Glossary of Bagpipe Terms - F

F

False Notes

A recent term describing cross fingerings on the Highland bagpipe, used to create notes such as C natural that were not traditionally extant on the instrument.

False Fingering

A Highland bagpipe term describing an error of fingering, typically where the player has not realised they have not lifted or replaced fingers after a particular note.

Ferrule

A band made of ivory, imitation ivory, or metal, such as brass, copper or silver, mounted around the ends of stocks, drone joints and blowpipes to be both decorative and to protect the wood from damage.

Flap Valve

A device that keeps air from backing out of a blowpipe when the piper takes a breath. The valve is nothing more than a flap of leather that is mounted so as to block the airway when air pressure becomes greater on the inside than on the outside. Bellows-operated pipes usually have two flap valves, one in the air-inlet (in one of the bellows-cheeks) and the other in the connecting pipe between the bellows and the bag.

Flea Hole

A very small chanter finger hole most commonly found on Eastern European and Balkan pipes that, when uncovered, raises the pitch being played by the other fingers by approximately a semitone, allowing chromatic possibilities.

Fontennelle

A rigid tubular cover that fits over the lowest key on some bagpipe chanters (notably Italian Zampognas), covering all of the keys except the very end of the actuating lever. Usually made of the same material as the chanter or the chanter's trim work.

Free Hand Chords

A technique on the Uilleann pipes, where the player removes their lower hand from the chanter in order to play more elaborate accompaniments than normally possible on the regulators.