Chiff and Fipple Forums

For years when putting a reed into my chanter I would always have the reed so it was at right angles to the holes ,but the other day for some reason I put the reed in so its inline with the holes and I'd swear there is an slight improvement in the tone and ease of hard D. Is this possible or am I just imagining it ?

RORY

Perhaps; perhaps not, but you've probably now got 3000 pipers all over the world twisting their reed around 90 degrees just to try it out for themselves
Ok maybe only the 15 or so C&F members who still follow this forum...

In highland piping, I've long heard the advice was always have the reed blade plane at 90 degrees to the bore line of the finger holes.
M

m4malious wrote:In highland piping, I've long heard the advice was always have the reed blade plane at 90 degrees to the bore line of the finger holes.
M

Ya know, I've never heard that, but I've never seen it any other way. I wonder if it's also because of the way we test the reed in the chanter with our mouths. Seems... sacrilegious to blow on the reed with it sideways.

Ugh... Now I can't unthink that.

m4malious wrote:In highland piping, I've long heard the advice was always have the reed blade plane at 90 degrees to the bore line of the finger holes.
M

Myself and all the Highland pipers I've seen have the reed oriented the same as oboe and bassoon players do, so you don't stab your lip when you go to mouth-blow your chanter.

Waves have physical shapes. Hard D can also be affected by changing the orientation of a rush in the bell, shape of the lips, symmetry (or lack thereof). Not surprised at all.