The World of Bagpipes : France

Cornemuse du Centre

The pipes are denoted by their size and this also indicates their pitch, the keynote reading as six fingers down. The chanter can be cross fingered to give a reasonable chromatic scale and to help this a thumb hole for the lower hand is available as standard for the minor third. It is possible to play in several major and minor key signatures providing of course that they harmonise with the drones and it is usual for the instruments to be described as playing in for instance (20p) d¹/g¹ where d¹ is the 6 finger keynote and g¹ is the three finger keynote however for ease of description only the six finger note is used below, the pouce (p) being the pre-metric inch. The most common sizes are 11p c¹¹ (do), 12p b¹ (si), 13p Bb¹ (si), 14p a¹ (la), 16p g¹ (sol), 20p d¹ (re), 23p c¹ (do) and 26p b (si). A low pitched 28p a (la), is under development. 

For the larger instruments or for customers with smaller hands it is possible to fit keywork for covering the lowest notes - this can just a single key or a double key to give both a natural / sharp leading note. The keys are arranged to be of the normally open style so that the fingering technique remains as the unkeyed instrument. The larger and lower pitched instruments are usually designated "Grande Cornemuse". 

Left : Cornemuse du Berry (low D)

Woods : Fruit or Boxwood.

The decoration is most commonly of involved patterns of tracery in inlaid pewter and this can be very spectacular especially in the Bourbonnaise and Nivernaise types, whilst those from Morvan can be of either this style or with mountings of bone or horn.

 The Berry style is for horn or bone mountings.

A further option is the "Sautivet" style where the pipes are engraved with fine lines.

See also "Musette du Centre"