Tabor Pipe and Drum
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
Thanks Lexie! I should have included the description I wrote for the video on Youtube, which has the info about the holes as well as other info:
This is a French 'branle'/dance tune composed by Thoinot Arbeau (real name Jehan Tabourot) in the late 1500s. It's called Branle des Lavandieres, or Washerwoman's Branle. You can easily find sheet music for it online in various keys. Branles (braules, brawls) were simple folk dances each paired with their specific tune. You can see youtube examples of dancers today who still enjoy them. I'm finding traditional old branles to be particularly well suited to beginner tabor pipe, because they tend to have a limited range of notes and thus accessible for a beginner. I also find them to be pretty tunes, from a period in musical history that I enjoy.
At this point I've been learning the pipe and tabor for only about six weeks, so lots of squeaks and notes out of tune- I have no 'technique' at all yet. It's quite a challenge, especially when paired with a drum- feels like a lot going on at the same time. But I wanted to put up a beginner level example of where i am so far. If I get better at it, it'll be fun to look back on this video.
The pipe here is a 17" long Susato brand plastic low G tabor pipe- my first pipe. Like pennywhistles, most tabor pipes are in higher keys and are shorter- the commonest being in high D, just as the most common tin/penny whistle is in high D. The longer the pipe, the further apart the holes are, so it does get a bit harder to make the stretches if you have small hands. There is what's called the 'piper's grip' for low pipes where you alter your hand position to make it easier.
The 'tabor' is a 9" sized two-sided tabor drum easily found online. It's made to be lightweight so as to hang on the arm.
Tabor pipes have only 3 holes- one is a bottom thumb hole, and two others on top. Your ring and pinky fingers are then used simply to hold the bottom of the pipe so as not to drop it. To rise to the next higher notes one after you run out of finger holes (which happens pretty quickly), one uses more air pressure to make the next higher jump for more notes.
The reason for all this is to be able to play a pipe with only one hand, which allows you to also play a drum (a 'tabor') at the same time with your other hand. This pipe and tabor combo was very common in medieval/renaissance times. After almost disappearing altogether, the pipe and tabor has been revived somewhat in modern times by English Morris dancers and musicians.
I suspect if you are familiar with playing the pennywhistle you can pick up the tabor pipe without too much trouble. The tabor pipe being the first woodwind/flute/whistle/pipe instrument I've ever tried, I feel like a real beginner. =8-* But I'm definitely having fun!
Anybody here still active and playing their pennywhistles? 
Speaking of which, did you hear about the dyslexic who walked into a bra? 
