I hate the note E... don't you?

patsky · Post by **patsky** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:01 am

I hate E. I hate every thing about it and I think it should be banished. I’m not talking about the letter E but the note E on the Uilleann pipe chanter. It has no redeeming qualities. It is weak, off pitch, toneless, colorless undependable, fickle and a genuine irritant.

Turns out that E has escaped the pipes chanter and found its way on to the flute where it lends that lovely instrument the same characteristics

I am sick to death of ruining perfectly good reeds just to try and get the E note to work. Trimming, pruning and scraping; it seems endless and takes an in ordinate amount of time…only to fail in the end. No matter what technique is tried the E remains…Crap, that’s the word CRAP!

I propose that we banish E. Remove it from chanters and re write all of the Irish tunes removing E where ever it is found. The new name for pipes should be Uillann…no E. Think of the advantages of the seven note scale.

All the best,
Pat Sky

DarthWeasel · Post by **DarthWeasel** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:11 am

I disagree that it should be banished. Yes the note is weak, colorless, etc.. but I think that’s actually the note’s strength. The note is great when it is played in context. It provides great tonal contrast to have weak notes and strong notes like the infamous Hard D. One of the main reasons I wanted to learn to play the pipes was because I was amazed by how every note seems to have its own unique tone. Getting the note to yelp in the second octave (for me) is one of the characteristic sounds of pipes.

Long live the E!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That being said I hate playing tunes that start and end on E

jon1908 · Post by **jon1908** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:11 am

Pat,

Maybe the practice set for sale on ebay mentioned recently is ahead of it's time.

"There are six finger holes on one side and one thumb hole on the back."

Maybe it's the way forward.....

Jon

Brazenkane · Post by **Brazenkane** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:22 am

These issues do not exist on my Peter Hunter B Chanter. I have never battled with this note on that particular instrument. I can get a hard and soft E in the first octave in the lovely second octave E.

That's the Johnny McGory!

PJ · Post by PJ » Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:27 am

I love the sound of 2nd octave E. Tunes in E minor or E dorian sound great on the chanter.

Sorry Pat, looks like you're on your own.

tritaffy · Post by **tritaffy** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:29 am

I'm with Pat , I don't like E as well . Through my total amateurish inability to play the pipes , E is the note that I always drop in the 2nd octave when playing tunes. It is merely a tool of the devil to frustrate and torment the beginner . It serves no other purpose than to make people look and sound bad and it that instance it doesn't take a lot of effort on the part of E , the note that shall not be named.

maze · Post by **maze** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:54 am

i think the cold mountain air has finally taken its course with you my friend Pat!!

I personally love E minor tunes, and the E's on both my Lynch stick but particularly my BK stick ring with a very distinct color and endemic tonal quality... sliding up to the lower 8ve E from the Eb (lower ghostly D) is a wonderously haunting sound... so is the slide up from the upper 8ve e to an f natural is equally haunting...

I think maybe you are just jealous bc your last name is not spelled Skie perhaps?

bwilson · Post by **bwilson** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:16 am

The new name for pipes should be Uillann…no E.

Larry?

carel · Post by **carel** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:46 am

I like both e's
they make the uilleann sound
of course it depends on who is making the reed

upooper · Post by **upooper** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:50 am

next you'll be bagging the C(s)

one of the marks of a good chanter to me is how much room there is in an E and for that matter C. the "room" allows for blowing into your chanter's intonation, which varies due to so many variables. there in lies the nyah.

for me, E(s) where it's at, although C(s) a very nice place too.

it's all about temperament, both your's and the chanters. i'm sure your just having a bad E day, try and cut/trim/shampoo or walk in the open air.

you can always, just tape the E hole over and substitute a B or a G, though A works too.

ymmv

MikeyLikesIt · Post by **MikeyLikesIt** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:28 pm

Personally I think E can have quite a bit of tone colour, and it's one of my favorite notes on the chanter. Just listen to what Ronan Browne can do with the note! Sure it can be a pain to tune, but that's what makes us love this instrument right? Three cheers for masochism![/list]

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:18 pm

<A TARGET="NEW" HREF="http://youtube.com/watch?v=cvLaLyC8suM">All E needs is a nice tune and a little imagination ....</A>

djm

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:34 pm

The second-octave e is definitely one of the 16 most expressive notes on the uilleann pipes.

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:07 pm

E wipes.

Either get on & off of it quick,
or be prepared to doctor it if its held for any noticeable length of time.

Problem is, most E's fall somewhere in between the above

No E · Post by **No E** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:13 pm

bwilson wrote:
The new name for pipes should be Uillann…no E.
Larry?

Should I bring back my old avatar?

I'm actually blessed with a couple of chanters that play lovely E's: a Peter Hunter in B, and a "medium bore" D by Joe Kennedy. It's pretty much a lost cause on most wide-bore chanters.

No E

Chiff and Fipple Forums

I hate the note E... don't you?

I hate the note E... don't you?

off your rocker mountain man