Choir Master’s Pitch Pipe

This device at Smith’s Tavern is a choir master’s pitch pipe.  It is made entirely of wood, with a long mouthpiece at one end followed by a long rectangular body with an opening less than halfway down and ending in a short shaped stick.  

 

A pitch pipe is a device used to provide a pitch reference for musicians without absolute pitch.  Although it may be described as a musical instrument, it is not typically used to play music as such.  Technically, it is a harmonica; however, it lacks many characteristics of harmonicas. The earliest pitch pipes were instruments rather like a recorder, but rather than finger holes, they had a plunger like a slide whistle (don’t think T63 has a plunger).  The pipe was generally made of wood with a square bore and the plunger was leather-coated.

 

Reference:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_pipe  and http://www.toff.org.uk/tibia/

Catalog Items:

Item T63

Location:	Left Shelf - 3rd
Length:	52 cm
Width:	4 cm
Height:	4 cm
Weight:	154 g