The World of Bagpipes : France

Bodego / Craba

 The Cornemuse of the Haut Languedoc region at the southern edge of the Massif Central around the Gorges du Tarn and the northern part of the Aude Department and north west Herault, particularly in Sidobre, Vallee du Thore and the Montagne Noire.

It is also known as the Craba in the north of the area and the Bodego in the south.

The Bodego has a single chanter with a very wide conical bore giving a good volume of sound with a compass of an octave and about a fouth plus the leading note, the fingering system being open. The Bass Drone sounds two octaves below the six finger keynote of the chanter and has an extremely wide bore in the top joint which terminates in a large cavernous resonator, which give a good depth of tone that is rich in harmonics. The bag is typically a whole goat skin and all these features in combination give an instrument that is spectacular both visually and in volume of sound.

The usual key is f1 but it can be supplied in g1 or d1. It is sometimes played alongside the Graile in a similar manner to the Biniou Koz / Bombarde combination of
Brittainy.

Materials : Box or fruitwood with mounts of horn and whole goatskin for bag.

 
Above : the Bodego

Right : in use showing the impressive size

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Last Revised: 09/03/2002
Copyright © July 2000 Christopher Bayley. All rights reserved.
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