my chanter's flat e

joey_schu · Post by **joey_schu** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 8:02 am

I attribute this to my extreme beginnerism:

The low e on my concert chanter is very noticeably flat. The d below it is sunken a little, too. Is this some sort of reed problem? There are no teachers in my area, so I had to try my best to set it up right on my own. For all I know it could be positioned for bad tuning.

What can I do to raise those bottom notes?

Thanks,
Joey

Mypipes · Post by **Mypipes** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:47 am

Dont take this to the bank as I am somewhat new ...but try a wire rush and/or put a little tape over the f hole.....this I think will sharpen things in the upper octave...but it might be tolerable?

anima · Post by **anima** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 10:56 am

I wouldn't do anything yet Joey. New player, new reed, let things settle in more. Check it under different humidity conditons.

Your chanter may sound sharp or flat one day and the next be in tune..

Don't mess with your reed until it has been played in for a few more weeks.

That being said, my original Stephenson reeds hated the rapid and frequent humidity fluctuations over here, but more importantly it was me being impatient, inexperienced, and screwing around with the reed that did it in.

Here's a good tuning chart.

http://daye1.com/reed_diag.html

Jeff

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 12:20 pm

joey_schu wrote:The low e on my concert chanter is very noticeably flat. The d below it is sunken a little, too. What can I do to raise those bottom notes?

Taping holes and rushing the bore lowers the pitch. Sounds like you need to raise the two lower notes. For the low E, lift the chanter off the knee and see if it comes true. Some one correct me if my memory fails me, but a flat E may also mean the V has been scraped too thin in the upper area. Raising the bottom D might mean pushing the reed into the chanter further which would also raise other notes. Too humid, or reed too thin will lower the D too, besides the most obvious of course...the hole at the bottem bell note being too narrow.

Sometimes it's good to remind us whose reed and chanter you have.

Jeff's advice to leave things alone for a while is a good idea. I had to wait for a few weeks with my AlanB reed to come in, plus playing it a lot.

magroibin · Post by **magroibin** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 12:20 pm

First of all I would suggest that you don't even think of it as your "Chanter's" flat e. Instead think of if as your "reed" has a flat e! (I've seen new guys butcher a perfectly good chanter thinking that they could improve the tuning.)

Another suggestion: try using an electronic tuner. Sometimes just seating the reed so that it is in tune solves those kinds of problems.

Mypipes · Post by **Mypipes** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 12:31 pm

Sorry....i was thinking High e and misread the Q

stew · Post by **stew** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 4:36 pm

Joey,
If you practice a lot; more than likely the reed needs cropped
ask your maker, you need a meter which will help you know
when this happen's the chanter go's flat, it's just another
thing to you have to learn but I could be wrong.

AlanB · Post by **AlanB** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 4:49 pm

Hi all,

Seems like ages. Hope you're all well.

If a note is very out and flat, usually, there's not much you can do without deconstructing the reed (or hacking the chanter

).

Magroibin is quite right, the reed seat can make a helluva difference, particularly in Concert pitch stuff, and, if you don't fiddle with 'em, you won't learn about them. A reed can withstand constant adjustment (not whilst in a social situation I hasten to add).
I nearly ditched my reed a few times over winter and tweaked it severely on occasion, but it's weathered through (yeah, S.W. England is a notoriously extreme climate

).

Cheers

Alan

tok · Post by **tok** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 5:07 pm

I think that the low e and the bottom d are going to be a little flat , as that is just the way uilleann pipes are . As a beginner , it is important to understand that your ear , and the way you play , will correct alot of problems . If you have ever let a master piper play your set , and then golly gee how did they make it sound so good ? It is because after so much time playing pipes , a good piper , please excuse the term " master " , will be able to compensate for small tuning probs , while playing .
It is true though , if you have done all you can , sometimes either the chanter is not well made , or the reed , or both . I guess it is back to the drawing board and face it . You need to have a better chanter , and or reed .

p.s. A cure all for the lower notes being too flat is to use a narrower staple , and a narrower reed , widthwise . You might try chopping the corners at the top of the reed .

stew · Post by **stew** » Sun Jun 15, 2003 7:04 am

Tok,
I think Joey's chanter was playing OK when he first got it,
is that right Joey or not? I think you need a meter which will
help with the tuning problem.

joey_schu · Post by **joey_schu** » Sun Jun 15, 2003 11:07 am

Hi stew,

Actually, the said notes have been a little droopy ever since I got the chanter, sorry for not specifying that. However, I have noticed it more-so recently, which to me feels like a reed problem (?). Keep in mind I've only had this chanter for about 3-4 weeks, but while I can get the rest of the notes steady and in tune, that low e is not playing nice.

Thanks for the help everyone. Thanks stew.

Joey

anima · Post by **anima** » Sun Jun 15, 2003 11:20 am

Again Joey,

Knowing how new you are to the instrument, I would be very cautious about messing with the reed. Part of learning to play the uilleanns is learning the idiosyncracies of your particular stick. Work with it for a while and see what happens. I wish someone had told me that when I was starting out.

Jeff

joey_schu · Post by **joey_schu** » Sun Jun 15, 2003 12:23 pm

Yeah Jeff,

I won't be touching the reed anytime soon. I'm not sure exactly what I'd do anyways, plus for all I know it may not even be done "adjusting" completely. This is why I'm looking forward to Irish Fest in Milwaukee - it'll be my first time talking to other uilleann pipers in person. Sad, huh? I'm gonna have alot of questions...

Thanks,
Joey

stew · Post by **stew** » Sun Jun 15, 2003 2:23 pm

Joey,
some of your boys there will help you out with any problems
your having with your chanter, enjoy Milwaukee all the best.

MacEachain · Post by **MacEachain** » Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:14 pm

Hi Joey,
If you haven't already done so, you should download the 2 free publications from "The South-Western Assoc. of Uilleann Pipers" www.swaup.org . One is called "A Handbook for Uilleann Pipers" and the other "Reed Making for Uillean Pipes". There's lots of information in both, including tuning tips etc. It's a credit to the SWAUP that they make this freely available, thanks Guys

Mac

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