How long does it take to break in a chanter reed?
Without being too rigid in all this, with daily attendance, the reeds in bottle # 1 should be ready to hand out in about two or three weeks, those in bottle # 2 will take perhaps four to six weeks, and bottle # 3 will probably take longer and require more aggressive management.
How long does a bagpipe chanter reed last?
Contrary to ‘J.C.M.’s’ quote, the average pipe chanter reed, if well maintained, can last several months or even years. If your reed is wearing out within weeks something is wrong. I have heard comments like, “My reeds only last me two weeks!” or “After a short while my reed just starts chirping on me”.
How do you break in new chanter reed?
A really simple method of breaking in reeds is to get a practice chanter, put your new pipe chanter reed in it and very loosely tape the mouthpiece to a raw compressor hose. You’ll want to allow some of the air to escape otherwise the reed will be overpowered and simply close up and stop working.
What are bagpipe reeds made of?
cane
The sounds a bagpipe make – hopefully good sounds – come from vibrating reeds. There is a reed in each drone, and in the chanter. Reeds are made from a tough plant called cane. Cane, which is much the same as bamboo, is a member of the grass family.
How do you make a bagpipe reed harder?
An alternative to modifying the reed is to tape the top of the chanter hole to flatten the note that is too sharp. If the High-A has too much “crow”, aside from just blowing through it (blowing harder) or giving a new reed some time to break-in, you can sand at the very tip of the reed as you would to flatten High-A.
What is the pitch of a bagpipe chanter?
441 Hz
Published measurements from 1885 show the pitch of one chanter to be 441 Hz, while the average of several chanters was found to be 459 Hz in the mid 1950s. Recent measurements show that modern chanters tend to tune between 470 and 480 Hz for low A.
How to set up a bagpipe chanter?
In order to introduce a little moisture prior to setting up your chanter it is recommended that you first of all take 5 minutes or so just to blow through the open end of the staple as this, therefore, will partially re-hydrate the reed and better prepare it for initial set up. Step 3 Fitting the bagpipe chanter reed.
Should I break-in my Reed outside of the bagpipe?
The bottom line in all this is to break-in your reed outside of the bagpipe. Be patient and take a conservative approach with any adjustments. After your reed is properly broken in, you can play it for extended periods of time in your bagpipe without worry.
Why does the Piper cut the tip off the Reed?
If the piper has a more modern chanter, but is trying out a long, wide chanter reed, and the results are a flat impression on the scale, he may start to ‘pitch’ the reed by cutting the tip off. This is best done against a hard block billot with a very sharp reedknife; and the cuts should be as close to 1/2mm as possible.
What length reed should I get for my chanter?
For chanters made before, say, 1966 the effective blade length can be 48/64ths inch or even slightly longer, with no diminution in width. Reeds are best made for a particular chanter. A reed that goes well in one chanter will not necessarily go well in another.