The Bagpipe Society

The Tuning of the Piva

Musical scale on historical instruments

The tuning of the piva has always been a rather debated topic and of great interest to those who are passionate about this instrument. The piva found in the valleys of the Parma and Piacenza Apennines, commonly known as the "piva emiliana" is a unique instrument due to its configuration, which sets it apart from other bagpipes found in Europe. Its distinctive feature is that the seven finger holes are almost equidistant from each other and all the same diameters. More-over, there is no thumb hole in the back. This suggests that the piva is a rather archaic instrument that has remained unchanged over time.

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