---
title: "Roncón tuning"
slug: roncon-tuning
definition: "Adjustment of the drone's note in the Asturian gaita: the roncón is built in sliding sections that lengthen or shorten the tube to raise or lower the pitch."
synonyms: ["drone adjustment", "drone tuning", "roncón sliding sections"]
publishedAt: 2026-06-17
---
**Roncón tuning** is the operation of putting the drone in tune with the
punteru. The roncón of the **Asturian gaita** isn't a single-piece tube:
it's made of sections that **fit and slide** into one another.

Pulling those sections apart or pushing them together lengthens or
shortens the air column: longer, lower note; shorter, higher note. The
aim is for the drone to sound in a clean octave with the punteru's base
note.

It's a fine, constant adjustment. The reed, temperature and humidity all
shift the tuning, so the gaitero retouches the roncón's slide before
playing and throughout the session. Step-by-step guidance is available in
[how to tune the roncón](/en/blog/como-afinar-el-roncon).