pitch pipe
instrumentspitch pyp
A small device that produces fixed reference pitches for tuning.
A pitch pipe is a pocket-sized instrument — either a small set of tuned pipes or a circular chromatic model — that produces a specific pitch when blown. Choir directors use pitch pipes to give the starting note before a piece, and barbershop quartets rely on them to establish the key.
Pitch pipes have been largely replaced by electronic tuners and smartphone apps, but they remain a symbol of choral music tradition. Their advantage is simplicity — no batteries, no settings, just blow and listen. Some choral conductors consider the ritual of sounding a pitch pipe to be an important moment of focus before singing begins.
Barbershop quartet tradition requires the lead singer to sound a pitch pipe before every song — the ritual has remained unchanged for over a century.