Second Octave- Tips?

[eedbjp]

I tried a search on this but didn't find a ton. Is the second octave supposed to be so hard? Could it be the humidity here on the East Coast, or just a beginner thing? Brian

[PJ]

Second octave is divided into parts:

1. E, F# and G,
2. A, B, C, C# and D (forget about C, C# and D for the time being).

For the first part, usually, if your reed is properly adjusted, getting E, F and G in the second octave shouldn't be that difficult. It just requires a little extra pressure on the bag. Just make sure that you're not letting air leak out anywhere, as that'll probably cause you to fall back to the first octave. If you're having serious problems getting the E, F and G in the second octave, you might want to adjust your reed slightly so that the lips are closer together. If you have a copper-band bridle on the reed, squeeze the centre very slightly and watch the lips. Do this very carefully. If you over-do it, you'll lose the bottom D - it'll become gurgly. If that happens, I normally releave pressure on the centre of the reed by slipping my finger nail under the bridle.

For the second part, you usually have to do something called pinching or leading. Basically, you close the chanter fully, apply pressure to the bag, then open the F# (it should play in second octave), then open the A (which should also be in the second octave), then close the F#. Repeat this until you can do it so quickly that the F# is virtually undetectable. (Seamus Ennis's tutor says "Repeat until perfect"). Some people use the G instead of the F# to lead to the A. The same technique applies to getting the second octave B.

[Rick]

The second octave shouldn't be hard but if you just started out it will be hard to get.
Mainly because you are probably leaking all over the place on the toneholes and trying to force the chanter into the second octave even if you have to get an elephant from the zoo to sit on the bag.

It's all in the way you hold the chanter and control the bag.
Don't force anything, keep all the holes covered well and in no time you'll think, gee.., did i have so much trouble with that?

Edit: if you are an absolute beginner, do NOT touch the reed.
If you don't trust it, have someone knowledgable look at it for you when you can.
It's easilly wrecked and then there's no octave at all..
Also, closing the reed can help if it's too open, if it isn't, your next post will be how you can now only play in the second octave and your back d breaks..

[misterpatrick]

When I started out it took me a few weeks to get comfortable getting into the second octave. In the meantime, work on tunes like Dawning of the Day etc that stay in the lower octave. That way you get to start working on the tunes and not just scales. Also try and not use the pipers death gip when going into the second octave. It's easy to start sqeezing the chanter for all your worth to get that thing up there which of course does nothing but cramp your hand.

-Patrick

[gregorygraham]

When I was just beginning in the second octave (not all that long ago), it was pointed out to me that I didn't have to play high G with two fingers off the chanter. You may have discovered this already, but try playing high G with just your first finger off the chanter. That should be a lot easier. Under optimum conditions and as you get better over time, you'll be able to play high G with two fingers off.

[seisflutes]

It's also easier to get into the second octave if you close the chanter first, add pressure to the bag, and then lift the finger(s) for the note you want, at least for the first note you're going for in the second octave. This only works if you're going to a note lower than the A first, or leading into the higher notes. But if you're opening the hole(s) for, say, G, and then squeezing the bag really hard, it's less likely to go up there. As far as I can tell. I've only been playing a year and a half though, so you may want to ignore me.

[goldy]

I've noticed that you have placed a few posts in the C&F forum and so might not be a beginner as has been assumed.

It is true that beginners will struggle with the second octave, but the reed can make the second octave difficult for an experienced piper to attain. Therefore, if you are not a beginner, you may wish to explore dangerous territory and scrape your reed a bit. If the centre line on the reed is too thin by comparason to the edges of the scrape, it can make the second octave hard to get. Also, a reed that is too thick at the base of the scrape can also hinder it. Therefore, a little scraping to the sides of the base and a VERY little scraping up the edges of the reed might help. Scraping both of these areas might weaken and flatten the back D so you'll then have to find a solution for this problem (rush up chanter/raising the bridle/trimming the reed etc.)

My experience with altering reeds is that you ruin the reed and have to buy a new one from the maker (I stuffed up about 7 or 8 reeds form my pipes maker before learning to make my own). Therefore, like going into a street fight, think very carefully about whether you want to take things to the next level by pulling out a knife before you do so.

Good luck.

[eedbjp]

I'll stay away from the reed for now, until i can have someone else look at it. I've had these pipes for 2 weeks now, all my other posts were either flute related or researching pipes. I'm going to start with some of the non-surgical tips first, and save the reed info for down the road. Thanks , Brian

[danny]

any note your trying to hit on the upper octave try and twist your fingers from the note below it, and squeeze iny bit harder,doesnt really matter about the reed, it will go up there.