Anyone any idea about barking/growling Top E’s? My chanter/reed (which is otherwise playing OK) has just developed this fault after years of playing steadily, its really strange…any clues??
Seth Gallagher’s sticks are sometimes known to do that - and sadly Bec, I can’t recall his suggestion for taming it. He may have something on his site, but I don’t know for certain: http://www.uilleann.com
Hi Becky, Could you’re reed have a bit of fluff in it? try cleaning in between the lips very carefully with a feather. It did the trick for my growler
Cheers guys - the bit of fluff in it is a distinct possibility, the reed is years old and looks like i’ve been sweeping the floor with it its that dirty! I guess its spring clean time for it…eeek! i’m nervous!
Find a feather, if you can, and use it. Nice 'n gentle should do the trick.
Surely you don’t think - after reading her post - that the chanter suddenly developed this problem?
Nope, and I didn’t say that. Only that Seth’s chanters exhibited a similar phenom from time to time. It’s in the reeds as I understood it, but again - can’t remember now what the cure was…
Cleaning a reed can really breath life back into it. I had a dirty reed from years of pub gigs, there was a visible layer of black dust just inside the lips. The reed began to display signes of weakening with cracking notes and all that and funny top Es, but it required much more than a feather.
I took a small piece of very fine emery paper and slipped it between the lips and then pressed the lips closed with my fingers while withdrawing the emery paper. Twice on each side was enough to remove the dirt.
After that the reed was like new - nice and strong and a tone that I had not heard for a while.
Cheers,
DavidG
It sounds like an opportunity to introduce a chihuahua version of The Fox Hunt.
Mukade
I had some lovely drone reeds that Ian made. They where lovely and bussy three year olds (if not older). For some reason just resently my tenor drone reed would cut out when I entered the second octave over high A. Next I know it decided to ‘kick-the-bucket’ and refused to work.
However considering the age of the reed (more than three years). It had a good life. So now I’m just playing the chanter. Waiting painchently for a quote by a well respected reed maker in Australia.
Just thought I’d let you know that your not the only one with problems Becky. Troublesome things these pesky besties are.
Cheers L42B 
PS: I did the check list and nothing is wrong with the actuall set. Just the reed.
I know that I feel much better after being tickled with a feather … 
djm
“Sure is raining out, ain’t it?”
Well I’ve just ‘spring cleaned’ the old thing and am amazed by the amount of black sludge that i’ve just removed from it (yeuurgh) 
I had to try the feather trick and the fine emery paper and it still looks a bit black in places but at least now its back working nice again and no barking E . 
However considering the age of the reed (more than three years).
L42B,
Have you tried all the usual drone reed things we do when they tend to close under pressure? Lightly snapping the tongue, rolling the reed between your hands (as if youre warming your hands), or putting a hair under the tongue?
Most of the things you mentioned I have done. Simmilar techniques to getting highland bagpipe drones to work 
. I haven’t tried the thing that Ausdag mentioned. So I’ll give that a try. What other suggestions would you recommend.
Cheers L42B
L42B,
I don’t know if what I said will work with drone reeds. It’s particularly good for chanter reeds such as Becky’s problem, but have a go and let us know how it goes.
Cheers,
DavidG
becky, i don’t feel worthy to suggest anything to you, but i will anyway. even though its probably the reed, try taping off the lower half of the ghost e hole.
meir
Cheers for the suggestion - I did try that actually (as it’s worked in the past and I do like a nice Harsh E as well in the bottom octave and it helps with that too) but surprisingly it didn’t make any difference. The reed spring cleaning definately seems to have done the job tho!
I’ve found that a combination of tape over the 2nd hole plus some bee’s wax in the lower E hole fix the gurgle as well as balance out a flat top E and sharp bottom E.
Glad you’ve fixed the problem Becky. I think reeds benefit from the occassional inside sanding from time-to time.
Cheers,
DavidG
Well the reed benefited from it but my nerves sure didn’t! - I’m glad its not something that needs doing too often…