quieting the pipes

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 7:05 am

Jeff, I have a similar situation with late night playing too. My O'Grady chanter plays fine in 'hush mode' when I tape the reed, sometimes it's just a matter of squeezing the bridal a bit. It still plays in tune just fine.

Mypipes · Post by **Mypipes** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 8:01 am

i thought I started this thread? for the very same reason. Peter's last response is most informative. I am curious though... no one, except Tony responded to my prepurchase post regarding Preshaw Pipes. As a beginner I am delighted the set. I love the Keenan-esque sound. My experience may be different as I have played whistle for some years and some N. Umbrian pipes which by the way i could never get, but I had some pressure control and I am able to translate whistle tunes and skill. I am, however, all not knowing about any "flaw" in the Rawsome prototype? I have yet to order the half set from Preshaw or anyon else until I get a better handle on this dirth of information and of coarse the wisdom of you kind gentlemen.

Mypipes · Post by **Mypipes** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 8:06 am

i thought I started this thread? for the very same reason. Peter's last response is most informative. I am curious though... no one, except Tony responded to my prepurchase post regarding Preshaw Pipes. As a beginner I am delighted the set. I love the Keenan-esque sound. My experience may be different as I have played whistle for some years and some N. Umbrian pipes which by the way i could never get, but I had some pressure control and I am able to translate whistle tunes and skill. I am, however, all not knowing about any "flaw" in the Rawsome prototype? I have yet to order the half set from Preshaw or anyon else until I get a better handle on this dirth of information and of coarse the wisdom of you kind gentlemen. Thanks "a million"

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 8:52 am

mypipes... quieter chanters have been brought up many times on many message boards as the variances are so great. As significant as the reed design is, much of it has to do with the initial bore design.
Forgive me if my dates and facts aren't totally accurate. I thought the Rowsome wide bore D came about around the turn of the century to fill a need for a louder instrument to entertain larger auduences; typically found in concert (and dance) halls in the US.
Because it is technically different to flat (narrow bore) pipes it's tone is not as refined. Peter likes to use the term 'fog horn' to describe this.
My analogy would be a clarinet though similar in design and length to a soprano saxophone has a very different sound. Both use similar size reeds.
Through the generations, piping was on a decline and much of the art was lost, often copies of copies were made by both good and not so good makers leaving a wide span of non-standardized designs. Without a good system for apprenticeship, I would guess a pipemaker could spend 10-15 years of changing designs before striking on one that worked best for him.
It seems every maker thought basing their product on previous designs will add their own blend of experience to improve their work.

tok · Post by **tok** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 1:19 pm

mypipes, I heard a story about a piper who was so carefull not to reveal any of his tecniques in fingering the chanter that he went so far as to hang a small velvet curtain to the front of the chanter while playing to onlookers. This allowed him to keep hidden from view his fingering skills, so others could not copy him and possibly upstage him . That curtain trick may have quieted the chanter to some degree .The possible downside is that it might look stupid to others ,but I guess if your happy who cares?

anima · Post by **anima** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 5:22 pm

Mypipes, you are right you did start this thread. I started a similar thread on the UP mailing about the same time and someone quoted that email post here:

> Is there a way to make a reed play
> very quietly, yet still in tune and
> able to reach the octave? Or do I
> need a narrow bore chanter?
>
> I frequently get home late and work
> odd hours and it would be nice to be
> able to practice at these times without
> waking the family.

Hence my confusion about the whole thing.

Sorry for the mix up.

Jeff

AlanBurton · Post by **AlanBurton** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 5:39 pm

There is a way of altering the volume of your (concert pitch)chanter. It's tricky and doesn't always work, but is worth a try. ....Make/get a reed with staple diameters for something like a C chanter, with a narrow reed head also, you will end up with a quieter sound for sure, but flat to concert, then you need to use rushes and tape to get the thing in tune, and it will require heavy rushing and all below the back D as that will be most likely flat. You will theoretically end up with a "flat" chanter. I don't think sticking stuff on reeds, then taking it off, is good for its longevity. As for taping note holes, many remarkable players have chanters lagged in the stuff, so I would guess that's not a problem area(aesthetically).
Alan (no tape, slightly sharp B)

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 11:56 am

Instead of mucking about with the reed and possibly losing it in the process, have you given any thought to altering your practise area? A good thick rug of the floor, some styrofoam ceiling tiles placed on the walls(you can get big ones very cheap) and a heavy blanket hung on the door should dampen the sound well enough to keep disturbance to a minimum. That way you don't have to screw around with the reed in making it louder for sessions. Myself; I like the volume on the daye chanter. I can fill a large church without a microphone but still not shtter peoples eardrums. That's what my highland pipes are for.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 1:15 pm

How can a layer (or two) of removable tape harm a reed?

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 6:56 pm

I don't know; it probably can't do any harm but I don't really want to find out on the odd chance that it can. ( "Don't worry boys. There's enough Indians for everyboby to kill one!" - General George Custer ) Marc

Evertjan 't Hart · Post by **Evertjan 't Hart** » Sat Jul 20, 2002 1:03 pm

Since my name is mentioned- time to step in...
My response on the Uilleann forum was merely a quick note on how to mute the chanter's volume so one can practise without disturbing the neighbours.
Peter Laban (how are you by the way Peter?) is wondering about the flat chanters I've heard in recent years and although the sentence in my response that triggered the remark was badly composed -what I really meant was the volume and not the harmonics of a flat chanter- I can tell ye all I've heard as many bad flat as concert pitch chanters.

Over the years from all the flat chanters I've heard maybe 10% I found convincing. The rest -in my ears anyway- just 'concert pitch' chanters in another key. So I didn't understand what all the 'flat is better' fuss was about until a year ago when I bought a ±40 year old B chanter. The sound of that chanter is really amazing and compared to a concert chanter
the nuances are stunning. It has 'soul' and the harmonics are brilliant and amazingly easy to reed too.

After this experience I took it one step further and made myself a copy of a Timothy Kenna chanter in C (from the measurements by Ken McLeod, Seán Reid Society Journal 2) And this is really something else, what a beautiful sound, so easy to play, etc, etc.

Anyway I'm into flat chanters now, I'm convinced!

All the best,

Evertjan 't Hart

>EvertJan says so himself, it kills the harmonics and will leave you with a >desparately dull chanter.
>His statement that it makes them sound liek a falt >chanter makes you wonder >about hte flat chanter he has heard in recent years.
>[maybe I should ask him I saw him walking up the mainstreet last thursday so he >is around for Willie I suppose].

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sat Jul 20, 2002 2:16 pm

Evertjan, welcome aboard!
If you do a search on your name, you will see you've been mentioned several times already.

Do you have any more pictures of your B chanter? A truly awesome sounding chanter. Perhaps it does have a soul... but I say it only sings in the hands of it's soulmate.

Evertjan 't Hart · Post by **Evertjan 't Hart** » Sun Jul 21, 2002 2:14 am

Hi Tony,

A picture of the B chanter can be found at:
http://www.flingmusic.com/chanter.jpg

Evertjan