Back D and humidity

[Jose' Scotte' Este']

Hey all,

After a several searches, and reading and re-reading my various resources on reed issues, I decided to post this question, as I am not finding a specific answer in previous threads or in my resources. I have been having problems with flat back D's on all of my chanters, both flat and concert pitch sets. I am wondering if the high humidity we have been experiencing here in my neck of the woods (70-80%) is causing this specific problem. The other notes on my chanters are not affected, and otherwise the chanters are playing well. I don't want to over-simplify a complex issue of reed tuning, but any specific info to this issue would be greatly appreciated.

[hpinson]

Hi Scott. Obvious question, but does the problem go away when the humidity decreases?

[Jose' Scotte' Este']

Great question. There has been a progressive flattening of the back D, as the weather has became warmer/more humid. The weather has been so strangely warm and humid here, and we haven't had a normal (30-40%) humidity in a very long time. My plan is to wait and see what happens when it finally dries out a bit here. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon with the back D.

[Cash the Piper]

It is not unusual for the back d to go flat in extremely humid and warm conditions. Air conditioning helps.

[pudinka]

Here is my 2 cents worth...where I live (SE Texas) the humidity is often high and so is the temperature. While I live indoors with AC the temperature within probably averages in the high 70's with humidity to match - outside it will be into the mid 90's everyday and humidity will also run into the mid 90's - depends on the weather (obvious). It usually stays like this for a good 6 months while spring and fall are generally nice.

What I have noticed every year is that my reeds have always become very sharp every summer - so much so that I sometimes cannot raise the reed high enough in the seat, which sometimes introduces new problems. Other than this, once summer arrives the reed is generally stable since it stays hot and humid.

My real trouble comes in the winter (though mild) when indoor temperatures will drop into the low 60's and the humidity will also drop, sometimes to 30-40%. The reed seems to dry out and shrink, the whole thing gets flat and sometimes will not play at all. So here, at least, I cannot equate hot & humid with flat notes, including the back D.

[goldy]

I recommend that you get (or make) two reeds that are suited to the dry or humid conditions rather than rely on a single reed to work all year round. When a dry climate reed faces humidity, the back D will go flat because the reed lips and scrape area are too thin to cope with it.

Case in point: Where I live, it's usually very dry, but I knew that when I went to England to play my pipes at my mother's funeral during a damp cold spring at the end of February this year, my reed wouldn't work. Therefore, I made a blank reed before I went and scraped it over there. The reed was wider and thicker than my usual reeds and was bloody fantastic, but played awfully when I brought it back to Australia. Conversely, I was absolutely right that my Australian reed was thoroughy over scraped for England and it did not work there (flat back D, octaves out of sync, and overly sensitive to air pressure).

For those of you interested in hearing a recording I made of the reed while I was in England, use the youtube link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uZEYLyDCVg

All the best