practice chanter recommendations?

[Pyper]

I have a Gibson and a Naill. They both sound good but the Gibson won't tune with others in my band.

I've played Soutar PCs at the games and they sound just as good as any others but for less $.

And definitely find someone to help you learn, even if it's informally and occasionally.

[creagdhubh]

Hello,

I agree with many of the comments above. Finding a good instructor is vital to your success and ultimate goal of advancing to the full set of pipes. I agree with David Pope in regards to purchasing a specific practic chanter that your tutor may require, however, my personal recommendation for your practice chanter would be the following: David Naill Blackwood long with Polypenco top and Chris Apps reeds.

http://www.naill-bagpipes.com/ch_practice.php

http://www.appsreeds.com/

Best of luck!

[English Bloke]

Bearing in mind I know nowt. I have a Poly Bannatyne Long (without sole) and use Soutar Reeds. Works for me.

[OC Richard]

Out of tune PCs are sort of a "pet peeve" of mine.

There's no reason a PC can't be in tune!

But let me start with a bit of background information.

Traditional PCs, what many makers are calling "standard" or "regular" nowadays, were intended to play at around Concert B Flat, the pitch pipers call "466" nowadays.

They are the length they are to get that pitch; they wanted that pitch because that's the pitch that bagpipe chanters used to be at. (Actually, of course, PCs are one octave lower than a pipe chanter.)

The holes were drilled at more or less even intervals, giving a rather sharp D and an especially sharp High G... because that's how pipe chanters were tuned in the old days!

Ironically, as the pitch of pipe chanters has steadily gone up over the last 40 years (to halfway between Bb and B), the pitch of PCs has gone down, due to the introduction of "fullsize" or "large" PCs.

These were introduced in order to have a PC that had the same fingerhole spacing as a pipe chanter, but an inadvertant result was a rather lower pitch, usually around 450, in other words around a quartertone between A and Bb.

So now that PCs have dropped a quartertone, and pipe chanters have risen a quartertone, PCs are now an octave plus a semitone lower than pipe chanters, rather than an octave as in the old days.

Regardless of a PC's pitch, it should be in tune to itself. How can a beginner develop a musical ear if he's playing all day with an out of tune scale??

Another aspect of traditional PCs is their high backpressure, far more backpressure than an instrument of that volume could possibly require. Perhaps this was done intentionally, so that the tyro would develop lip strength as he practiced. This backpressure is achieved by using a very narrow bore in the mouthpiece as well as the chanter, and a long narrow reed.

Anyhow my favourite PC is the Gibson long. It's more like a smallpipe chanter that you happen to mouthblow than a traditional PC: it's far more freeblowing (lower backpressure) and has a clearer more musical tone, due to the larger bore and completely different reed design (a short wide reed like Northumbrian smallpipes rather than the traditional PC reed).

Here's what two Gibson long PCs sound like, played together

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0md2m57tOw

The Gibson, though a "long" PC, is made to tune in around 466 (Concert Bb).

It won't tune in very well with McCallum longs and Naill longs which are very low, around 450 (halfway between A and Bb).

[crew2447]

Over the years I've had four practice chanters. #1 was the cheap Pakistani model. It sounded pretty good and has been given to a friend who expressed an interest in learning the pipes.

#2 was given to me by another friend who picked it up in Scotland. It's delrin (called polypenco in Scotland). It's been tentatively identified as a TruTone.

My wife gave me #3, a Gibson delrin full size model.

# 4 is a Strathmore African blackwood with a John Walsh reed. It is by far the best sounding PC I own and for a PC sounds very musical.

The TruTone is my second favorite and lives in my car for practice at stoplights and on the ferry. It's been nearly indestructible.

The Gibson was my choice because of reviews on various forums. But it seems not in tune with itself and has a decidedly duck like sound to my ear. Neither of the instructors I've had liked it's sound. The first guy had me play the TruTone. The second insturctor acquired the Strathmore for me.

I'd suggest finding an instructor first. He or she may have a PC to loan you to get started. Buy your first PC based on your instructor's recommendation. Or if you're starting your instruction with a band, get a PC that is the same as what the band uses.

[Macman]

Another aspect of traditional PCs is their high backpressure, far more backpressure than an instrument of that volume could possibly require. Perhaps this was done intentionally, so that the tyro would develop lip strength as he practiced. This backpressure is achieved by using a very narrow bore in the mouthpiece as well as the chanter, and a long narrow reed.

Great post! I always wondered about blowing pressure on a PC; thanks for the education.

[Tin Whistler]

I play a McCallum Long PC. But that's just my preference. My son loves his Dunbar Long PC. McCallum uses a traditional waxed hemp seal and my boys is O-rings (easy Maintenance!).
I've used a few different PC's and what I've noticed most is the selection of reed I used that really made a difference. Also go with a long chanter so your fingering is how it will be the same as a Chanter on a set of GHB's
I'm far from an expert on this, just what I like and have learned in the past year of learning to play the pipes.

A great instructor is essential to the learning process, and face to face time is essential, but I back up my in person lessons with something called the Piper's Dojo (Easily Googled, I don't know if supplying the link violates anything on these forums)

Most of all Good luck to you and stick with it!, the very first time you pick up a full set of pipes and actually get the mechanics of them down and play a tune....I can't put into words the feeling you'll get!

[CamelCody]

Thanks everyone,
I really appreciate all the information and the time taken to give it. I'll be separating out of the Marine Corps soon and am looking forward to having some time to take up hobbies. So the main point is "find an instructor." That then begs the question, does anyone instruct/ know an instructor around Prescott, Arizona area?

[Riverkilt]

Up the road from you in Flagstaff there's a bagpipe retailer - Thompson Bagpipes

Flagstaff is a hotbed of bagpipes. Check them out. http://www.thomsonbagpipes.com/

[haukehaien]

Try Denise Robinson: http://piperlady.vpweb.com/default.html. I would also go to the Highland Games in May and ask the pipers there about their teachers.