I saw few photos of Concert chanters with 5th (high D) key (Koehler&Quinn, Rowsome, Froment…). Liam O’Flynn chanter also have it. Are they realy used by these pipers or they are more like cosmetic luxury ? Listening Liam O’Flynn music, I didn’t yet notice it - I gues I don’t listen good enought 
Thanks, AA
Top D is usually easily enough achieved without the key. The key has it’s uses though.
Liam O’Flynn has one, but he just uses cross fingering in this video at 4:30:
Can you please elaborate or point to some information on this?
I originally did not ask for that key on mine, however to get the all the keys I wanted, it was cheaper than the price of that extra key to get the same chanter with a 5th key on it in my situation, so I went ahead and got a chanter with that key on it, in the case that I may someday use it.
Probably nothing I will fiddle around with for awhile, but I’ve been curious about it’s applications as well.
I cross finger for the “D”, just as I do on my D chanter. I have a high D key on my B chanter, but I haven’t figured out how best to use it. I get an octave drop when I do.
I have noticed that cross fingering the 3rd octave D works much better with reeds that have a narrow staple. With a wider staple the note usually drops or is impossible to reach in the first place. Using the same chanter with both kinds of staples.
Cross finger it.
My Quinn chanter has a High D key and it works great. I’ve had to use it on gigs from time to time. So not a useless ornament, but true something that’s not needed very often.
I had to use it here for example… odd anyhow, using a D chanter to play the theme in the key of C but I do what I’m told and get paid
you played that? 
Haha very cool! brings back old memories!
I think it’s a common misconception that this is a “high d” key, when really it’s for high c# and d. This makes it much more useful if in fact you ever need an in-tune second octave C#. The usual fingering is usually painfully sharp. On many chanters the cross-fingered 3rd octave d is too, but on others the cross-fingered note is tolerable.
If you’re unclear on this, the fingering is (usually): open the usual two toneholes for high b, then lift the right index finger and open the high c#/d key with it (yielding a high c# that isn’t as sharp). From there, opening the C# tonehole then should give an in-tune 3rd octave d.
- Bill
Aha, so it’s basically a vent key? Interesting! Makes sense.
It’s not really a vent key, as there are nearby open toneholes in the relevant fingerings; in fact in the case of high c#, it has the usual relationship to open toneholes in being a keyed hole just above the highest open one.
It’s useful for going from high a’’ or b’’ to d’‘’ and back, too. Or c’‘’. Two keys going at once. In tune? Dunno about that. Never checked. These are things I throw in in the “heat of the moment.” You get a different tone with the key; also something to use for an alternate grace note. I prefer the key for d’‘’ alternating with c#‘’‘, too. Cross fingering’s better if you want to snap the chanter shut after hitting the high d’‘’. I do miss the high d’‘’/c’‘’ key when I’m playing my P Brown chanter which doesn’t have one.