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Liam O'Flynn in fine form on the Renfrew ferry boat on the Clyde, 31 years ago in 1990, Liam is announced and starts playing at 3:24 min. - two hornpipes: Queen of the fairies, Atlantic sound, followed by two reels: Sailor's cravat I'm waiting for you. Liam names them in reverse order:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLW1HpC_pmc

Interesting that in the first phrase of the first hornpipe he's cross-fingering high D instead of using the high D key, which appears intact.

His chanter produces that note easily, as can be heard on some of his recordings, when a High D pops out while he's most probably intending C natural in the low octave.

pancelticpiper wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:02 am Interesting that in the first phrase of the first hornpipe he's cross-fingering high D instead of using the high D key, which appears intact.

His chanter produces that note easily, as can be heard on some of his recordings, when a High D pops out while he's most probably intending C natural in the low octave.

I am surprised you find this remarkable, to me playing third d like that seems the obvious way. Probably just one of these things where the way you originally learn to do it becomes the obvious and anything else surprising to a degree.

Which made me think of Andy Conroy's version of the tune, which I happened to be listening to earlier this week. He started the tune d'cd'b afd (starting on third d), which gives it a bit of a different flavour. You make me wonder now if he used a key although it doesn't sound like he did (I have several recordings of him playing it and his noodling about before starting the tune gives the impression he just runs up to the note but that, again, may just my own bias).

Hello

Andy told me that he got the tune from Tommy Reck. He didn't use a key and ran up to the d.

He taught it to me when I was starting out. Nearly led to a divorce here trying to get that third d
I will have to revisit it when everyone is out of the house (hard to get a quiet house these times).

Its a slightly different version to Liam Og's. I wonder if there is a recording of Tommy playing it?

Cheers

John

That's interesting John. I don't think I heard Tommy play that. We sat Tommy down in 1989 and tried to get him into some of his less regular tunes. We did get a good few but I don't recall this one coming up. Mind you, his Froment Reed was pretty stiff and he wasn't comfortable with it so he may have given it a wide berth.
Perhaps a version was uncovered for the upcoming CD? Well, we can hope.

Mr.Gumby wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:20 am
I am surprised you find this remarkable, to me playing third d like that seems the obvious way. Probably just one of these things where the way you originally learn to do it becomes the obvious and anything else surprising to a degree.

I learnt to play High D like that through 'Kitty's Rambles' (I think) in the Heather Clarke tutor and played it that way ever since. It was news to me when I learnt that not all chanters want to go that high.

It was news to me when I learnt that not all chanters want to go that high.

You need a half decent reed to do it but in it is usually not much of a problem to get up there. In fairness, if you make the effort my chanters can reach third G although that's not really of practical use.

One of the Andy Conroy clips I have was recorded by Barry O'Neill while Andy was still in the US. He objects to playing the tune because 'it's too cold, I won't reach it',. in other words: his reed is not optimal due to the weather, but gets coaxed into giving it a go. He manages about half the time but not with ease.

His chanter produces that note easily, as can be heard on some of his recordings, when a High D pops out while he's most probably intending C natural in the low octave.

There's that thing where the high d key is used to ornament the high c, either as a grace note or a cdc triplet, I sometimes use that in tunes like The Stone in the field : eaag a3 b (3c'd'c' ba ged.. Handy little thing to liven up top c a bit.

Mr.Gumby wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 6:18 am

if you make the effort my chanters can reach third G although that's not really of practical use.

I've seen Geoff Wooff do that on one of his C chanters on the NPU reedmaking series. Very cool.


Is it possible to do on Concert sets or mostly just Flat pipes?

My Narrow Bore D, C# and C chanters will usually reach G in the third octave but the B and Bb chanters can almost complete a three octave range. Though anything above G3 is liable to be wonky and rarely in tune.

The fact that these Narrow bore chanters can get right up there is of little use to most people but it does bode well for finding stable notes in the upper half of octave 2.

Can this be done on wide bore chanters ? I don't know.

Only one way to find out!


EDIT: Also makes me wonder if in the near future there could be some sort of programmable/controllable reed bridle that could increase the chanter range, likely would shorten the reed life though. Food for thought I guess

The latest Piobaire just fell in the door with in it a very interesting article about Tárlach Mac Suibhne and his music by Caoimhin Mac Aodh.

I am left wondering about one remark in the article:

One of the tunes given is Mac Suibhne's Lamaent, from the playing of Johnny Doherty and Francie Dearg Ó Beirne. The tune goes up to third d in its final part.

Mac Aodh writes :

[...] the first two parts of the tune can be performed on pipes while the third part rises above the chanter. This part may have been a variation developed on fiddle by John Doherty.

I don't know, with some parts of the discussion here in mind, the statement seems surprising, I think Mac Suibhne would have managed without too much of a problem.