While I am waiting for Daye pipes to be made, I had the thought that I could find the hole distances and mark them out on a 1" dowel rod of similar size and begin practicing the fingerings for the notes.
Sure, its not really a chanter, but I thought it might have some value in helping this drummer to learn which fingers go up and down for each note BEFORE the pipes arrives, hopefully mitigating one aspect of the learning ahead of time. Then I could focus on landing the finger over the holes cleanly without having to also think “which fingers are up and down for a G?”
Is this a waste of my time? I am feeling antsy in waiting for my starter set, that’s all. I’m listening to music, watching YouTube videos in prep. I have one book on order and on its away, as well.
Hi, I think it’s a good idea, I have made the same when I was waiting for my chanter and when it arrived I hadn’t to concetrate on fingers’ positions. playing the wistle is very helpfull too. anyway the difficult task when you get the real thing (at least in my case) is to seal the holes properly…this is going to drive you mad
good luck
Okay, I just need to google for some hole spacing numbers and have fun with my dremel. Or, maybe someone could measure their D chanter and share the whole spacings?
Or maybe I could e-mail Mr. Daye and ask him. Duh.
In terms of hole spacing, a low G whistle is about the same as a D chanter. And with the whistle, there’s an easy way to check that you’re covering the holes properly (the chanter holes will probably be smaller). You can use your imagination - or adhesive dots - for the back D and bottom hole.
Sorry, can’t agree (that low whistle has utility in practicing/learning hole spacing). If the goal is learning correct uilleann/union pipe fingering, that is.
I am told that the stick with dots painted on it was an old learning tool; some have said that young learners would be expected to “tap out” tunes with the successful fingering before being given an actual chanter. But I can’t recall/verify the original sources for that at the moment.
Well, I won’t argue with pipers if my suggestion is daft, or goes against tried and true teaching. But I’m curious why you disagree.
I did line up my G whistle and D chanter, and the hole spacing is basically spot on. A whistle does feel different of course - thickness, hole size. But so does a stick with dots.
My teacher made me a cardboard chanter based off her chanter before I got my pipes, I fooled around with it, learned some “Scales” on it, and it really prepared me for when I got my pipes. I’d suggest using an exacto-knife to cut out the holes rather than just marking them with a marker, so you can feel whether or not you are hitting the holes correctly.
I’m assuming billh’s point to be that if the whistle is actually being played, then it won’t help; whistle and chanter fingerings aren’t functionally interchangeble, and anyway mimicking that bottom D action will do a world of hurt to your back and probably teeth, too, not to mention serious loss of any shred of dignity you might have left. If one doesn’t play it but just fingers it piper-wise, it can provide a modicum of an analog for a chanter but one would have to imagine the back D and ghost D holes, which may or may not be an issue depending on the individual. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a low G whistle expressly for the purpose unless one really plans to actually play the whistle anyway on its own merits, chanter fingering practice or no.
I think the idea of a dowel with black dots are a great idea if you can’t actually play on your chanter. I have an idea…instead of GUESSING what the hole demensions are…ASK David Daye!
He freely gives out the information on his new C and C# chanters:
I hear that Benedict and David are offering a beginner’s dowel for only a couple of hundred bucks.
Unfortunately the waiting period is already several years.
Yes, I have just sent the message off to him. I had pondered asking him to forgo shipping to me in favor of driving to his to pick them up by hand when they are finished, but I figured he had a method to his business and shouldn’t try and disrupt it.
If one doesn’t play it but just fingers it piper-wise, it can provide a modicum of an analog for a chanter but one would have to imagine the back D and ghost D holes, which may or may not be an issue depending on the individual. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a low G whistle expressly for the purpose unless one really plans to actually play the whistle anyway on its own merits, chanter fingering practice or no.