Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

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Ceann Cromtha
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Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by Ceann Cromtha »

I was playing a version of a reel I learned a while back yesterday and keep having the problem of having the chanter squeak on bottom D after going to it from a back D (It’s actually the transition from bar 11 to bar 12 in Mick O’Brien’s version of “The Silver Spear,” I think… [don’t have the recording with me at the moment]).

In any event, he plays two staccato back Ds, then goes down to bottom D and continues along.

Now I’ve tried cutting the bottom D with an A, but in that quick succession of notes it’s hard to do. It sounds like you’re adding another eighth note it it or something.

Any tips or clever work arounds?
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by geoff wooff »

By your description of the phrase as Mick O'Brien plays it " two staccato back D's then goes down to bottom D ". Now this sounds as if Mick is getting his low D, I assume hard D, from a closed chanter ? Playing two staccato back D's means the chanter is closed after the second back D. Getting the pressure just right it should be possible to lift a fully closed chanter and obtain a soft or Hard D. Some experimenting with the pressure and the way of lifting the chanter will be necessary .

I find it is easier going from back D to Hard D IF I vent the top front tone hole snapping finger and thumb to shut the vents just after the chanter is lifted. Would it not be useful to practice obtaining a hard D from any other note on the chanter without the use of a A cut ?
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Ceann Cromtha
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by Ceann Cromtha »

Thanks, Geoff.

Let’s just say you’re going from back D to bottom D to make it simpler (I’m setting up the context for my question regarding what you just wrote).

Are you saying that you open both holes with your upper hand’s index finger and thumb, i.e., vent those two holes as you go to bottom D and then immediately close them?

Thanks again!
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by geoff wooff »

Yes, that is what I do but , with the caveat that I play a Flat Set where the note holes of the chanter are a lot smaller than a Concert chanter. I am not sure if you would need the two holes open on a modern D chanter. With the small note holes perhaps there is not enough of a sudden change of regime to pop the Hard D into place when just using the back D hole closure.

Of course the closure of the two top holes has to be precise , crisp , together and just after lifting the chanter.
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by Ceann Cromtha »

Thanks again!
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by chaos97 »

Hi, I found this video of Mick playing a tune off the new album. In it he goes from a high d immediately down to the bottom D. He's playing a concert pitch set here so it may be a different technique to what he might do on a flat set, but I found it interesting. If you notice he lifts both his thumb & index finger on the top hand (as Geoff suggested) but also the index & middle finger on the bottom hand. I can get a bottom D from the top d on my own set, but trying this method does seem to make the pressure easier to hit it with less chance for squeaks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8hNFSfbf1E
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Ceann Cromtha
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by Ceann Cromtha »

Thank you very much, I’ll check it out.
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by Ceann Cromtha »

That is such a good example because he does it repeatedly in the first piece.

Also, great video, thanks again for sending it. All the best!
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by Tou-Che »

Top pointer off to back D stop pop the bottom D. You can also bend off the pointer finger into a back D. Playing a C sharp or a C natural fading to a back D is a really pretty element and can have great lift. What I’m seeing is when you practice that type of movement really slow. When you speed up what he’s doing and roll off the pointer you get the C fade/slur or whatever to back D. He’s skipping the roll off the pointer part and going straight to the note.
Last edited by Tou-Che on Sat Aug 21, 2021 6:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ceann Cromtha
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Re: Back to Bottom D Quickly Without Squeaking

Post by Ceann Cromtha »

Thanks, Tou-Che. I’ve had a lot of luck so far with this. It was a big obstacle in the past.
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