Practice Chanter and Book Advice

[OC Richard]

So cool! Good luck with your lessons!

I mentioned "clean arpeggios" and "crossing noises" and someone coming from piano might not know what a piper means when they say those things.

The problem with the Highland pipes is it's "partially closed" or "partially open" fingering system. (Glass half empty/full.)

Whereas orchestral woodwinds generally operate on an "open" fingering system.

To take one example, going from D to E on the Highland chanter as compared with going from G to A on the orchestral flute.

On the flute:

xxx ooox
xxo ooox

You're just lifting one finger! Nowt to go wrong.

On the Highland pipes:

xxx ooox
xxo xxxo

Hold on, what's this? On the flute all the lower-hand fingers remain the same, while on the Highland pipes all four lower-hand fingers reverse positions!

Theo Boehm is spinning in his grave!

So when going from D to E on the Highland chanter FIVE fingers are reversing: the fingers on have to come off and visa versa.

So what's "not playing cleanly" or a "crossing noise"? This:

Let's say when you go from D to E you accidentally put down the lower-hand fingers a split-second before you raise the upper-hand finger, thus:

xxx ooox
xxx xxxx
xxo xxxo

or:

xxx ooox
xxx xxxo
xxo xxxo

THAT'S a crossing noise! Or crossing note, as some call it. In this example it's a Low G or Low A appearing between the D and E. It sounds like a little catch or blip, and is the hallmark of the piper who hasn't had proper instruction.

Thing is, on the actual Highland bagpipe chanter Low A and Low G are the loudest notes, so ONE piper playing a crossing noise in a 12-piper Pipe Band will be heard...by one of the Piping Judges! When you're in competition.

I think the thing that makes me cringe the most, when hearing certain pipers and Pipe Bands, is continuous crossing noises peppering every tune. Well, that and out-of-tune pipes!