Flat reed and bridle…sounds like a new tune title!
So…I am playing my pipes this week and I have noticed that they are 5-10 cents flat all of a sudden.
I am preparing to play with a symphony orchestra in a week and this is not a good sign.
I adjust everything to play with the chanter and then notice that every day I am having to re-adjust, which I rarely have to do.
I decide to take a look at the chanter reed and notice that the bridle moves about rather easily. So…I moved the bridle back to where I remember it being located and try it out and it plays great again…for about a minute!
Well…I figure I have to tighten the bridle which I do and then the lips are too closed and my chanter sounds like a wispy, wimpy thing.
After an hour of adjusting and re-adjusting I finally get my chanter back in tune and with the correct volume. The pipes sound great again.
I suppose the cold dry weather had made the bridle loose perhaps.
The moral of this story is; don’t be afraid to re-adjust your reed, especially if you notice a tuning issue.
My guess would be that the cane of the reed lost moisture and shrank.
I don’t know what type of bridle you use but I started using very thin wire bridles (like Rogge uses). I find they give more control than the more common copper band.
Maybe the reeds getting nervous with the upcoming event.
RORY
It’s not the reed that is nervous!
I got roped into playing with this orchestra (Marin Symphony Orchestra) because they needed someone who can play uilleann pipes and highland pipes.
We are going to be performing music from the movie “Brave.”
The uilleann pipe part is short and easy. The highland pipe part is little more complex and I sure don’t want to make a mistake on stage. Plus playing highland pipes with an orchestra has always been challenging.
They sent me the orchestra score and I was at first baffled until I got to actually hear a sound clip of the music.
I have been practicing my little fingers off with only two weeks to go.
BTW I am using a copper bridle. They do occasionally slip. Perhaps I will go with the wire bridle someday.
I’ll second PJ’s endorsement of Rogge-style wire bridles: they’re definitely less prone to slipping around, and they’re a lot easier to adjust.
I’ve also had luck using a little blob of window-caulk (the kind that comes rolled up in a “rope”) to hold the bridle in position. You’d think it would have a dampening effect on the reed’s tone, but in practice it doesn’t seem to.
Cheers,
Mick
Hi Richard. you probably mentioned it before but are you a full time musician or do you also have a day job, just curious.
RORY
Hi Rory,
Well, I get asked that a lot actually because I wear a suit almost everyday.
I have been guessed as a lawyer, banker, real estate agent, IRS, Men in Black, etc. (I like Men in Black the best!)
As much as I wish I were a full time musician, I am not.
So, to answer your curiousity, I am a funeral director. There is an interesting story associated with that.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design and I have been a graphic designer/illustrator up until 2005 when I was laid off more times than I want to recount.
I was unemployed and looking for work when I went to play highland pipes for a funeral service. After the service I asked the lady leading the service if they had any openings. Well, they did and I got employed as a family service counselor which is a fancy title for cemetery salesman.
I moved on to funeral director several years later and have enjoyed doing it ever since, plus I get to play pipes for many of the families that I serve.
So, there you have it!
Cheers! Richard
I propped up my loose bridle with a tiny “booger” of beeswax one one side of the reed and it seemed to work fine.
It must be nice for you to know that some people are just dying to hear you play
RORY
Dang it, Rory! You took my line before I could say it.