Why does my chanter sound like crap?

[PiperOfThePlains]

Like many others have put here, I, too, own one of these chanters. The are most certainly of Pakistani origin; and, although usable (I use this term loosely), are hardly any good for firewood.

If you're serious about piping, I would strongly recommend a Shepherd, McCallum, or Dunbar chanter, with a Shepherd or Dunbar reed. (I started on the Dunbar Millennium 2000 chanter.) As far as what to look for in a quality PC, always go with the long one. "Regular" or "Child's" size practice chanters are only hurting you in the long run. A long PC (About 20/22" long) will better prepare your fingers for a full size pipe chanter.

You should be blowing enough to keep the chanter going; but not too hard as if to kill (stop) the reed, nor too soft to make it, as said above, like a duck call. Keeping the mouthpiece comfortable in your lips is incredibly difficult on a chanter. They make them to be too small, casing the piper to use more muscle power to keep it sealed.

If you are interested in lessons, PM me and I can get you set up my instructor for Skype lessons.

I hope this helps!

EDIT: I notice you're using an Abbot reed. These take a lot of air to operate, which may be the cause of your frustration.

[hag]

I'm with you chasem, its the Pakistan made chanter. Drop the Pakistan and invest in a Gibson,McCallum, or other poly chanters.
hag

[TheOfficialBren]

Excellent! Thank you, gents, for all of your valuable advice!

The reed is a Gibson. I bought it from a piping supply store, don't recall which.

I play the feadóg (Irish Whistle) and the amount of air required is significantly more than that. I've noticed that it's best that I not try to play both back-to-back, kind of like drumming and playing guitar. Drums then guitar usually equals mush. Guitar then drums is usually okay, though. The body requires some "reset" time.

Serious props to you guys who march and pipe!

Yes. Very interested in Skype lessons. I'll PM you, POTP.

So...longer chanter is closer to a bagpipe chanter. Got it. I'd like to get proficient enough to invest in a set of pipes but that's definately a long way off. Not in a hurry.

Why don't they just make PCs to the same specs as the GHB chanter to begin with?

[MacGumerait]

Bren , greetings my friend !

I can certainly understand your frustration with the practice chanter you are using . In my own humble opinion , I don't think you will get satisfaction with it , regardless of the reed .

The " practice chanter " is just as important as the set of pipes one chooses . It begins at the beginning ,

Some practice chanters are longer , some not , but the important thing to remember .... a good practice chanter will result in good piping . ( well sometimes )

[EagleJCS]

Why don't they just make PCs to the same specs as the GHB chanter to begin with?

Well, the short answer is it's a difference in the bore of the chanter. Most PC's have a cylindrical bore (the interior diameter is the same all the way through) while the bagpipe chanter has a conical bore (the interior diameter at the top of the chanter is much narrower than at the bottom).

The difference being necessary for both volume and pressure. The narrower the bore, the more pressure is needed to sound a note - not that we blow/squeeze any harder for the higher pitch notes on the GHB, but it takes more pressure for the note to sound. That's also why the higher pitched notes are quieter (relatively speaking) on the GHB than on the PC.

If the PC bore were conical, the blowing pressure would vary greatly from note to note, and the student would have a much more difficult time learning to play (and the beastie's a challenge enough already!). Having a cylindrical bore allows the player to concentrate less on blowing and more on learning finger technique and tune.

[Ron Abbott]

Like many others have put here, I, too, own one of these chanters. The are most certainly of Pakistani origin; and, although usable (I use this term loosely), are hardly any good for firewood.

If you're serious about piping, I would strongly recommend a Shepherd, McCallum, or Dunbar chanter, with a Shepherd or Dunbar reed. (I started on the Dunbar Millennium 2000 chanter.) As far as what to look for in a quality PC, always go with the long one. "Regular" or "Child's" size practice chanters are only hurting you in the long run. A long PC (About 20/22" long) will better prepare your fingers for a full size pipe chanter.

You should be blowing enough to keep the chanter going; but not too hard as if to kill (stop) the reed, nor too soft to make it, as said above, like a duck call. Keeping the mouthpiece comfortable in your lips is incredibly difficult on a chanter. They make them to be too small, casing the piper to use more muscle power to keep it sealed.

If you are interested in lessons, PM me and I can get you set up my instructor for Skype lessons.

I hope this helps!

EDIT: I notice you're using an Abbot reed. These take a lot of air to operate, which may be the cause of your frustration.

I disagree. The whole hype about long practice chanters being better is nothing more than hype. I had one for some time and absolutely hated it. Difficult to put it on the table when practicing and it did nothing to help my fingering. I know many others who got into the same 'fad' and later gave up on it. Did not prepare my fingers in any way or form for a pipe chanter, it merely caused frustration.

Get a good standard size blackwood or even poly practice chanter from a reputable maker. Several good makers have been mentioned on the forum already.....although I'm surprised that Sinclair hasn't been mentioned. Not sure if Brian is back in business (on either side of the pond) but Inveran also produces a high end product.

[Jack Daw]

In learning piobaireachd, I purchased a few of CDs of Pipe Major Donald MacLeod's Classic Collection of Piobaireachd Tutorials, which features piobaireachd in canntaireachd, on practice chanter, and with oral instruction. Frankly, I prefer recordings of real pipes, cmpared to the practice chanter, as a means of entertainment.

[TheOfficialBren]

I have a question. I saw a practice chanter on that bidding site with two holes perpendicular to the fingering holes but below them. What are these holes? I've never seen them on any other chanter before.

I bid on it before I noticed them and have since been outbid. Pity. The price was right and cash is short.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181441825804

[Ron Abbott]

That's the bottom half of what appears to be a 'long' practice chanter. The top part is missing!

In fact at first I thought it was a pipe chanter until I noted the smaller counter-sunk fingering holes.

The two holes you refer to are tone holes.

So don't worry, you don't have to use your toes (or any other body part ) on them because you've run out of fingers!

They're there to help get the required tone.

But if you almost bought that, I'd respectively suggest that you ask someone who knows what they're doing because if you had bought that, you'd need to go and source/buy a top afterwards.

I'm not a fan of these long practice chanters, although there are many pipers who swear by them.

I far prefer the standard sized practice chanters.

You should be able to get a brand new blackwood practice chanter for around 80 GBP+ or thereabouts or a delrin/polypenco one for about 30 GBP+.

There are a number of used ones on ebay. Here's one:=

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bagpipes-Hen...item1c420cb2fb


Here's an advert on ebay for a basic, brand new, plastic one:-

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wallace-Plas...item1c41ba1849

[hag]

Their called the sound holes, if you cover one or both holes it changes the tone when playing the chanter. I seen the picture where is the mouth piece that goes on top? Be careful, what you see is what you get in the picture the chanter without the mouth piece.
hag