Well, it could be a number of factors; see my offlist reply to your AOL address for the details.

Take your instrument to Bruce Childress if you need to do something with the reed.

--Thanks, Lewis. Coming to St. Louey in April?

Hey Pat. I will indeed be there in St Louey with me pipes. Lewis

Two things to consider, when listening to the Heather Clarke tape:
1: There is a great difference on Brian Howards old chanter and his new design. However I have heard the old one play soft and nicely, too.
2: It is probably not a studio recording!
Just a (bad) mice.
As you can hear, there has not been done much to prepare the recording or to change it afterwards. Heather Clarke starts the tape with the UP tuned at nearly Eb and ends around D!
However, this tutor, together with the NPU videos are the best you can get. A fine supplement is the Armagh Piper book and tape.

I actually prefer the Armagh pipers club book and tape to any tutor other than the NPU videos. The best way to learn is, however, to take the time to go to tionols and meet live pipers and instructors. With regards to H. Clarke, its not the chanter that grates me, its the piping style that I do not particularly care for. The MadforTrad CD is pretty good as well but one has to have knowledge of ornaments and a good listening ear to get it with this medium. I've not tried ScoilTrad as I'm not sure my computer is set up to make it an efficient way of learning. Glandman

How much of the sound is dependant on the reed and how much is dependant on the chanter. I find that my Howard set is a little too loud and sounds a lot like a saxaphone. It lacks some of the characteristics that I really enjoy when I hear some other sets. Could a good reedmaker alter the sound and volume or is a lot of it locked into the design of the chanter.

Good question. Interestingly, no two reeds sound the same in any given chanter. What's more interesting is that, in chanters believed to be nearly practically identical, the same reed will sound very differently. I've hard it mentioned that it is 90% reed and 10% chanter but believe this formula omits the most important part...the player. No two people get the same identical tone ouf of a chanter. Take Benedict Koehler for example,the man can make the worst reed and chanter combo sing like a songbird. In my own opinion, it does not matter how good the reed is, a poor chanter is just that and it will never be able to achieve that elusive tonal quality we all strive for. On the other hand, a great chanter, especially in the hands of a great player, need not have the perfect reed. Kevin Rowsome is an example of someone who can coax great music out of inferior reeds. Of course, climate plays a role in this as well......one day they sing...the next they squalk. The main point is that it is more than just chanters and reeds. Glandman

Hey Lewis,

I'll be in St Louis the weekend of the Tionol, I'm talking at the St. Louis Gyn. Society meeting. If time permits, I'd like to get to some of the tionol events too.



Jeff