Bulgarian Bagpipe (Gajda) (everything but the bag)

prusaprinters

Update 5/28/2023: Replaced drone reed tongue with an improved model with better tone.Quick StartIf you don't want to read all the text, the quick way to jump in and have a playable instrument (without the bag) is to just make the chanter. The 3MF files have all the correct settings for Prusa Slicer, so I strongly recommend using those rather than the STLs. Print the following parts:Chanter body (PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA)Flea hole (PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA)Chanter reed tongue (PLA)Chanter reed body (PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA)Chanter reed cork thin (TPU/TPE)Reed tuning band (TPU/TPE)You will also need a bit of beeswax or gap-filling glue and some sandpaper (300 and 600 grit)Look at the Postprocessing and Assembly sections for guidance on how to get your chanter playing properly.Finally, remember to click “Like” above and post your makes!Welcome to the world of Bulgarian traditional music!If you're like a lot of the people I meet, you probably didn't realize that regions other than Scotland had their own types of bagpipes. The Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe has many different bagpipe variations, but perhaps the one that is still played the most is the Bulgarian, Thracian, or Djura gajda.Generally most bagpipes have the following piecesA bag (duh) – this acts as a reservoir of air so the instrument can play constantly, even if the musician takes a breath. Most traditionally constructed bagpipes have a bag made of animal skin.A chanter – the pipe with the holes, on which the musician plays the melody. Inside the chanter there's a reed that produces the vibration of the musical notes. Some rare bagpipes have more than one chanter, where each chanter is played with one hand.A blowpipe – the musician blows into this or uses a bellows to inflate the bag. The blowpipe almost always has a valve of some sort to allow air to be blown in without letting it out.A drone – this plays a single constant note, usually an octave or two down from the fundamental note of the chanter. The drone also has a reed in it to generate its tone. Some types of bagpipes, such as the Scottish Great Highland Pipes, have more than one drone. Drones sometimes point up from the bag, while some hang down.The Bulgarian gajda has a mouth-blown blowpipe, a chanter, and a single drone that hangs down from the bag. Traditionally, the bag is made of the front ¾ of the skin of a young goat – imagine the chanter mounted in the neck hole and the blowpipe and drone mounted in the front leg holes. A typical instrument has a low note of G and a range of an octave plus a whole step with a drone in D. Different sized chanters can be used for playing in different keys. For ensemble work, the most common chanter is tuned to have a low note of D and is usually played without a drone.What Does It Sound Like?I'm so glad you asked! Watch out – it's loud. Here's me playing part of a Kopanitsa (a type of Bulgarian dance piece with a time signature of 11/16) on one of my prototypes. The bag is a Gore-Tex bag I got from my traditionally-made wooden instrument. The sound of the 3d printed gajda is very close to that of a wooden one – I'm not even sure I can hear the difference.All the Bits and How to Print ThemThis project has many pieces. It includes everything needed (other than the bag) to create a Bulgarian gajda in G with a D drone. It is made up of the following pieces. Unless otherwise noted, each piece should be printed in a dimensionally stable rigid material with good layer adhesion. PLA or PETG are probably best for dimensional stability. ABS and ASA are good since you can vapor smooth them, which helps seal any tiny holes left behind by the printing process. Since ABS and ASA shrink a bit after printing, you might have to print slightly larger to end up with the right dimensions for your instrument.The Flexy BitsFor the pieces marked as needing “flex” material, you should use as soft a material as you can reliably print. The provided 3mf files include a very good Prusa Slicer profile for Ninjaflex on the MK3S+, which is what I recommend for this project.CorksMany of the pieces are labelled “cork.” That doesn't mean like a wine cork, but rather the cork that's often wrapped around the joints of woodwind instruments. The corks in this project are of that sort – a compressible wrapper to make the joints fit snuggly, even with imperfect print dimensions. In a traditional Bulgarian instrument, joints would be corked by wrapping them with heavy thread or fine string, and that is an option if you don't feel like printing so many flexible parts. As such, all the corks are optional but recommended.Other Optional PartsThe entire drone assembly is optional, though I've never seen a gajda without at least a stock to plug a drone into. The drone stopper is only needed if you want to plug up the drone while you play the chanter. Traditionally, a wine cork would be used, but this is a little easier since it's already exactly the right size. I recommend having a stopper (either printed or carved from a wine cork), particularly for learning the instrument. It's much easier to get used to the playing technique if you only have to provide enough air for the chanter.Note that the two non-optional flexible pieces are the flapper and the reed tuning band. Both can be replaced by hand-made versions, but printing them in flexible filament will make things a lot easier since they're sized just right for this instrument.SupportsGenerally, I prefer organic supports for the pieces that have to be printed at an angle. Not only do they support overhangs and unsupported edges and surfaces, but they also provide stability for what might otherwise be an unstable print. Organic supports are available in Prusa Slicer v2.6 and above.3MF FilesSome of the special instructions on these parts are quite involved. I recommend using the included 3mf files with Prusa Slicer for all the parts, since they're already set up and tested with the needed print settings. When using a different slicer, please follow the guide below. Many pieces are meant to be printed with the same settings, so they can be combined into a single print. Many of the 3MF files I've provided are set up to print multiple items in a single job. For printing multiple flex pieces in a single job, I recommend using sequential printing and “nearest” seams to avoid stringing.Part nameMaterialSpecial instructionsChanter bodyDrone body topDrone body middle Drone body bottomRigidSince most of these pieces are taller than the print volume of typical FDM printers, you should arrange them diagonally on the YZ plane. Angle the piece toward your cooling fan for a good finish on the underside. Print with the reed end up or, in the case of the bottom and middle drone pieces, with the larger end down. The chanter's front tone holes should face up. Use organic supports where needed. Use your best judgement. The only tone holes that need support at the top edge are the thumb hole and the second hole from the bottom (though neither needs support urgently). Also include supports at the base of the pipe and one or two more places along its length for added stability.These pieces need to be as airtight as possible. Seams are the biggest culprit for leaks, so it's best to make sure they aren't aligned. Print with 5 or more perimeters and staggered inner seams. I print mine with 7 perimeters, just to be safe. It makes the print take a little longer but I think it's worth it. Blowpipe bodyRigidPrint vertically on your smoothest build plate. Use a brim if you think it's needed with your printer.Chanter flea hole insertRigidPrint in vase mode with 3mm of bottom solid layers (15 layers if you're printing with a 0.2mm layer height). This piece must be printed with a 0.4mm nozzle or the intonation might be adversely affected.Chanter corkDrone corkBlowpipe corkFlexThe best way to print these is with a modifier object. The goal is to keep the inner ribs tight and the outer rims flexible. To accomplish this, make the outside edge a single perimeter and the inner ribs double.Here's how I do it. Set the slicer to 1 perimeter and no top or bottom layers. Add a modifier object that affects only the inner ribs of the cork object. The modifier should be a cylinder with diameter 14.7mm (chanter) or 15.19mm (drone, blowpipe) aligned with the center of the cork. This will overlap only the inner ribs. Set the modifier cylinder to change the number of perimeters to 2.These pieces should be printed with a 0.4mm nozzle.I realize these instructions are pretty involved. I recommend working from the 3mf file, which is already set up correctly for Prusa Slicer.Chanter reed bodyDrone reed bodyRigidPrint vertically, with the open end on the build plate. Use layer height of 0.2mm or smaller (thinner layers mean the required sanding will be easier later). Use organic supports to support the top inside end of the resonance chamber. Unless you're very confident in your build plate adhesion, it's probably a good idea to print with a brim and trim it neatly afterwards. This should be printed with a 0.4mm or smaller nozzle. The chanter reed body needs to be printed with perimeter generator set to classic, not Arachne.Chanter reed tongueDrone reed tonguePLAReed tongues must be printed in PLA or they will be the wrong weight/stiffness. I suggest you avoid PLA+ or any kind of special finish (silk, matte, etc) as they affect the stiffness and weight, both of which have a big effect on the behavior of the reed.Print settings: 1 perimeter. 100% aligned rectilinear infill aligned with the long axis of the reed. No bottom or top layers. Layer height 0.05mm (or as small as your printer can go). Print with the flat side of the reed against the build plate. Use as smooth a build plate as you have. Use “rear” seam placement to make sure the seams are on one of the corners at the thick end of the reed.What all that means: every layer should be a single perimeter with solid infill made of straight lines along the length of the reed. Make sure you have your printer tuned for flawless adhesion – any lifting at the ends of the reed is likely to keep it from working properly. I usually print my reeds on the Prusa smooth sheet with glue stick applied or the satin sheet.Chanter reed corkDrone reed corkFlexPrint in vase mode with two bottom layers.There are two versions of each – thick and thin. Start with the thin cork. If it doesn't feel like a snug fit when inserting your reed assembly into the instrument, reassemble your reed using the thick cork.Reed tuning band (print 2)drone joint cork (print 2)FlexPrint in vase mode with no bottom layers.Drone end plug (optional)FlexPrint with two perimeters and 15% non-directional infill such as gyroid. In my prototype I used these settings and it made a fairly soft stopper that worked well, but using higher infill percentage and more perimeters would make one that is closer to the feel of a genuine cork. Alternatively, you can use a knife to trim a wine cork to the right size and save a bit of money on filament.Blowpipe flapper valve cageRigid (PETG is best but not required)Print with a layer height of 0.1mm. You should end up with two layers in the print – the 0.2mm base layer and one more 0.1mm layer. Blowpipe flapperFlexPrint on your smoothest build plate – nothing rougher than the Prusa satin sheet. This needs to be smooth to form a good seal with the base of the blowpipe – that's why both need to be printed on a smooth surface.Chanter stockDrone stockBlowpipe stockRigidPrint with the larger end down. It's probably best to include a brim. Like the chanter and drone bodies, these should be printed with 5 or more perimeters and staggered inner seams.Chanter cap (optional)RigidPrint with the open end up.Post-ProcessingA few of the pieces require a bit of sanding, but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes in total. The only ones that absolutely must be sanded are the reed bodies. They have a curved face that the reed rests against and it must be sanded smooth. I sand mine to 600 grit and that seems to work well. There should be no visible layer lines on the sanded surface or the reed won't work well. I use a jeweller's loupe to check the finish, but if you have better eyes than mine you might not need any magnificationIf you printed the reed tongues and blowpipe on a surface more rough than the Prusa smooth build sheet, you should sand their bottom faces to 600 grit as well. I use the Prusa satin sheet and I can get the bottom of the reed nice and smooth with about 30 seconds of sanding.If you printed your chanter in ABS, ASA, or another material that tends to shrink, check its dimensions. The overall length of the chanter body should be as close as possible to 253mm. If it's more than a millimeter shorter, you should consider re-printing it with the model scaled up to compensate. If precise intonation doesn't concern you, though, I wouldn't bother.AssemblyCorksPlace the drone, blowpipe, and chanter corks on their appropriate pieces. Be sure to orient them so the base of the cork (the more flat end) goes on first. Slide them far as they'll go, The inner rib should slot nicely into the grooves.Now slide the drone joint corks into place until they neatly fit in their slot. Note that this animation is of a partial print – just the drone joint, to show how to install the joint cork.Once the corks are securely in place, I recommend applying a bit of candle wax or cork grease to the outside of all of the corks, to make the joints insert and release smoothly.ReedsTo assemble a reed, take its cork and fit it all the way onto the open end of the reed body.Now slip the reed tongue's thick end under the cork and slide it as far back as it will go. The tip of the tongue should extend just past the end of the opening on the face of the reed body.Now slip the tuning band onto the non-corked end of the reed body and then over the tip of the tongue. Slide the band about halfway back on the tongue. You'll move it later when you tune the chanter but this is a good place to start.Insert the reed assembly into the top end of the chanter body or drone body top. The assembled reed should fit snuggly against the stopper ledge inside. The tip of the reed assembly will partially protrude from the top of the pipe when properly seated. If the fit feels loose, it may not have been inserted far enough. If it won't insert all the way without moving the reed tongue or sliding the cork up the reed body, you probably used the thick reed cork and you should try the thin one instead. Differences in filament and printers mean that small variations in bore diameter can crop up, so you should be the judge of which reed cork works best for your print.Flea holeThe flea hole is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Bulgarian gajda. It's a small tube that extends into the body of the chanter opposite the thumb hole. It allows many notes on the chanter to be modified up a half step simply by lifting your index finger. You can either glue it in place with a gap-filling glue of your choice or put a tiny bit of beeswax around the cone as a removable adhesive. Beeswax has the advantage of allowing you to remove and replace the flea hole with a longer or shorter version if you wish to adjust the instrument's intonation or to replace it if it gets damaged.BlowpipeThe blowpipe is designed to have a one-way valve installed on the end that goes in the bag. Here's how to put it together:To assemble the valve, insert the tip of one leg of the valve cage between the blowpipe and its cork. It helps to use a thin tool to lift the cork away from the blowpipe body before inserting the cage leg.Do the same with the opposite leg of the valve cage on the other side of the pipe.And insert one more leg.Place the flapper with its smooth side against the opening of the blowpipe inside the cage.Finally, insert the fourth leg of the cage under the cork. The cage should leave enough room for the flapper to come away from the blowpipe and allow airflow but keep it from falling free.Assembling the DroneAssembling the drone is simply a matter of inserting the joints into their respective slots. This image shows the correct arrangement. Note that the stopper and reed have also been included. The drone won't play when the stopper is in place. Tying the Stocks Into the BagAll the stocks should be tied into place in a bag of your choosing. I will likely add instructions for making a bag from common household items but I haven't yet perfected my method. I'm hoping to develop a technique to make a bag from the 2.5 mil heavy-duty HDPE grocery bags that are common in areas of the United States that have instituted disposable bag bans. I believe they are tough enough to serve as a DIY option for someone who wants to try the instrument out. Another option is heat-seal bag material used by kitchen vacuum seal machines, which is what's pictured here. Roll out a thin string of beeswaxInsert it into one of the grooves on the stockTie the stock in place. The beeswax will form a nice seal between the bag and the stock.I recommend using something in the grooves of the stocks to help make a good seal with the bag. Beeswax works great for this (as pictured above) but you could also use a gap-filling glue, caulk, putty, etc. Once you've lined at least one of the grooves on a stock with beeswax or the sealing aid of your choice, use string or twine to tie the stock into place. The drone and blowpipe stocks are traditionally tied in when the bag is inside-out and the chanter stock is tied in after the bag is turned right-side-out. Make sure you don't leave any gaps. Even a small leak will make playing the bagpipe much more challenging.Playing Your GajdaThe first thing to do is try playing your chanter directly, without the bag. Put your lips around the top of the chanter without touching the reed assembly. Put your left thumb on the thumb hole, index finger on the flea hole, and middle and ring fingers on the next two holes.  With your right hand, cover the bottom four holes with your index through pinky fingers. Traditionally, only the bottom finger on each hand covers the hole with its pad, while the others use the second joint of the finger instead. Check out this image:This is a loud instrument, so it's probably best not to play it around others if you can help it. Once you can get a tone on it, try to close the holes with your fingers to see if you can produce different tones. It needs fairly strong air pressure.Tuning Your ChanterThere's a good chance you're having some trouble getting the notes to sound in tune with each other. That's because you haven't tuned your reed yet. Tuning is fairly easy, and it's even easier if you use an electronic tuner or a tuner app on your phone or computer. Here's an online one that seems to work well: https://theonlinemetronome.com/instrument-tunerTuned too highTuned just rightTuned too lowYour first goal should be to tune your D note. That's the note when all of your left-hand fingers are down (other than the pinky, which isn't used). With all those fingers down, your chanter should play a D. If the pitch it plays is lower than a D, take out the reed assembly and adjust the tuning band toward the tip. If it's too high, adjust the band away from the tip. Put the reed back in the chanter and try again. Repeat the process until your D is in tune.At that point, the rest of the instrument should be pretty well in tune too. If it's not, it's possible that you're using too little or too much pressure. Experiment with changing the pressure of your blowing and adjusting the tuning band until you find that you can play the whole range of the instrument without being far out of tune.Note: This instrument is very challenging to get perfectly in tune. You can hear in my demonstration video near the top that it's possible, but it will likely be challenging for a beginner. I encourage you to keep trying, and I'll try to keep myself available to answer questions.Tuning Your DroneTuning the drone is a different process. The tuning band on the drone reed isn't really for changing the pitch. Instead, it's for adjusting the length of the reed to achieve a good tone. It will affect the pitch a little, but that's not the main point. If you have trouble producing a clear tone with the drone, adjust the tuning band until it is able to play clearly.To adjust the pitch of the drone, change how far the joints are inserted into each other. If it's too high, pull them out a bit. If it's too low, push them in more. Ideally, your drone should be in tune with your chanter when the joints aren't fully inserted. That way, there's room to adjust them if needed.FingeringsMost of the fingerings are straightforward. Lift your finger from the lowest covered hole to go up to the next note in the scale. In the upper half of the chanter's range, you can uncover the flea hole at any time to make the pitch go up a half step. The notes of the scale are: G(all fingers down), A, B, C, D(all left fingers down, all right fingers up), D#(flea hole open), E, F(flea hole open), F#, G (All front holes open), A(all holes open).[Reference Image Coming]What Next?I plan to create other tunings of this instrument. The first will be a chanter in Re (D low note), which is the usual tuning for playing with other Bulgarian folk instruments in a bitov orchestra.There may be room for improvement in the reed. I experimented with a number of shapes in developing this project, but this is an area where other makers could experiment as well. The included reed tongue could be used as a starting point for designing new reed shapes.The instrument could also use traditional Arundo Donax reeds. For the really adventurous, you could replace the plastic reed tongue with a clarinet reed trimmed and shaped to be in tune with the chanter. That's a pretty challenging task that I haven't explored much on my own.The EndIf you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. Remember to give this project a like at the top, leave a comment, and post your makes. I hope everything works well for you, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.