This summer while attending the Pipers Gathering, Julian Goodacre and Collum Armstrong introduced a extended range small pipes chanter relying on a speaker key ~ (an octave key), and a couple of keys to bridge the gap of the octave leap over the12th, extending the range to 22 notes. Collum’s playing of the pipe was very impressive! http://callumarmstrong.co.uk/

I also was made aware of the Lindsay System Chanter, and Donald Lindsay has produced a new design of chanter for small pipes that also extends the range, but without relying on keys. http://lindstruments.com/products/lindsay-system-chanter . This is also very interesting. Has anyone have experience with this instrument? It looks very promising!

These pipes offer a hole new world for the musician interested in playing the pipes, and wanting the extending range of other instruments.

I’d be interested in hearing what others think about these developments. I post on another forum but thought this might be of interest here also.

Extend range small pipes by Julian Goodacre, demonstrated by Callum Armstrong ~

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWM6ED1UOk 

2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNVIJkYSZ00 

This is a condensed version of the workshop that I filmed at the Piper's Gathering 2015. The camera is an inexpensive hand held.

I've heard them both play live, talked to Donald about adapting his design to retain the full range with my four-fingered left hand and am likely to get one sometime.

Callum's doing exciting stuff (with drones as well as chanters), but I think Donald's system maybe more likely to take off in a mainstream way simply because it's simpler, cheaper and more easily reproducible. But then again Callum can do more really fancy stuff with his double and triple chanters, multiple keys (AFAIK still just on the single chanters), clever drones and extreme high register.

_________________
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides.

Why I teach... and where
Master of nine?

Donald’s pipe is definitely innovative, the folding of the chanter back on its self is brilliant. He’s using 3D printing to achieve the design, will he be able to do the design in wood? If he’s able to make them in wood, undoubtedly wouldn't the price would be higher? I’m not a great fan of the printed look of his pipes.

When I was looking for a pipe with an extended range, nether Donald’s or Julian’s were available, and I decided on the pastoral pipe in D, it has about the same range as my flute.

I’m surprised that there is not more interest in pipes that have an extended range. I know there are the ullieann and northumbrian pipes, but they both have a real strong tradition on how they should be played. With the small pipes being a relative new addition to piping, it would seem that those that have an extended range would open up a opportunity for those that would want a broader musical experience.

It's designed to be buildable in traditional materials as well. Don't think Donald's building in wood himself, but he's making the plans available.

_________________
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides.

Why I teach... and where
Master of nine?

I have one of Donald's chanters. I haven't had much time to get to grips with it, but, while it plays beautifully as a normal 9-note chanter, the extended range fingerings will take time to get used to. I guess it's a similar level of difficulty to moving from a smallpipe chanter to a Northumbrian one.

At the moment I'm still working on the low F, G, E and D, using the right thumb and the left pinkie. The tricky thing seems to be covering the back holes without having the top ones leak.

Donald's notes on his website are copious, and I will need to look at them again before I try the high notes. I seem to recall that top b, c, and d involve changes in bag pressure, but don't quote me on that.

The left-hand chromatic notes that use the fleahole work beautifully, but I'm less convinced by the right-hand ones: this may be down to me, of course. it's early days yet.

b

It would seem that Julian’s Chanter would be easier to learn. The addition of the speaker key makes it very intuitive. I’m not sure how the jumping of the 12th is handled, I’m still unclear on that. I imagine it would be like on the clarinet.

On my pastoral pipe the speaker key makes it jumps into the next octave like a saxophone, so it’s very easy to play between the two octaves.

Hi, who made your pastoral pipe and have you a photo of the speaker key? Was it based on an older model?
As it happens I'm half way through making a wooden version of the Lindsay chanter. Just stopped because the exact positioning of the back A is not clear.

_________________
The mind is like a parachute; it only works when it is open.


Heres a few tunes round a table, first three sets;

http://soundcloud.com/fiddlerwill/werty
http://soundcloud.com/fiddlerwill/jigs-willie
http://soundcloud.com/fiddlerwill/jigs

My set was made by Geert Lejeune from an original set of Pastoral Pipes made by Robertson of Edinburgh.(http://www.geertlejeune.com/bagpipes) There are photos of my pipes on the last page of the picture of your pipes thread. Here is a link to my photo of the speaker key ~ https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos?pid=6062694227744304770&oid=114928075959424312323

Keep us posted on your progress with the Lindsey chanter.

Thanks, couldn't see the picture though?

_________________
The mind is like a parachute; it only works when it is open.


Heres a few tunes round a table, first three sets;

http://soundcloud.com/fiddlerwill/werty
http://soundcloud.com/fiddlerwill/jigs-willie
http://soundcloud.com/fiddlerwill/jigs

I just came across this video of Callum and George Pasca. It shows Callum using the extended range of his pipe quite nicely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SBnMv-AB0g

Callum Armstrong is pretty amazing. How do the more traditional pipers take to his experimentation?

Cheers.

Wizz