The Obradoiro de Gaitas Seivane, the University of Vigo and the Galician Automotive Technology Centre (CTAG) are developing a R+D investigation project, co-financed by the Xunta de Galicia about the Galician gaita.

The CTAG and the University of Vigo put at the disposal of the Obradoiro Seivane the capacity of investigation and equipments of last generation. The CTAG will use in the project new materials with green point, where the sound will be evaluated using a methodology of objective / subjective analysis of sound developed by Sonitum from the University of Vigo.

IDIGAITA project lasts 3 years, starting in 2009 to end in 2011. This tripartite project tries to join forces and to combine the Galician Musical Heritage and the new technologies in materials. We think that projects like this help to dignify our Galician gaita.

The research tries to resolve many of the problems that affect the gaita and to enrich to the maximum the sonorous possibilities of it. The aim of the project is to investigate new materials, to optimize the design in the manufacture, and to try to diminish to the maximum the problems of maintenance of the instrument.

The variations of temperature and humidity affect the physical properties of the materials and the sound stability of the instrument. The problem worsens with the variation of the temperature and the humidity that provides the own bagpiper, causing the instrument gradually goes out of tune. The study focuses on finding alternative materials with green point to wood or even to recycle the residues of the own wood, that approximately are a 80% in each gaita, completing the remaining 20% with resins and other components of biomass in order to try to get physical and thermal and therefore sonorous stability.

For the analysis of the new materials physical and acoustic properties will be considered, and a comparative study with conventional manufacturing gaitas will be registered.