Seivane Manual De Instrucciones página 51

Bass drone
The bass drone is made up of three parts (prime, second and cup) linked between them by the tuning
slides, which are also useful to tune the bass drone at the same time. It provides a deep and constant pedal
note (two octaves below the chanter's keynote), which harmoniously supports the melody. Its source of
sound is a drone reed: A small tube with a simple vibrating plate.
Tenor drone
The tenor drone consists of two parts and, like the drone reed,
emits a continuous note but this time one octave below the
chanter's keynote. It also has a drone reed as its source of sound.
The tenor drone can have a key to start or stop the flow of air (cut-
ting the sound).
High drone
The traditional high drone has, as its source of sound, a double plate reed like the chanter. It emits the
dominant note in unison with the chanter and so, being a fifth above the keynote, results in it adding great
harmonious value to some melodies. It is characterised fundamentally by the intensity of its 'enxebre'
(authentic) sound and for the discords with neighbouring notes, especially in the sixth minor. It can give
the impression that two gaitas are playing together as a duet, especially in open spaces.
After a process of study and investigation, the Obradoiro de Gaitas Seivane has commercialised, since
the 1980s, the latest high drone, which uses a small drone reed as its source of sound. Its physical and
acoustic characteristics are different, compared to the chanter reed high drone, despite the fact that it
emits the chanter's dominant note, albeit one octave lower. In this way, the discords are reduced to a min-
imum or cease to exist. Its volume is much smoother and melodic, given that its relationship to the
chanter's keynote is different: A strict four notes below.
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