C sharp

[iain beag]

I'm struggling to get a decent C sharp on my Williams chanter, I've tried various finger combinations and chanter on leg - off leg etc but still the note sounds flat and a bit sour, middle D also tends to be a wee bit flat. Its got to the stage where I have to avoid slow airs with C sharp.

I've tried various commercially available reeds and got close with a reed I made myself but still not quite right.

Is there anything that can be done when making a reed that can help ensure a reasonable C sharp? I've tried making the head narrower ( 12-12.5mm) which helped but sometimes caused a problem with middle D.

Most other notes are either in tune or can be got in tune through either rushing and tape but not C sharp.

As I'm pretty new to Uilleann pipes is this just a characteristic of the instrument and one of those awkward notes?

[islander]

I would first bring the flat back D in tune by pushing the reed deeper into the reed seat, this will also bring the C# a little higher. If it makes the other notes sharp, insert a rush that reaches from the bottom of the chanter past the B tone hole and remove the tape you have over the holes to compensate. The rush will probably furthermore bring the C# up in pitch if its end lies just before the C# hole. Fine tune with tape. Shorten the rush or make its bottom half thinner if it makes the lower notes too flat. If you can't push the reed deep enough, then shorten the blades very little at a time until the back D is good, then use the rush. You might also need to sand the tips of the blades thinner while you're shortening them if the tone gets dull or the reed gets too stiff to play comfortably. Before doing any of this it's of course better to experiment with the bridle position/tightness to open or close the lips more. Then insert the rush etc.. Good luck!

[nemethmik]

I'm struggling to get a decent C sharp on my chanter etc but still the note sounds flat

You are not alone! I used to have a chanter from a reputable maker, I even sent the chanter back to the maker to fix the flat C#. And I got the back the chanter and reeds untuched with a comment that it is perfect and I should play and tune against the drones. Eventually, I sold the chanter to someone who was not picky on flat C#.

[cormacc]

Try a rush that ends just below the c# hole. This should flatten everything else while leaving the C# and D unaltered. You'll probably have to insert your reed a bit deeper in the reed seat to bring the overalll pitch up a bit (which should also sharpen the c# and D a bit more relative to everything else). Experiment with different rush diameters to fine tune.