Uilleann Pipe chanter... Same method?

[The Danish Piper]

This might be a simple question, but here it comes:

On Highland Pipes as well as other types of pipes you tune the chanter by applying tape on the hole - or carve out the hole if necessary.

Is this the same for the Irish Pipes?

[rorybbellows]

Similar, but a little more subtle than carving out the hole.

RORY

[an seanduine]

I dunno, Rory. When I first was learning I wasn't surrounded by skilled reed makers, so there was a lot of tape employed as an ad hoc tuning methed. I've never played piob mhor so I don't know if that's the same for them.

Bob

[pancelticpiper]

On Highland Pipes you tune the chanter by applying tape on the hole - or carving out the hole.

Is this the same for the Uilleann pipes?

The acoustics of Uilleann chanters are far more complex than Highland chanters.

Each hole is only responsible for one note on Highland chanters, but on Uilleann chanters most holes are responsible for a note in both octaves.

Also the top front hole (for the upper-hand index finger) is responsible for C natural and C sharp in the low octave, C sharp in the 2nd octave, and D in the 3rd octave. (Maybe others?)

Add to that the fact that most notes can be fingered in more than one way, and the chanter can be played on the leg and off the leg.

Long before a beginner starts experimenting with tape, and long long long before a beginner starts carving out holes, they need to get enough hours of playing to begin to understand how the various notes of the Uilleann chanter are blown.

It's not like Highland pipes where you robotically blow dead-even for every note.

For example, a newbie might think their Back D is too flat, and they want to carve out the hole. But they're merely experiencing a "sinking Back D" which is due to blowing too hard. Yes, on some notes when you blow harder the note gets flatter, not sharper as a Highland piper might expect.

On my chanter F# in the low octave has to be blown a bit on the hard side to bring it down to pitch. Just like Back D, low F# on my chanter responds in a reversed way to bag pressure compared to the Highland pipes.

Yet, several other notes, for example E, responds to pressure similarly to Highland pipes.

Traditionally Uilleann pipers have fine-tuned their chanters with a rush inserted up the bore, rather than tape.

The blowing of an Uilleann chanter is sophisticated and takes years to get really good at. Not until then should you think about carving holes.

[glasba]

You can use the "wax" method - check the below link - 3rd product on the list. But you must know exactly what you are doing, preferebly leave it to your chanter maker!

I have seen it done on Hunter B chanter and it looked much nicer than the tape method, but as the others said, Uilleann chanter is a complex mashine

https://wennerfloeten.de/products/acces ... e-repairs/

Similar, but a little more subtle than carving out the hole.

RORY

This sense of humor makes me returt to the forum from time to time

[The Danish Piper]

Each hole is only responsible for one note on Highland chanters, but on Uilleann chanters most holes are responsible for a note in both octaves.

Exactly why I posted this question.
I was wondering if the "overblowing" to the second octave would effect the chanter differently. Meaning, if playing the tone on the lower octave (with correct preassure) it needs tape or other adjustment. Is it sertain that it is the same for the second octave?

Long before a beginner starts experimenting with tape, and long long long before a beginner starts carving out holes, they need to get enough hours of playing to begin to understand how the various notes of the Uilleann chanter are blown.

Agreed. Correct blowing is everything.

It's not like Highland pipes where you robotically blow dead-even for every note.

This robotic blowing - as you call it, is very hard to master as well. Especially for long periods of time.
So for the uilleann chanter you need a constant correct preassure on the lower octave and an altered but still constant preassure for the higher octave.

Add to that the fact that most notes can be fingered in more than one way, and the chanter can be played on the leg and off the leg.

Differently much more complex than a Highland Pipe

For example, a newbie might think their Back D is too flat, and they want to carve out the hole. But they're merely experiencing a "sinking Back D" which is due to blowing too hard. Yes, on some notes when you blow harder the note gets flatter, not sharper as a Highland piper might expect.

Very interesing. As a Highland Piper myself, I am not familiar with the Uilleann Chanter. I see that both are bagpipes but not to be compared in any way.

The blowing of an Uilleann chanter is sophisticated and takes years to get really good at. Not until then should you think about carving holes.

Actually I think this is like the Highland Pipes.
Like said, the blowing here is not an "easy" matter as well.

About carving holes. This is the last resort.
I use to say: Work the reed around the chanter - not the chanter aroumd the reed.
In the original post, is was given as an example.

[pancelticpiper]

I was wondering if the "overblowing" to the second octave would effect the chanter differently. Meaning, if playing the tone on the low octave (with correct pressure) it needs tape or other adjustment. Is it certain that it is the same for the second octave?

No, it's not certain. As far as blowing and tuning goes Low E is a different beast than High E, Low F# is a different beast than High F#, and so forth.

For example on many/most Concert D chanters E will be a bit sharp in the low octave and a bit flat in the 2nd octave, if you have E tuned right in the middle.

It's common for the 2nd octave B to be a tad sharp relative to the low octave B.

On my chanter F#, G, and A are pretty much dead-on in both octaves.

For the uilleann chanter you need a constant correct pressure on the low octave and an altered but still constant pressure for the 2nd octave.

Highland pipers usually have that misconception about the blowing of uilleann chanters. They think you blow the whole low octave just as Highland pipes are blown, then suddenly hop to a clearly different pressure for the whole of the 2nd octave.

It's not like that at all.

Rather, there's a core group of notes that spans over the octave break which are all played at about the same pressure.

On my chanter the range is from G in the low octave up to F# in the 2nd octave. In fact the pressure difference between F# in the low octave and F# in the 2nd octave is extremely subtle.

Then on my chanter Low E has to be blown a bit lighter. Ditto "soft Bottom D" which requires gentle blowing. However to get "hard Bottom D" that note has to be blown harder than the other "core" notes.

Then in the 2nd octave High G requires a tiny bit more pressure than the "core" notes, High A a bit more, and High B even more. In other words on my chanter there's a series of subtle step-ups in pressure going F# > G > A > B in the 2nd octave.

Oddly the two highest pressure notes on my chanter are High B and Hard Bottom D!