The World of Bagpipes : Portugal |
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Gaita de Foles(Portugal : Tras os Montes) |
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The name "Gaita" can mean any of a variety of instruments
from both Spain and Portugal and so requires qualifying with the
specific type for it to indicate that it is in fact a Bagpipe.
All have a loud, clear bright tone - good for both solo playing
and with other instruments and are also considered one of the
easiest bagpipes to keep in good playing order. To make learning
easier a Practice Chanter is available similar to that used with
the Gt. Highland Bagpipe however this has a conical bore and can
be overblown. Originally the bag was of sheep or goat skin and
nowadays sometimes of rubber especially in the Galician and Asturian
instruments, often that of an lorry inner tube. This is fine for
hot climates but in damper more northerly areas their is no escape
for the moisture associated with a mouth blown pipe other than
through the reeds which is not a good practice and a leather or
Goretex bag is fitted to my instruments which overcomes this problem.
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Tras-os-Montes literally means beyond the mountains and is a rural
of high ground and deep ravines in the north-east of Portugal
and was historically part of Galicia until the twelfth century.
The bagpipe of this region known as the Gaita de Foles has a very
characteristic sound due to the way in which the chanter is traditionally
tuned with several of the chanter's notes being tempered to allow
for minor key and chromatic playing.
It is usually played in conjunction with two double membrane drums, the "Bombo" about a metre diameter and the "Caixa", half this size. The most normal format is of chanter and a single bass drone, the addition of a tenor drone sounding an octave below the six finger note being less common. The key signature can be b flat, b or c. |
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Materials |
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| Box or Fruitwood with horn mounts | ||
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