High B

Uilleann Pipes
1

Hi, does anybody know to solve this problem: The high B is much to sharp, the high A just very slightly, And the rest is really brilliant and in tune. So if there are good solutions, please let me know.

Patrick

2

Oops, thought I was on a different forum. :blush:

3

When it comes to playing in the second octave, there is no hard and fast rule for fingering. Play around or experiment with fingering, then use what works best for you.

4

Could be a reed problem. Talk to your pipemaker about this, there are several possible solutions some of which are non-invasive.

5

I’m afraid the pipemaker will be of no help at all… R.I.P. Dave…
Patrick, it must be a reed problem. I think I saw something about this particular problem in Dave Hegarty’s book about reedmaking. Have a look at it if you can.

6

Try placing a rush in the reed staple itself. Something the size of a guitar high e string 3/4 of an inch long.
Worked for me.
Be careful not to scrape the cane inside the reed!

Tommy

7

When I want to make the B flatter in either octave through adjusting my fingering, I cover the tone hole under the third finger of the top hand and add vibrato using the middle finger of the lower hand. It has a wonderful tone in the second octave, but is harder to maintain the note than the standard fingering.

Otherwise, if you don’t want to get into the habbit of altering standard fingering, the rush in the staple is a good idea.

8

I recently had the problem of my high B being significantly sharp when the rest of the notes were more or less in tune. I resolved the problem as follows:

  1. I wrapped the head of the reed with dental floss to keep the slips from moving.
  2. Then I carefully unwrapped the the binding on the reed.
  3. Again, carefully, I withdrew the staple approx. 1mm.
  4. With great care I rewrapped the reed.

This flattened the entire 2nd octave but I sat the reed further into the throat of the chanter.

End result, the high B is still a tiny bit sharp but much better than before.

9

I agree. I had a sharp high A and B. I put a little rush in the staple, and those notes have been fine -with the rush- for almost two years now.

10

I’ll third this suggestion. Worked in my Robert’s chanter.

11

Hi all, Thanks for giving your good advice. Pitty the rush in the staple of the reed didn’t work well. Tried several. The sound became a bit dull and the B even was still (but less) to sharp and the G was going down. To adjust the fingering works better, not perfect but not to bad I would say. So have to find another reed… :sniffle:

12

I don’t know what happened, I changed the bridle a bit. A couple of times, so I don’t know what I did. It’s in good balance now, totaly a bit sharp, but I don’t mind. :slight_smile: funny things, pipes
Patrick