Hey guys! I’m trying to play along with the Clarke tutor CD but my notes don’t match his. Like my E and his E sound alot different. I can get closer if I ease off on bag pressure but it still is alot different. What can I do to get my chanter (or reed) more in tune?
Hi Pipezilla,
First things first: Dr. Clarke is a woman. In fact, she was a teenager when she made that project as I understand. 
Basically, if you are sharp to her, push your reed in. Flat: pull it out.
Briefly,
T
If all the other notes are in tune, I usually have to “stuff” the chanter with either a rush or by some poster putty/beeswax in the holes. I prefer to use some poster putty in the ghost D and E holes. I have to use a U shaped piece of plastic in the bell to get my hard D and so it is faster and easier for me to adjust when/if it is needed.
Puttying the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the ghost d and the top 1/3 or so in the E hole works well on my Hillmann D chanter.
I tune the ghost D so that it is just barely sharp, weak and ghostly sounding to back D, and then I tune the E so that it is in tune when played and fingered off the knee (bottom pinkie down).
Then I can blow E into tune in the octave and it sounds OK with just a bit of bag pressure adjustment played on the knee (bottom pinkie and ring finger raised).
My ghost D is tuned to what Liam O’Flynn uses in set of polkas from the “Cold Blow and Rainy Night” album that has the polka known as 40 Pound Float, Armagh, The Armagh, Da-da, Death From Above, Forty Pound Float, Forty Pound Floiat, Hiils Of Connemara, Jack Ryan’s, John Ryan’s, Johnny Ryan’s, Keadue, The Keadue, Psycho, Sean Ryan’s."(& the Dum Dum Polka). Give a listen to that track and hear how he uses ghost d as a pick up note.
Tune that note first, then the E hole and see how you like it.
Isn’t it the other way round? If you’re sharp, pull the reed out of the seat and if flat, push it further in. 
I have heard that he may be built backwards. Rumor has it that his feet smell and his nose runs…
Oops my bad.
It’s in tune now! I just added more hemp and played around with it.
Thanks for the responses.
Very good PJ. You’ve passed my little test.
Just seeing if people are paying attention. Yes, that’s it.
t