Reed - difficult upper octave

[Coreen]

Hi all, I'm new here, glad I found it! I am returning to the pipes after somewhat of a hiatus (playing rarely over the last 10 years). I am playing a chanter reed that I made back in the blizzard of ... 95/96? Its doing well, actually in tune! I do not have a bridle on it and at this time I am terrified of trying to put one on, I am really good at breaking stuff and this is my ONLY good reed.
Its playing well, but the high B and sometimes the A are difficult to get at times and difficult to keep most times. I usually end up reaching the B with my F# fingers off the chanter, but that only complicates the rest of the playing, sometimes I can just get that B, but it won't maintain. I do not have high C (sure wish I did!!!!!)
I'm leery of thinning the lips cuz my bell D will crap out for sure, its good but will get really upset if I go too far.
What else can get that B in order (and possibly give me that high C)? Overall light scraping of the reed? take a chance on a bridle?
I don't have any room at this point to move the reed out in the chanter should it need to be flattened any after "surgery", sounds like fun huh?

Thanks in advance!!

[Brazenkane]

make a new reed!

[Coreen]

ARRGH I know I'm a newbie here, I deserve that short answer, and its probably the right one! I'm still suffering PTSD from that 4 day blizzard reed binge back then.

I obsessed today and may have paid off, found my wee reed box and LO there be 4 count'm FOUR old reeds that can contribute to the cause by giving up the stapels and changing partners. Found 2 sets of reed slips ready to finish, one looks a bit likely. Got flashing! Hubby was impressed with the in-cannula whatchamacallit, I told him hands off.

I'm probably going to be the typical PIA forum newbie and ask a lot of questions instead of drinking massive quantities of redbull and trying to piece together all the info in years of archives on here... ya's forewarned, 'k?

Crap, I feel that ol reed fever coming on. Where is a good source (I'm in MD) for good cane?

Redbull startin to sound good. uhoh.

[Marcelo Muttis]

Maybe the staple it´s a little small at the upper half respect the throat of the chanter, check at Seth Gallagher´s site the reedmaking part, troubleshooting.

[tompipes]

Can you get the high B by running up to it? Raising the chanter off the knee a little can help hold the 2nd octave A and B with a reasonable amount of pressure.

i wouldn't scrape much more from the reed untill you have figured in all the side effects.

Hows the humidity where you are. High humidity can make the reed head swell a tiny bit but enough to make the reed harder to blow in general.

Just some thoughts before you go scraping the reed.


tommy

[ausdag]

I do not have a bridle on it and at this time I am terrified of trying to put one on, ... take a chance on a bridle?

That would be my first move. A reed generally needs a bridle to work optimally.

[Coreen]

I've had one amazing day with this set. I found upreeds.com and perused heavily, and a good thing too. It didn't dawn on me that this one particular reed though 16 years old, is not even broke in properly yet - that's how little I have played. When I made it, I had a few other serviceable ones, they died each a slow death. Playing so infrequently over the last >decade... this reed I stuck in about 2 years ago and was surprised that it even came close - it was on the "keep hidden" list as I didn't ever expect it to be much. Well one of the bits of advice I read was to just play in the durned thing, expect some changes, see what happens... Today happened to be a magical day for that reed!!!! I had to tweak the holes a bit with some tape... and also admit that a big part of the problem was MEEEEEE. I told myself to cowgirl up and keep them fingers ON the holes PROPERLY and quit whinging. I fiddled with some fingering in the upper octave and really set my mind to pay attention and BOY did I have FUN!!!!!! I'm not really sure what happened except the Pipery Angels must have sat in to bless me, I went from oh my achin hands yesterday to WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOO today. Got them high A-rolls, got them crans, got the triplets... now mind you it wasn't graceful, but it wasn't absent. Getting the air flowing properly again... Its all good.

Mark you would have been proud...

I did attempt a bridle this morning... what a joke. I'm just glad I didn't bust the reed in the process. It turns out the bridle is moot right now. Once it plays in more ... who knows. I'm optimistic as the start of this reed was so poor, and the changes are all going in the right direction for now.

My next dilemma is that I can't remember the tunes I can't remember. ACK!!!!

Thank you all.

OOOOOOH yeah: its a half set, Hillmann chanter, drones by Nick Whitmer. Nuthin fancy, but the internals is what counts eh?

[pipewatcher]

it could be a leaky bag which is causing the problem....

[Hans-Joerg]

Always check your gear first: pressure-tightness, air-supply (seasoning-blob in the neck, stop-key-mechnism [should you have one] has become too narrow, bag-bellows-connection a.s.f....)