Italy: Zampogna
The general name for the bagpipe of Central, Southern Italy and Sicily, it's form being of two separately fingered chanters and with between one and four drones. The compass varies from a total of a fifth plus leading note to an octave and a fifth depending upon the type/region, divided between the two chanters. The bore of the chanters and sometimes the drones is a primitive conical type being made with a series of drills inserted in turn of increasing diameter giving a stepped profile with these steps then being reamed or filed away. This gives the mellow tone associated with the instrument. The style of tuning can at times be different to that of other western bagpipes with the possible exception of the Gaita de Foles of Portugal and is often to the individual players ear. This is traditionally achieved by drilling the tone holes nominally oversize and then using wax to tune each hole to give the note required with a suitable piece of wax being stored in the chanter bell and application tool (bent wire) tied to one of the chanters. The arrangement of the chanter pipes can be adjusted by plugging them into each other's sockets and so the left hand chanter can become the right hand chanter, the layouts given below being just examples. The pitches given are examples and instruments can be ordered in several others to suit individual requirements.
Surdelina
From the south of Italy this small bagpipe with a few exceptions has only a compass of a fifth. The scale is split between the two chanters which are cylindrically bored and use single reeds, the left hand giving f<1 to c1 and the right hand g1 to d11 the tone holes being situated on the front of the pipes only. The two drones sound d1 and d11. A third drone is occasionally present which can be pitched the same as the small drone (d11) or to an interval between the two and either incorporated as a part of the common stock arrangement or as a separate item tied into the side of the bag. A variation is the Surdulina di Soveria with a wider compass of left hand f<1 to c11 and right hand a1 to e11. It is of course possible to make a Surdulina with a greater or even a full compass of an octave and leading note that is split between the chanters should it be required but it would not be traditional and the Zampogna a Paro which also uses single reeds throughout would be better in this case.
Zampogna a Chiave
From central, southern Italy and the north west of Sicily, where in the case of the latter it is occasionally known as the Cornamusa. The two divergent chanters are of unequal length with the longer one as suggested by the name having a key which is sprung to be normally open, covering the lowest note and protected by a perforated barrel or fontanelle similar to that of early woodwind instruments. The chanter bores are of the usual rudimentary conical type as are the bores of the standing sections of the drones. The scale is wider than that of the other varieties of Zampogna described with the left hand giving a to e1 and the right hand g1 to e11 not quite a full scale with the f<1being absent. It is used both solo and to accompany the Ciaramella, a loud shawm, which for this example would have a scale of a1 to a11. It is of course possible to have a thumb hole or key added to the longer chanter to provide the note f<1 that is normally absent. Both the chanters and the drones are fitted with double beating reeds giving a good volume of sound with a mellow tone. On mainland Italy the size of the instrument varies with the longer chanter measuring from around 500mm to 1200mm in length. The Zampogna a Chiave reaches it's largest size in Sicily where the longer chanter can measure up to 1950mm, the short chanter at 1160mm and the drones 750mm and 390mm making it a very visually impressive instrument. In use a shoulder strap is used to provide the necessary support. For this larger size the left hand would give a scale from F< to d and the right hand from f< to d1 with the drones sounding on d and d1. On some instruments a further normally closed key is present and gives G< when operated. It is of course possible to add further keys if required. The Ciaramella that is sometimes played with this instrument remains the same as that used with the other sizes with a compass from f<1 to g11 (b11).
Zampogna a Paro
From the regions of Calabria in the south of Italy, southern and north east Sicily, this latter being termed the Zampogna Messinese. As the name suggests the chanters are of equal length with the compass of one octave being split between them, the left hand giving d1 to a1 and right hand f<1 to d11. The chanters have narrow rudimentary conical bore and with the drones which can number up to four are fitted with single beating reeds giving a mellow tone with a good volume of sound. The most common format is two drones which for the above instrument would sound d an octave below the six finger note and d11 in unison with the top note of the chanters, additional drones when present sounding in unison with the six finger note, intervals between and often an octave above the top note of the chanters. They come in a wide range of sizes and pitches with the chanters in Calabria being around 450mm in length to those of Sicily varying from 225mm to over 900mm in length.
Zampogna di Fossalto
A simple but unusual form of Zampogna from the Molise area of central Italy with the chanters and single drone being made entirely of cane. It was used for processions on special days. Single beating reeds are used in the chanters and drone, the tuning being as follows - left hand chanter giving f<1 to e11 and the right hand b1 to g11 both having thumb holes with the drone tuning to g1.
Zampogna Zoppa
From central Italy having a compass of one octave split between the two chanters as in the Zampogna a Paro described above with the left hand giving a scale of a to e1 and the right hand a scale from c<1 to a1. The chanters are of unequal length with the usual rudimentary conical bore and double reeds are used throughout the instrument. In the two drones fitted to the above example only the longer is active sounding the fifth e1 in unison with the chanter. The tone is loud but mellow. This arrangement is not standard and in other examples with a scale of left hand c<1 to g1 , right hand f<1 to d11 both drones are active and sound in unison with the six finger and octave - d 1 and d11. The drones generally have a conical bore in the standing part.
Materials:
Fruit or Boxwood with mounts of horn or bone