I open my F finger to bring my upper octave A into tune … it’s a flaw in the reed or its setup that makes it too flat, I am sure. The reast of the chanter is in balance in both octaves (with a little tape on G some days).
My question is, if I get in the habit now of playing second octave A with F finger open, and then one day make a proper reed that does not require this, is this a bad habit I will find hard to break? I am learning a few new tunes. I am wondering if, one day when the reed I’m using will not require the A played as I described it, I will have a problem.
I don’t see this as being a habit forming practice. It is not uncommon to use alternative fingering to play high ‘a’. It (high ‘a’ fingering) may even change with a shift in humidity.
You may have a bad habit, but as you still play the “low” A as normal, you will be able to change your fingering quite easily.
Anyway, the best would be to change your reed, not your fingering
You can wonder what A fingering is normal. You control you intonation and tone by the way you use the fingers. Personally I don’t think recommending anybody to play high A single fingered is a good idea at all (if only for the increased chance of dropping it on most chanters). Use your fingerings to get the best out of your chanter.
I had an interesting discussion with a couple of GHB players. There was an antique GHB chanter that did not play in tune with the current accepted fingerings. One piper said if it did not play in tune with the modern fingering, that it was a bad chanter. The owner had reciently won a solo competition with that chanter using an alternate fingering that played it in tune, and noted that many expert players thought it to be an exceptionally lovely sounding stick. My point is “whatever works” is the best for any particular chanter/reed combo. Being in tune comes first, even if it means shading or alternate fingerings on some note(s).
Whether the high A will sound with the F finger open is a benchmark I use for making reeds. Many tunes have this movement (Lark in the Morning, College Groves) and if the reed drops every time it has been overscraped, is leaking, etc.
I play GHBs and the fingering is quite rigid. There are only two variations for GHB I know of, both frowned upon: an “open C” (C played without closing low G) and a strange high A that I have only seen one person and his students do: he closes the E hole instead of D ( he is a phenomenal piper).
So you see, I started with the rigidity of GHBs and assumed the same held for UPs.
I don’t drop my high A much. It’s just flat sometimes. Opening the F hole sharpens it up enough to match my drones nicely. I only bother to open it like this for notes that are held.
I am learning that there is a great deal of flexibility in this instrument. I like that.
Now, my next question: what do you suppose I am doing in my reed fabrication to consistently have the following symptoms:
My D is so sharp I cover the hole almost half way with tape
My high A and B are flat sometimes
I’m guessing part of the problem is that I’m scraping it down too weak. I don’t drop octaves that often, though. This autumn, I’m planning to attend the northeast Tionol and I bet the reed making workshop will help a lot.
On his site he has a free downloadable booklet (in MS word or PDF) on reed tuning issues. I highly recommend this booklet as a must read for those who would pursue reed making… and it is free!
Say, have I mentioned yet that it doesn’t cost anything?
