When playing an FGA triplet (as in Tobin’s Jig), I cannot manage to sound G nicely with only one finger – the note comes out like some strange crowing noise even if I reduce pressure. I can play it with F and G fingers open, but then it loses the blip-blip-blip quality.
Any experienced pipers come across this and a remedy?
Thanks-
Dave Jones
Just a guess here.
If my reed is too closed up the single finger G will not sit nicely in the lower octave.
If that’s the case then opening the reed slightly may help.
But it could be something else entirely.
David
Some chanters don’t like the single fingered G in the lower octave. If you add a bit more pressure to it and shorten the length of the note you should get enough of a whisper out of it to maintain the popping sound of a stacatto triplet wiothout actually sounding the note.
djm
I concur with djm. I was concerned about this as well a few years ago.
I spoke with my pipemaker about it and he said that was just the way his chanters behaved.
So if yours is a chanter that just won’t do this, do as djm says - tighen up the triplet, and if you play it fast it will sound fine..
If it’s a very slow triplet for some reason (this would not be common I’d say), then you should have time to play it with the 2 finger G
Cheers,
Pelham
I’ve played two chanters that do that. I was also concerned and talked to a friend of mine in Adelaide about it. He wasn’t concerned at all. Nearly all sets I’ve heared tend to do that (even Fromont’ 
). Have a listen to Gay Mckeann[an/on] on the Volume 2 of the piping tutor. His set doest it as well. I also recall that there was an explination as well. Don’t be too concerned about it. I think it adds variaty to the tune , and gives the Uilleann pipes their individuallity.
Cheers L42B 
Just to encourage pipers not to give up on the lower octave single finger G, I seem to recall two good recorded example.
Liam O’Flynn plays a lower octave GFE tight triplet into the D at the beginning of the Tailor’s Twist and isn’t there a reel on Atlantic Bridge where Davy Spillane plays a lower octave FGF tight triplet.
I hope I’m not imagining these.
David
Practice kiddies… practice If your reed is too light it’ll be ultra hard to get a lower octave G in the FGA tripaleth.
Old Man D’Arcy.
True enough sometimes Patrick, but there are some chanters that just won’t do it. I spoke with Kirk Lynch about it (his older chanters WILL do a 1 finger G, but the newer one I have will not) and he acknowledged this is a normal characteristic of the chanter.
I certainly wouldn’t call it a problem - if it’s a tradeoff for improvements in other characteristics, I’ll gladly take it. My chanter (made in ~2000 or 1999) is a masterful piece of work. But it still doesn’t play a 1 finger 1st octave G
Cheers,
Pelham