Concert drones and flat chanters

Uilleann Pipes
1

I’ve recently come into possession of a very nice Bb chanter. Never being satisfied, I’m trying to figure out how to get drones (or at least a drone) to play with the Bb chanter. I have a set in D (with an extra G/A drone) and a set in C. I don’t want to change the tuning on the drones by more than a semi-tone, as they would become unstable.

One idea I have had is to retune one or two of my D drones up to Eb. This would allow me to play the drones with the Bb chanter on tunes which, on a D chanter, would be in G. In other words, Bb is to Eb as D is to G.

Any ideas what can be done with D and C drones to accompany a Bb chanter?

2

Any ideas what can be done with D and C drones to accompany a Bb chanter?

Cork them? :smiley:

3

Swap bits around till you get a length of drone that plays something close to Bb?

4

If you have a G drone, then any tune sounding right with that and your D chanter will also sound right with your B flat chanter and your “E flat” drone