Blair HBT-C1 Professional Highland Bagpipe Tuner
The HBT-C1 is programmed specifically for the Great Highland Bagpipe Scale.
HBT-C1 side view with Light Switch and Output Socket
HBT-C1 side view with Calibration Control, Analogue Needle Speed Adjustment Switch and Input Socket
Recommended Use Instructions
Tuning Drones
When tuning drones, it is very important to firstly obtain a reading from either a drone or a chanter.
There are two ways that the reading can be taken to ascertain the pitch at which the drones should be tuned.
1. In a band situation it is likely that there will be a master bagpipe from which all the pipes in the band are set up. This may be the Pipe Major or a designated piper with a good ear. That person will tune their drones to their own chanter and then the rest of the drones in the band will be set at that pitch.
2. In a solo situation an accurate reading from the bagpipe chanter, by sounding Low A, will be neccessary to determine what pitch to tune the drones.
3. Once you have a reading it's a simple matter of tuning each drone so the tuner displays the number taken as the reading.
Tuning the Chanter
When tuning the chanter using a tuning meter it is important to firstly establish a pitch. This pitch may be determined by the band that the pipes are being played in or it may simply be the prefered pitch of the player.
Tuning a bagpipe chanter using a tuning meter is not always an ideal method of tuning each note and is not as easy as it seems, but it can be done effectively. Considering that bagpipes have a continual sound in the drones, it is easier to use a drone as a reference pitch to balance the rest of the scale. Set the pitch of the chanter by taking a reading off the Low 'A' and then tune a drone to that pitch. Then it is a simple matter of tuning each note to that drone. The Highland Bagpipe Tuner can also assist reading the pitch of each individual note. Make sure to periodically check the drone against the Low 'A' especially if you are setting up the whole scale or trying out a new chanter reed. It is also very important to maintain a steady, constant pressure whilst performing this process.
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