17th century twitter question

January 20, 2011 2:54 AM

Today, Samuel Pepys, always the slave to fashion, writes: Drumbleby do shew me a fashion of having two pipes of the same note fastened together, so as I can play on one, and echo it upon the other. What is he talking about?
posted by vacapinta to Society & Culture (5 answers total)

Some form of resonance? Intentional resonance was used in early string instruments, although I don't know if it is possible to get a noticeable effect with a pipe.

Or maybe this Drumbleby fellow was an early Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
posted by Dr Dracator at 3:10 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It's probably an early version of the double flageolet. This is generally said to have been invented only in 1805 by William Bainbridge. However two instruments had been strapped together much earlier than this, for example in the Roman double flute. The second flageolet was probably tuned to a different key by having a different width, although I'm not sure whether the aim was to blow both at once and achieve a harmony, or to play one then immediately echo the tune on the other.
posted by greycap at 3:10 AM on January 20, 2011

Something like what this Indian man is doing, I'd wager.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 3:14 AM on January 20, 2011

Best answer: From Musical Instruments: Historic, rare, and unique: "The Flageolet is the last example in present use of the 'fltltes douces,' or 'a bee' (German Blockfloten), bored with reversed tones, that is to say, with the embouchure at the larger end. It is referred to by Pepys in his Diary {\st March, 1666): 'Being returned home I find Greeting, the flageolet-master, come, and teaching my wife, and I do think my wife will take pleasure in it, and it will be easy for her, and pleasant;' and again (20th January, 1667): 'To Drumbleby's the pipe-maker, there to advise about the making of a flageolet to go low and soft ; and he do show me a way which do do, and also a fashion of having two pipes of the same note fastened together, so as I can play in one and then echo it upon the other, which is mighty pretty.'"
posted by Houstonian at 4:12 AM on January 20, 2011 [5 favorites]

You might note that Pepys the Blogger is better annotated than Pepys the Twitterer...
posted by AmbroseChapel at 3:33 PM on January 20, 2011