Tuning the Drones

A good question, and you are right they should be tuned identically: Bass (is the long one) and the two tenor drones (are the shorter ones) to the bagpipe chanter.

To start learning how to do this, simply stop all your drones and sound your pipe chanter. Stopping drones may be easier said than done for a beginner though. Corks can be used but leave the small outside tenor drone free to sound. (Please don't tape the drone reeds or insert the drone reeds upside down etc as this can cause damage and ruin the drone reeds. I've even seen chewing gum employed so avoid this approach too!)

Once you are practiced at keeping the pressure on your pipe bag  you can stop the drones by touching or "flicking closed" the centre top of the tenor and bass drones. This creates a vacum in the drone itself and stops them from sounding-if you are not there yet grab some drone stoppers or wine corks trimmed down for the job and put them into the drone tops!

Play high A and tune the outside tenor drone by turning the top drone part. Tuning occurs when there is no "wavering" between the tenor drone and the pipe chanter. I recall tuning to high A then playing a low A to check that they were in tune. (its easier to hear the lower A note than the high A note( something to do with human evolution!!))

Check and re-check but in time you will get the hang of it and the "wavering will cease.

Having done the outside drone start or get the other (middle) tenor drone to sound by removing the cork or "flicking" the drone top open. It's easier to tune the middle drone as you can tune it to the outside tenor drone which is already tuned. Play high A and low A to check there is no wavering.

Repeat the process for the Bass drone and recheck the high A and low A. The Bass has three sections to it so make sure you keep the top section high and then leave it alone. It doesn't need to move. Always turn the mid section of the bass drone to tune it.

Note too that by moving or twisting a drone upwards flattens the sound or moving or twisting a drone downward sharpens it.

In time it will be a matter of taking a few seconds to tune drones. A pipe that is well played tends to have drones that are stable so take little tuning adjustments, though the bass drone generally needs tuning as its the one you "break" to get into your pipe case at the end of a session!

Anyway, I'm sure you will find your own technique but that's the basics of it.

Happy tuning