trémolières chanters

[benoit trémolières]

I'm working on a serie of chanters since (more than) one year, and I make a few more in addition of the current orders.
There's:
-1 D concert-p in boxwood
-1 in blackwood
-1 blackwood C
-1blackwood B
They are all full keyed (plus stop-key), nickel platted.
They'll be availlable from next month (blackwood D chanter first).

[NicoMoreno]

I'm always a little concerned when someone says "full keyed", without explicitly listing the keys. My B chanter has 7 keys plus the stop-key, and I think of anything less as not fully keyed. Some makers do 5 keys as standard (Fnat, G#, Bb, Cnat, and 3rd octave D) some only four (the first four previously listed). It's probably best to be explicit with which keys are actually included.

[MichaelLoos]

IMO. fully keyed would mean the keys needed to play all the semitones of the first two octaves - that would be Fnat, G#,Bb and Cnat.
Any other key, like a Fnat ring key, 3rd octave D, 3rd octave E, little finger operated G#, low C# below bottom D and whatever else I would consider as extra.
@Nico: which keys have you got on your chanter, just out of interest?

[benoit trémolières]

That's somehow what Mick said: Fnat, G#, Bb, Cnat and C#-D3 keys...

[NicoMoreno]

Well, I don't think it's universally agreed or understood that four keys = fully keyed. I do agree that having more isn't strictly necessary... but then again neither is having the ones listed. After all, you don't need the Bb key (you can often half-hole and/or cross finger) or Fnat (same), or Cnat (only useful for a few tunes) to be "chromatic" (although it's not real chromaticity anyway). And it's not like the pinky-finger Fnat is standard, so there's confusion there already if you don't specify. In addition, I think most flat chanters (at least true narrow-bore ones) do not play an Eb with only pinky up, so an Eb key is actually necessary to make them chromatic.

Anyway, I just think instead of saying "fully keyed", it's better to be explicit and list the keys included.

Regarding my B chanter, I have Cnat, Bb, G#, long Fnat (pinky operated), an Eb (or E correction) key, a 3rd octave D (or possibly C# correction) key, and a 3rd octave E key. The only one I don't use is the last one. If I had to do it again, I'd probably leave that one off, but keep the rest.

[john]

I don't think I've heard a time that goes to a 3rd octave e. The only tune I know that goes to high d is the queen of the fairies. Although I've heard paddy Keenan go to high d in the course of variations that aren't strictly integral to the tune. Who's been playing these high e's?

[NicoMoreno]

That's why I wouldn't get it a second time

There are quite a few tunes with a 3rd octave D, although many chanters don't need the key. On this album both the Waterford waltz and the Drought slip jig go up there:
https://nicolasbrown.bandcamp.com/releases