pipe the material of the chanter.
The earliest form was, I suggest the new or pastoral pipes which as in the modern instrument had a key note of D (old pitch). The octave obtained by squeezing the bag harder. Geoghegans tutor as mentioned before showed largely Scottish technique. These sets had usually two drones set one octave apart and a regulator. The idea for that probably deriving from the Sordinella.
In the early 18th two sometimes three regulators were added giving the possibility of chordal work. The drones were extended to three in number and dropped into the modern tuning of an octave above, below and unison with the chanter. Double chanter sets appeared, as did keyed chanters, in the early part of the last century and were used in non traditional music. Chanters were
Chanter 23
made in pitches from low a up as high as e^b. A drone switch was also added about then. It enabled the drones to be turned on and off at the players discretion.
O’Farrell published the first tutor for what was then known as the union pipes. He gave its range as d’-d’’’ with a fully chromatic scale. The tutor was written by a noted performer who appeared often on the London stage. He was noted for using the pipes as accompaniment to songs providing a melody on the chanter and harmonies with the regulators.
The Moloney brothers of Knockerra near Kilrush are credited with providing the pipes with the perculiar trombone-slide on the bass drone to aid with tuning in the mid-late 1800’s. But certainly the most sought after makers were the Kennas, Maurice Coyne, Michael and John Egan, and the Rowsome family. Tim Kenna was an excellent maker and made top quality sets from 1768 up until about 1794. The younger Kenna worked in the first part of the 19th century was supposed to be more secretive about the way he worked though he was a great maker. Coynes pipes are much sought after today as they provide a mellow, quiet, pure tone and are beautifully made. John Egan is supposed to have been a Dublin pipe maker but Michael Egan is considered one of the best makers of all. He was in business in the early nineteenth century making good sets from 1830-1860 and was one of the first to make in America.
The Rowsome family were and still are a noted family of Irish pipers and makers going back many generations. Pipes made by William Rowsome and later Leo Rowsome are much sought after today by the top players. The family tradition carries on in Kevin Rowsome who is a maker and player himself.
The people who had the greatest effect on pipe making undoubtedly were the Taylor Brothers - they were born in the 1830’s in Drogheda and they were sons of a player-maker. The decline of the pipes after the great famine in Ireland in the 19th century forced the Taylors to America and Philadelphia in particular. In c1873 they started manufacturing and repairing pipes but they realised that the pipes they had were too quiet for the concert and music halls which were an important venue for a piper. So the pipes were redesigned and made more compact. The bore was widened, the holes enlarged and the end result was a d-pitched instrument which was also easier for others to play along with making it a much more popular instrument and winning many new players. These sets were in demand!
The pipes manufactured in this way were known as concert sets because they could now play in concert halls without being lost. The other narrow bore sets became known as flat sets even if they were in concert pitch (a=440). Present developments have included having four, sometimes up to six regulators! Having cylindrical regulators, drones tuned to different intervals and drones capable of playing in different pitches by venting a hole further up the drone via a sliding ring as in Northumbrian pipes.
24 Chanter
The style of playing has also evolved in different ways. Seamus Ennis has suggested three main styles. Tight or stacatto playing with many triplets and ornaments, the notes separated by a stopping of the chanter, similar to Northumbrian piping. Legato or smooth open playing is just the reverse and said to be more fluid. The third is called drawing room style, a cross between the two.
The biggest bone of contention in piping is probably the use of the regulators. It seems that it is every pipers ambition to have a set of regulators but many players do not, according to the late Seamus Ennis, play them at all well:
“They are an abomination if used as monsterous percussion.”
The great man also suggested that it took seven years listening, seven years practising/learning and seven years playing before you became a player! (Maybe a nod in the direction of piping colleges!)
With the improvement in amplification techniques there is not such a need for D chanters and many players such as Robbie Hannon use old flat sets to play on in concerts. Many think that the sound is better on the flat sets now. Today there is a great revival both in pipe-playing and making with probably over 30 makers in western Europe alone. The pipes are back on an upswing helped greatly by Brendan Breathnach and ‘Na Piobari Uilleannn’ which was formed in 1968 with the aims of promoting the playing, collecting and preserving the music, and promoting their manufacture and servicing. Pipes are played by lords, ladies, students, lawyers, buskers and people from all walks of life. Long may it continue!
Conclusion
The pipes as we know them in the form of Uilleann pipes via a convoluted path could be a distant cousin of the old Piob Mhor of Ireland.
Scotland shared the same piping traditions up until the 17th century. The Jacobite and Williamite wars caused makers to experiment giving rise to bellows blown smaller pipes. The pastoral pipes being one of those. Although not so popular in Scotland (few makers names) it took off in Ireland with the new 17th century craze for jigs, reels, hornpipes and dance music of other forms. These pipes were developed and became the union pipes, were adjusted and refined to become the Uilleann pipes we know now.
Materials such as box and elder are still being used along with brass and silver but these days makers are experimenting with ebony, blackwood, cocobolo, lignum vitae as well as using nickle silver, and replacing ivory with plastic or horn. There are new developments all the time including a stop mechanism for the chanter and a spring mounted popping-pad which fits under the chanter.
Chanter 25
The time for making and playing has never been better with many good modern players such as Liam O’Flinn, Paddy Keenan, Robbie Hannon, Sean og Potts, Ronan Brown, Declan Masterson, Billy Brown, John Murphy, to name but a few. Credit must be given to two who brought piping to a more commercial music world: Finbar Furry and Dave Spillane.
Bibliography
Armstrong,-Davidson MH, Galpin Society Journal, A note on the History of the Northumbrian Smallipes, 1985
Bagpipe Society Newsletter, Summer, 1988.
Baines A, Bagpipes, 1960
Breathnach B, Folk Music and Dances of Ireland, 1981
Cannon R, The Highland Bagpipe and Its Music, 1988
Carson, Irish Traditional Music, 1986
Charlton G, The Northumbrian Bagpipes, Archaeologica Aelianna, 4th series
Chaucer G, Complete Works (Prologue to Canterbury Tales) 1932
Clarke ET, The New Approach to Uilleann Piping, 1988
Cocks WA, The Northumbrian Bagpipes; Their Development and Makers 1933
Cleary W, The Bagpipe, 1982
Collinson F, The Bagpipe, Fiddle and Harp, 1983
Collinson F, The Bagpipe - The History of a Musical Instrument, 1975
Dineen Rev. P, Irish-English Dictionary
Flood G The Story of the Bagpipe, 1911
Galelei V, Dialogo Delia Musica Antica E Moderna, 1581
Galpin Society Journals 1985-89
Garvin W, The Irish Bagpipes, Construction and Maintainance
Geoghegan J, Compleat Tutor for Pastoral or New Bagpipe, London, 1771
Groves Dictionary of Music, 1984
Hunter, Peter, Anecdotes on Pipes (unpub)
Leppert, Richard D, Acardia at Versailles, 1978
La Rouse Encyclopadea, 1971
Mersenne M, Paris, Harmonie Universalle, 1636
Munro RW, Highland Clans and Tartans, 1977
Muskett, Mr D, The Muskette & Hurdy-Gurdy, 1984
O’Neill F, Irish Musicians & Minstrels, 1987 reprint
Sachs C, The History of Musical Instruments, 1940
Sachs C, Handbuch der Musikinstrumenten-Kunde, 1930
Schlesinger K, Boumas Boekhuls nu Gronigenito, The Greek Aulos, 1934
Shakespeare W, Complete Works, The Merchant of Venice
Stacy & Wishart, Bagpipes & Hurdy Gurdies, 1984
Sky, Patrick, A Manual for the Irish Uilleann Pipes, 1980
Weber W Die Agyptisch Griechischen Terracotten, 1921
Winternitz Musical Instruments and their Symbolism in Western Art, 1970
Chanter 27
- Swedish Bagpipe (Säckpipa or Blasböck)
- French Musette
- Montguscon Bagpipe, French
- Bassoon-shaped Bass Dulcian (Dulcian-trombone) for Bass, German
Note: This page features an image of various traditional bagpipes and a bassoon-shaped dulcian. The instruments are numbered and their names are listed accordingly.
Drones and Modal Music
The mention of the Appalachian Dulcimer in Newsletter 18, and the way in which the drones are used against different modal tunings prompts me to write about my wanderings in this musical minefield. At least two of the modal scales should be familiar already to bagpipers, the Ionian and the Myxolydian, but the Aeolian and Dorian also deserve examination. Both are commonly used in British and other European folk music traditions.
I have read numerous articles about the modal scales and most of them are very technical and confuse rather than clarify. To put it as simply as I can for the four modes I want to describe I suggest that the reader picks up a whistle and tries them. any pitch will do. First the Ionian or Doh mode. This is the common or garden major scale. Just play straight up the scale from the all fingers down position from Doh to Doh. Next there is the Myxolidian or Soh mode, the scale which is found on many sorts of bagpipe, e.g. Scottish Piob Mhor. To play it on the whistle start from the two top holes covered and play straight up from Soh to Soh crossing over the octave Doh on the way. You will notice that it is exactly like the Ionian mode until the final two intervals. Three fingers down gives the familiar whole tone leading note below the Soh you started on.
The next two modes are sometimes described as minor because they do resemble the minor scale used in Western Europe “serious” music. It is my feeling that whereas they are moody, to call them minor suggests that they are essentially said in character. Under certain circumstances tunes in these modes show many shifts of mood as the tune progresses.
The Dorian or Ray mode can be played on a whistle by starting from five holes covered and playing straight up to the corresponding five holes covered in the second octave. Here is a tune which will be within the compass of most chanters:
[Musical notation]
The Aeolian or Lah mode can be played by starting with one hole covered and playing straight up into the second octave until the same note is reached.
Another popular way of illustrating the modes is to use the white notes of a piano, the key of C, and playing straight up using no sharps or flats. The Ionian mode (Doh) is C to c Dorian (Ray) is D to d, Myxolidian (Soh) is G to g, and Aeolian (Lah) is A to a.
A good way to investigate them on whistle or chanter which has the option of either a flattened or sharpened interval just before the octave is as follows. Ionian from Doh to Doh with the seventh or leading note sharpened, Myxolidian from Doh to Doh with the seventh flattened, Dorian Ray to Ray with sharpened seventh, Aeolian Ray to Ray with flattened seventh note.
I don’t want to worry about the other modes but for people who want to delve into them the Phrygian goes from Mi to Mi, the Lydian from Fah to Fah, and the Locrian from Ti to Ti. They don’t occur too often in our part of the world.
Without doubt the Appalachian Dulcimer or related instruments, Epinette des Vosges, Hummel etc, are excellent for finding the haunting qualities of the Dorian and Myxolidian. The system they use is to have two drone strings tuned a fifth apart and to shift the paired unison strings accordingly. For example, keeping the drones the same, you can have:
Ionian or Doh
Myxolidian or Soh
Dorian or Ray
Aeolian or Lah
AA - A - D
DD - A - D
GG - A - D
CC - A - D
The arrangement of the frets makes it possible to play each of the seven common modes merely by starting on the appropriate fret. There are many variations in tuning but the thing that should interest the piper is that the starting note of each mode is an octave above the bass drone. The relationship with the other drone remains at a fourth below the melody starting note and a fifth above the bass drone.
Clearly most sorts of bagpipes can cope with the Ionian and Myxolidian. In fact the Myxolidian scale is the feature which attracts so many of us, and to be fair, is what some other musicians find strange. The problems start to arise when attempting to play a tune in the Dorian or Aeolian. In a conversation with a Chabrette player a long time ago I formed the impression that he was able to cope with other modes by swapping chanters and keeping the drones the same. However, my French was not up to deep technical musical discussions and my notions of the modes were pretty hazy at the time. Perhaps a Chabrette player could take up this point and enlighten me. Some how for most of us the “home” note of the mode has to be brought in tune with the drones. The range of the chanter may be capable of playing the scale but unless you have the sort of drone arrangement found on the Northumbrian pipes you are unlikely to be able to try out these modes against the drones.
One way to try the effect is to find a friend who has an instrument with drones in D and play along on a whistle in C using the scales described above,
i.e. starting on D and using either the B# for Dorian or B♭ for Aeolian. A quick rule of thumb for finding out whether a tune is in the Dorian or Aeolian, or any other mode, is to look at the last note of the tune. Nearly always they finish on the home note of the mode. Examination of the last two notes of the scale will determine whether or not it is Dorian or Aeolian.
Now the rationale for the pipes I make and play should be clear. I was faced with a repertoire which was difficult to exploit against the drones. The answer was to conceive an instrument which could overcome the difficulty by having drones which could be raised by a tone, as on the Northumbrian Pipes. This brought almost the entire range of Manks tunes within reach. It also in another way avoided the necessity of adjusting the repertoire to fit the instrument.
Finally, here is a tune in the Aeolian mode which most chanters will be able to play. If, as well, you can get an E out of the drones you will get the full effect.
Colin Jerry
This is a black and white photograph of an elderly man playing the bagpipes. He is wearing a bowler hat, a dark jacket, and light-colored pants. He is seated and appears to be concentrating on playing the instrument. Beside him, there is a wooden barrel with a glass of beer placed on top of it. The background shows a wall with tiles.
La Gaita De Fuelle o Cornamusa Aragonesa
Los Autores
Pedro Mir Tierz tiene 36 anos, es licenciadoo en Ciencias Quimicas, lee ingles, habla y lee frances con bastante fluidez y trabaja de profesor en Sevilla. Residio en Francia casi dos anos en la decada de los setenta, descubriendo con much asombro las llamadas musicas celticas, que fueron para el, el despertar hacia la busqueda de su propia identidad.
Martin Blecua Vitales tiene 33 anos, es propietario de una tienda de comestibles. Reside en Sarinena (Huesca), lugar donde nacio, y desde los 10 anos, forma parte del grupo de danzantes de alli. Fue preparado como gaitero por el antiquo mayoral (jefe de los danzantes) Antonia Susin Palacios, fallecido hace unos anos. lleva pues 23 anos en el folklore, de los que 14 son como gaitero. No tiene conocimientos de musica y es sin lugar a dudas el gaitero de musica tradicional mas completo de Aragon.
Los dos, somos originarios de Sarinena (Huesca), el ultimo pueblo de Aragon que mantuvo viva la gaita aragonesa. Desde nuestra infancia hemos escuchado siempre el instrumento, recordamos perfectamente al gaitero Vicente Capitan Inglan (muerto en 1967). Conocemos al gaitero Juan Mir Susin, que fue su continuador y con el que nos unen lazos de amistad y parentesco. Eramos pues, a todas luces los mas idoneos para recuperar el instrumento, que dejo de sonar durante un periodo de 5 anos.
Siempre contamos con la colaboracion entusiasta del Grupo de Dance y de todo el pueblo en general.
Hoy tras 14 anos de trabajos e investigaciones, nos vemos en la obligacion de escribir algo, que todavia es desconocido para la inmensa mayoria de los aragoneses. Sobre esto, hay muy poco esctrito, y lo poco que hay, son nociones generales.
Pasaremos ahora a contar brevemente, ell proceso de recuperacion del instrumento, dando asi a este trabajo un orden cronologico similar al que tuvo lugar en nuestras actuaciones.
Recuperacion del Instrumento
Es obvio que cuando se habla de recuperacion de un instrumento quiere decir que hubo un tiempo en que desaparecio, asii ocurrio con la gaita de fuelle aragonesa, otro tiempo muy frecuente en toda la provincia de Huesca y que
desde los anos 60 queda reducida unicamente a un pueblo, el nuestro; nosotros conocemos a dos gaiteros, Capitan y Juan Mir, quien sucede al anterior tras su muerte. Juan Mir toca hasta 1975.
Deja de tocar por motivos personales y familiares, llevandose consigo su vieja gaita. Al jefe de los danzantes, no le queda mas remedio que formar un nuevo gaitero: Martin Blecua, quien tocara con gaita gallega al no poderse obtener las aragonesas en las tiendas. Nadie sabe quien o cuando se construyeron, llegando muchos a ignorar hasta que existe este instrumento en nuestra region.
Desde 1976 comenzamos a pensar la manera de sustituir la gaita gallega por una aragonesa, que fuera copia de la de Juan Mir, siendo imposible encontrar gente dispuesta a hacerlo, nadie quiere intentarlo. Por fin, en 1980, un pastor de Sangarren (Huesca) llamado Clemente Brun, realiza una copia “a mano” de la gaita vieja, marcando por fin la recuperacion del instrumento. Esa gaita fue montada en el odre y presentada en publico en Zaragoza en el mes de Mayo de 1980.
Como en aquella epoca nadie nos habia instruido en la afinacion de los bordones, los bordones sonaban absolutamente desafinados.
Desde 1974, Pedro Mir seguia la pista de una gaita aragonesa que segun le habia contado Anchel Conte, era propiedad del ayuntamiento de Ainsa (Huesca) y que habia sido cedida a unos vascos para su estudio, los cuales la habian llevado a Francia para que un artesano les hiciese copias.
En Agosto de 1980, Pedro Mir conoce a este artesano en Tarbes (Francia), se trata de Marcel Gastellu Etchegorry.
Marcel Gastellu habia heco 6 copias de la gaita de Bestue (Huesca), nos conto que habia pertenecido a Juan Cazcarra (muerto en 1963) y que Juan Antonia Urbeltz y sus equipo de San Sebastian eran los que tenian la gaita.
Marcel Gastellu marca tambien la recuperacion de la gaita aragonesa, y sera al cedernos gratuitamente 4 copias, asesorandonos con conocimientos y bibliografia, el Recuperador de la gaita en Aragon y nuestro “guia”. Todo se lo debemos a el, y desde estas paginas asi lo declaramos.
Volveremos posteriormente all tema de la vieja gaita de Buestue, ya que fue y es todavia hoy, objeto de teorias sin base real.
Luego ya en 1982, poseemos 5 ejemplares funcionando correctamente, hemos aprendido la nocion de afinar los bordones e incluso somos capaces de fabricarnos las canas para el instrumento.
Se necesita para la revitalizacion definitive del instrumento, que desplace las gaitas gallegas de Aragon, y que en la medida de lo posible, vuelva a tener la difusion que tenia a principio de siglo. Faltaba claro esta, alguien que fuese
34
Chanter
capaz de construirla en Aragon.
Felizmente, nuestros amigos Mario Gros y Jose Luis Sarrablo del Grupo de Musica Tradicional Biella Nuey, residentes en Zaragonsa, fueron capaces de montar un taller, que en 1986, fabrican una copia de la gaita de Bestue. Desde entonces, muchas cosas han cambiado.
Habia una gran necesidad de gaitas aragonesas por parte de los grupos folk y por parte de los pueblos que querian sustituir la gaita gallega. Para todos ellos les hacia falta una gaita con una escala musical “normalizada”, y Biella Nuey hizo el trabajo, conscientes de que era prioritario el disponer de la mayor cantidad de gaitas posible, para posteriormente con mas tranquilidad acometer el estudio de escalas musicales de los clarines. Hasta la fecha, Biella Nuey lleva construidos mas de 12 ejemplares de gaita del modelo de Bestue (Huesca).
Description del Instrumento y sus Canas
Para la perfecta comprension de lo que aqui viene, les recomendamos vean el dibujo anejo y la tabla de equivalencias.
Tras un profundo analisis, de las viejas gaitas aragonesas encontradas hasta ahora, podemos deducir que existe un modelo unico, del que se hicieron varias versiones, conservando todas una unidad dentro de su variedad (todavia no se han encontrado dos que sean igual les).
La gaita de fuelle aragonesa, consta de:
A) Un odre para reserva de aire (llamado bot, botico, boto, botarron, bocoy etc), siempre de piel de cabra e impermeabilizado con pe para evitar la pérdida de aire a traves de los poros de la piel curitda. Al cuello y patas delanteras del animal, se ataran los “cepos”. La capacidad del odre es de unos 25 litros de aire.
B) Los cepos, que son piezas de madera que van atadas directamente al cuello y patas, su mision es la de acoplar los distintos tubos: el soplador, el clarin (protegiendo a la vez la pita o cana doble del roce con la piel del boto) y los bordones (protegiendo igualmente las canas de estos).
C) Un soplador o tubo para llenar el boto de aire, provisto de una lengueta de cuero, que actua de valvula neumatica, con un hierro que impide su apertura total. A veces esta constituido por un hueso vaciado, pero casi siempre es de madera, forrado de laton, bronce o incluso directamente el tubo de bronce (para que no se deteriore con el uso).
D) Tres tubos sonoros: clarin, bordon y bordoneta, con funcion melodica aquell y pedal estos. El clarin y la bordoneta se disponen en paralelo, en un cepo comun llamado pieza de los clarines. La forma de llevar el bordon es
Chanter 35
Gaita de Fuelle O Cornamusa Aragonesa
pieza de los clarines
bordoneta
clarín
regulador del bordón
bordón
boto
cepo
soplador
clarín bordoneta bordón
Dibujo sacado de Charles Alexandre (ver bibliografía) basado en la gaita de Bestue (Huesca)
generalmente debajo del brazo, correspondiendo a la anatomia del animal y del gaitero.
E) Pita o cana doble-lengueta para el clarin y canas simples para el bordon y la bordoneta. En Bestue (Huesca), se nos has asegurado que Juan Cazcarra llevaba “incheta” o cana doble en la bordoneta, siendo la excepcion al resto de los hallazgos. Hay bordonetas que presentan una perforacion conica y otras en cambio que son pequenos bordones con perforacion cilindrica.
F) Tela estampada y de vivos colores que forra el boto, que al ser un cuerpo de animal (cabrito), da una apariencia de vestido de nina, ya que termina en unos volantes. Algo similar ocurre con la gaita de Sencelles (Mallorca).
G) Piel de serpiente que recubre los tubos sonoros (que nosotros sepamos es la unica gaita del mundo con estas caracteristicas).
36 Chanter
| GAITA GALLEGA | GAITA ARAGONESA | SAC DE GEMECS | ESPAÑOL | CHABRETA LIMOUSINA | FRANCES | SCOTTISH HIGHLAND BAGPIPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOL | BOTO, BOT | SAC | ODRE, PIEL | PEU | SAC.-POCHE | BAG |
| RONQUILLA | BUNES BORDON | PITI BORDON PETIT BOURDON | BOURDON | DRONE | ||
| CAMES ASPRES | BORDON | CONELHA | BOURDON | DRONE | ||
| BORDON TENOR | CARAMILLO | PE AUBOE | CHALUMEAU | CHANTER | ||
| GRALL | PORTE VENT BLOW PIPE | |||||
| CLARIN MEDIANETA | BUFADORE TUBO DE INSUFLACION | BUFAREU | STOCK | |||
| SOPLADOR | L’EMPENHA | SOUCHE | STOCK | |||
| SOPLETE | L’EMPENHA | SOUCHE | ANCHE DOUBLE DOUBLE REED | |||
| ANCHE DOUBLE | DOUBLE REED | |||||
| ANCHE SIMPLE | SINGLE REED |
Chanter
Descripcion pormenorizada
El botico
Se despelleja el animal por la pata trasera derecha y se saca la piel entera por alli, sin necesidad de hacer mas costuras. Despues se curte, se vuelve del
reves (con el pelo por dentro) y con este material, se fabrican pellejos, botas
de vino etc.
Normalmente el pelo va esquilado, quedando de una largura de 1/2 cm para que alli se agarre mejor la pez, cuya mision es evitar las fungas a traves de los poros, del aire o del vino, segun su uso, quedando asi impermeable.
Todas las gaitas viejas aragonesas llevan el boto impermeahlizado con pez. Nosotros, siguiendo la tradicion, montamos en 1980 la gaita hecha a mano en un boto con pez, y comprobamos:
- que la piel adquiere una rigidez excesiva
- cuando la pez se seca y la gaita esta desinflada, se pega por dentro y para despegarla hay que echar agua caliente dentro o poner el boto largo rato al sol.
- es muy engorrosa la puesta a punto del instrumento.
En la recuperacion del instrumento, hemos sustituido la pez por unas lanolinas que provienen de Escocia, que ademas de tapar los poros, dan una gran flexibilidad a la piel, estando siempre el boto y la gaita listos para tocar.
Los bordones
Estan compuestos de dos piezas, una de ellas va dentro de la otra y su alargamiento o acortamiento modifica la nota continua hasta la afinacion deseada, dentro de los limites de la nota dada por la cana.
Presentan aros de estano para proteger las zonas de deslizamiento y tambien como funcion ornamental, aunque esta ultima, en Aragon es muy sobria. Igualmente, en amplias zonas de Europa se encuentra el mismo fenomeno:
“Los pastores del Alto Isabana, valles de Barrabes, Bohi y Bosia en algunos casos hendian los dibujos (en la talla de la madera) mas que de ordinario para rellenarlos de estano, metiendo el objeto dentro de un trozo de piel o nai·pe arrollado y echando el metal derretido. Esta tecnica de estanado ornamental, ademas de en la Ribagorza y el Pallars, tambien aparece en el Pais Vasco y Portugal, asi como en la Bretana armoricana y en otras comarcas francesas de los Alpes">(1)
Todos los bordones presentan caja de resonancia; uno de ellos presenta bajo la piel de serpiente un hermoso trabajo pastoril de tallada a cuchillo y decoracion de hexafolias, lineas de puntos etc.
Las bordonetas
La mayoría de ellas son de un tipo determinado, dos piezas con un interior conico, muy dificiles de ajustar y deslizar una dentro de otra debido a la conicidad. Salvo una de ellas, todas las demas presentan caña simple.
Las bordonetas que son como bordones pequenos por su forma a interior suelen contener la otra pieza de una largura tal que la bordoneta casi tiene la largura del clarin.
Los clarines
La mayoría de los encontrados son de muy buena construcion, hechos con torno y largura muy similar. Al ser la parte principal de la gaita y ser faciles de deteriorar (se rajan con bastante facilidad), algunos gaiteros los reforzaban por fuera con aros de alambre, que al ser cubiertos con piel de serpiente, dan una apariencia y tacto muy extrano. Son de interior conico y varian de uno a otro en el numero de oidos o agujeros de resonancia. Siempre llevan pita o caña de doble lengueta.
Maderas usadas
La mayor parte de las gaitas encontradas son de boj, madera que tiene unas propiedades de dureza, brillo, duracion etc. que hace que sea la favorita de los pastores.
El boj solia tenerse hacia unos tonos rojizos, para lo cual se enterraba durante un cierto tiempo en estiercol.
La tela de flores
Sobre la tela de flores que recubre el botico, se han contado muchas historias, tales como que al gaitero de Bestue, Juan Cazcarra se le murio una hija, y que el lleno de dolor, tomo el vestido de ella y vistio la gaita. Lastima que esta bonita historia llena de ternura no sea verdad. Sus descendientes asi lo ratifican.
Igualmente, tenemos fotografias de gaiteros antiguos con estas telas de flores. Seguramente, por no mostrar la desnudez de la piel es costumbre en muchos paises del mundo el vestir la gaita.
La piell de serpiente
Pertenece este instrumento a una epoca en la que el hombre, con un claro sentido magico de la vida, usaba partes de los cuerpos de los animales para construir los instrumentos de musica. La serpiente, totem de mucho pueblos primitivos, refuerza todavia mas el caracter ritual del instrumento y del que lo tocaba.
Ademas de la gaita, existe en Aragon una flauta de tres agujeros llamada “chiflo” (en aragones chiflar es silbar), que tambien va forrada de piel de serpiente.
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Los pastores aragoneses hacen bastones tallados con navaja y el motivo casi generalizado es la serpiente, cayados terminados en una cabeza de serpiente son tambien abundantes (2).
Los antiguos gaiteros de nuestro pueblo, siempre han dicho y creido firmemente, que si in se forraban los tubos de la gaita con piel de serpiente, esta no sonaba bien. No hace falta decir que eso no es cierto.
Hay varias opiniones que tratan de explicar el uso de la piel de serpiente:
a) Para que no se les ocurra tocar la gaita a las mujeres, conocido el asco que sienten por los reptiles. Hay en el fondo una cierta misoginia ancestral, pero no hay que olvidar que la gaita sonaba mayoritariamente en el Dance o lo que es lo mismo, en las danzas rituales de palos y espades que son exclusivamente masculinas.
b) Uso de la piel de serpiente como “capa termica” que evitaria que el instrumento se desafinase. No podemos creer que seamós los unicos del mundo en haber encontrado esta solucion.
c) Uso de la piel de serpiente para evitar fugas de aire que se producian al agrietarse las piezas de madera. Teoria muy logica, util y nada despreciable, puede ser exacta.
d) Nosotros nos inclinamos a pensar en un caracter magico de la serpiente, que podria quedar reflejado en la mudanza de espadas “la culebreta” (la pequeña serpiente) del Dance de Graus (Huesca), donde los “volantes” en zig-zag serpentean a lo largo de la fila de danzantes, imitando claramente los movimientos de la serpiente.
Hay abundancia como as de esperar de alusiones a la serpiente y la brujería, conservandose en el alma del pueblo en forma de supersticion. Nuestro antiguo gaitero Vicente Capitan, cuando fue grabado en magnetofon en 1950, al oirse se echo a correr asustado.
Situacion Actual Del Instrumento
Hoy nos encontramos con unos 6 grupos folk en toda la region, todos ellos llevan gaita aragonesa. En cuanto a los pueblos con grupos de folklore, de ser nuestro pueblo el unico en tener gaita hemos pasado a ser ya 5 pueblos importantes.
Se ha pasado de untaller de construccion en Zaragoza, a tener otro en Sarinena, donde Martin Blecua lleva construidas tres gaitas y pronto Jose Luis Sarrablo pondra en funcionamiento otro taller en Boltana (Huesca).
Mario Gros tiene en Zaragoza un exceso de trabajo, que le impide abarcar
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Clarines de Castejon de Monegros (Huesca), paertenecieron al gaitero Senen Pueyo (muerto en 1954).
Clarines de La Almolda (Zaragoza), pertenecieron al gaitero Cristobal Falceto (muerto en 1953).
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Two axes of iron (figs. 4-6) were found in one of the huts at Vulci, and a socketed axe in a pit near by.
Fig. 4.-Iron axe. Length, 15.5 cm.
Fig. 5.-Iron axe. Length, 17.cm.
Fig. 6.-Iron axe. Length, 21 cm.
Photograph 58. — Column of the “chi” in Holy Cross Church, Segovia.
The so-called Column of the “chi” is found in the church of the Holy Cross, one of the two churches named in the jurisdiction of the Convent of San Juan de Duero.
The column, which has a shape easily recognizable by its circular base and capital and its central smooth quadrangular body, is adorned on two of them with incised designs: on one face a “chi” with two bars which intersect at right angles, and on one of the lateral sides a cross with a bit truncated arms in the style called “batavian” in the international art museums.
The stone has a length of about 1.20 m.
These carved designs are the same as those represented in many rock art painted figures in the territory of Burgos, La Rioja and Soria, generally in the same form: the “chi” or rosette and the “batavian” cross. The importance of this column lies in the artistic and symbolic verification that it provides, proving that these Christian signs were in use among the ancient Christians of the vicinity.
As for the column itself, there are no data to designate the christian date or the period of its works. It is possible that it has dates of the eleventh century, since this type of ornamentation is known in some architectural elements from that time. But it could belong to a later period, up to the fourteenth or fifteenth century.
This must be taken into account in studies of medieval art and also in the study of our ancient Christian beliefs.
Gaita de Boto (Morón de Almazán)
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Dry Cleaning Clothing articles that because of construction, fabric, twists, pleating, dyeing, or printing, cannot be cleaned with water are best cleaned by dry cleaning. The most common solvent used is perchloroethylene (perchlorethylene). It is a special liquid that dissolves oily and greasy dirt and stains but that water cannot. Dry cleaning solves the cleaning problem of clothes which could be spoiled by water, such as men’s suits, fine uniform coats, and embroidered clothes. The dry cleaning machine works like a washing machine except: The cleaning agent used is perchloroethylene The clothes need to be washed after each use of the liquid to make it clear and reusable. Every cleaning machine has a “filter” to remove lint, hair, dirt, etc. Clothes are dried at the end of the cleaning process (almost like a “tumbling dryer”). The clothes are pressed and ironed before they come out. The dry cleaner’s machine is expensive. Unless there is a problem that cannot be solved with ordinary washing, dry cleaning can be avoided in the home laundry. The disadvantage of dry cleaning is that if clothes are left too long in the dry cleaning liquid that is not clear, the grease and dirt deposit on the cloth and damage it. If clothes are dry cleaned by the local dry-cleaner, first remove the heavy dirt and bits of mud or dust on the garment by water or brushing, before sending the garment for dry cleaning. There is a liquid known as detergent, which is useful in removing mud stains and oily dirt from clothes. It contains a mixture of different chemicals prepared specially for use in household washing machines. Clothes which are cleaned in detergent solution easily rinse and clean thoroughly. But detergent solution may increase the dirtiness of the water and require special disposal methods. Almost all modern washing powders and liquids contain detergent. Detergents usually cost more than ordinary soap powders and do not make the clothes smell much or foam. A few detergents are made for some specialty cleaning like work clothes cleaned with special machines or for hand washing of very delicate clothes. When detergent is applied on a storage water pipe, it aids in dissolving grease and increases the risk of damaging the metal pipe. Hence the water pipes and the water source should be free of detergent or chemicals from cleaning wastes. If special detergents are unavailable, soap powder may be used instead for washing dirty clothes. But soap powder removes less dirt, especially oily dirt. Sometimes soft detergents or washing agents made from shampoo liquid and soap powder are available. These give quite good cleaning and are sometimes preferred. Good washing powders or liquids dissolve in water quickly and reach the dirt easily. One carefully checks the amount of washing powder (or detergent or soap) needed. Too little powder means the clothes are not washed properly; too much powder means it’s wasted and it may be harmful to the clothes and the environment. Too much powder causes heavy foam that interferes with washing, rinsing, and sometimes damages the clothes. The best way to use detergent and clothes washing powders is to: Use the recommended amount. Use warm water, not cold. Water that is too hot may damage delicate clothes. Because of the above, cold water washing is not preferred for washing oily clothes. If the clothes are very oily, solely detergent may not be enough. Pretreat the clothes by rubbing soap or detergent on grease stains. Allow some time for the soap to act before washing. When clothes have stubborn dirt and stains, washing powder should be dissolved well in warm water first. Then soak the clothes in this solution for some time before rubbing or washing. This gives better results. Increase the washing time for heavily soiled clothes but not excessively long as this may damage the clothes fabric. Delicate clothes do not need vigorous washing; it is better to do gentle hand washing or use a special delicate cycle in a machine.
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Special Problems in Washing Some Clothes
The following clothes require special care in washing or cleaning:
- Woolen Clothes - Woolen clothes should not be dipped or soaked in water for a long time as it may easily deform them. Wool should never be cleaned with detergents for all-purpose washing. They should be washed in special wool detergents in water which is warm but not hot.
- Silk Clothes - Silk clothes are unsuitable for washing in water. They should preferably be washed in dry cleaning liquids but some varieties of silk can be washed in mild soapy water or very mild detergents. They should not be soaked in water for long or rubbed vigorously. Dry and iron promptly after washing or cleaning.
- Clothes with Embroidery or Decoration - Clothes which are embroidered or decorated with beads, sequins, fringes, or other delicate designs should be handled with gentle washing, often dry cleaned. If washed in water, handle the decoration carefully.
- Clothes with Bright Colors or Prints - Some clothes may have colors that bleed or fade while washing. Test a small area first in water before washing the entire garment.
The above precautions help to extend the life and appearance of special clothes.
Gaita de Vicente Capitan, gaitero de Sarinena la gaita se encuentra en Sena (Huesca)
la actual demanda (suele construir 6 unidades al año).
Todos los que participamos en esta labor somos amigos, la mayoría somos universitarios y esto lo realizamos en nuestro tiempo libre. Todas las gaitas que suenan en Aragón actualmente son copias del modelo de Bestue. La gaita del pastor hecha a mano, está en Sarinena guardada como recuerdo. Estamos trabajando en la fabricación de copias de los otros modelos encontrados hasta ahora, tal como la gaita de Vicente Capitan que se encuentra en Sena (Huesca), de la que Mario Gros acaba de hacer un prototipo en madera de boj.
Estamos construyendo una familia de canas para estudiar las escalas de los clarines, que poco a poco los estamos radiografiando para poder obtener replicas.
El trabajo principal esta todavia por hacer y sabemos que costara tiempo y esfuerzo, pero tenemos la satisfaccion de saber que estamos en el buen camino.
Otra cuestion de importancia capital es la formacion de gaiteros, hay muchos jovenes en las capitales que se interesan por el instrumento, pero en los pueblos cuesta muchisimo, por falte de paciencia en el aprendizaje. Quiza haya que abrir la puerta a las mjueres (ye hay dos de ellas).
![Image of bagpipe]
Copia de la gaita Bestue hecha por Mario gros en madera de boj
![Image of bagpipe]
Copia de la gaita de Vicente Caitán, hecha por Mario Gros en madera de boj
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Medidas approximadas del clarin del gaíta de Sarriñena (Huesca)
Serrión 6 158
Serrión 6 16
Serrión 6 185
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Medidas aproximadas del clarín de la gaita de Bestue (Huesa)
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Historia de La gaita en Aragon
Nuestro reino en la edad media, se asocio al condado de Barcelona formando durante siglos la llamada Corona de Aragon. Nuestros datos parten de los Archivos de aquella epoca.
Ma Carmen Gomez (3) obtiene de los Archivos de la Corona de Aragon una fuente de datos que nos son de una gran utilidad, sobre todos los referidos a los reyes Pedro IV el Ceremonioso y Juan I:
“En cuanto a otros musicos de instrumentos altos que estuvieron al servicio del monarca (Pedro IV), llama la atencion el hecho de que durante varios anos fueran estos casi de forma exclusiva juglares de cornamusa. El numero de juglares de la especialidad que tuvo empleados en su casa osciló entre tres y cinco durante los anos 1345 a 1356, luego se quedo solo con uno durante el periodo belico anteriormente senalado, y entre los anos 1378 a 1381 consta que eran dos las cornamusas a su servicio”.
Continuan los nombres de los gaiteros y anos en los que trabajaron, asi como en el reinado de Juan I en los anos 1387 y 1388.
Emilio Reina (4) nos cuenta:
“El consejo de Teruel en 1401, celebro fiestas por la concordia de haber un papa, y pago a los juglares que tocaban las botiellas e jaramiellos ….”
No olvidemos que botielle es bot, boto es decir odre. En la Ribagorza aragonesa, se dice “fer el bot” para decir “tocar la gaita”.
Ma Carmen Novoa dice:
“Alfonso el Magnanimo, rey de Aragon, Napoles y Sicilia (siglo XV) se llevo a su corte napolitana a partir de 1420, ministriles de su pais y entre los instrumentos que manejaban se mencionan “xalamias”, as decir, la gaita denominada en Mallorca “xeremias” (5).
En la procesion del Corpus de Zaragoza aparece (6): gaiteros en los anos 1471, 1472, 1492, 1549, 1550, 1583, 1584 y 1585.
Eliseo Serrano (7) con relacion a las fiestas en honor de Felipe V de la ciudad de Zaragoza en 1711 dice:
“La musica interpretada fue una mezcla de laudes, citaras, vihuelas gaitas, salterios, tamboriles y sonajas.”
Huesca en 1823, con motivo de la liberacion de Fernando VII, los danzantes:
“….una veces con espadas y dagas y otras con palos al son de la gayta que
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