Narrow bore D sound files

Uilleann Pipes
1

Hi, Can someone point me in the right direction of narrow bore ‘D’ chanter sound files please? Looked on YouTube without much success. A “live” setting would be great such as a session et cetera. I am trying to determine how these sound when played along with fiddle, flute and strings. It my be that they are a definite “solo” instrument. There are no pipers in my neck of the woods so hearing them in the flesh and drawing a conclusion is a bit of a problem.
Thanks all.
Mike

2

We’ve done this exercise maybe a month ago.

There’s no one typical narrow bore D sound.

3

I’ve had 2 narrow bore D chanters. The Rogge with a Brad Angus reed was very soft, OK with a flute, or a fiddle played quietly, but more than that and I couldn’t hear myself, and they couldn’t hear me. Lovely for practising at home with minimal disturbance to others.

I am now playing a Joe Kennedy NBD with one of his reeds. It’s quiet, but it’s fine for playing flute, fiddle and guitar, but gets drowned if we add a box. For most rehearsals in someone’s house, I play the NBD. Joe estimates that it’s about 70% as loud as a his concert chanters, and I think that’s about right. If I play the NBD in a session, no one can hear me except those on either side.

There was an ad on the Uilleann Obsession for a quiet Robbie Hughes set that was claimed to be just right for small bands.

Hugh

4

I agree with Mr. Grumby. I’ve got a Joe K. narrow bore D and a Joe K. wide bore D. The former is usually louder than the latter.

I would say it is all in the reed and how the reed is set up. And of course the weather and environmental factors at the time you pick up the stick to play it.

5

Mr Gumby
Thanks for your input. Yes, I did know the topic was covered some time ago and I read them all before I posted this thread. However, the links and sound files have now been deleted so I can’t make comparisons. Any chance that you could put your narrow bore ‘D’ sound files up again please.
Thanks, Mike

6

Thanks for your input

I was a bit short. Sorry, it’s warm, it’s Willie Week. I don’t know, a soundfile may tell you something about tone but not much about volume etc. And even then the maker of the pipes maintains all you’re hearing is the player anyway. So I don’t know. A few days ago I held my own quite nicely in a group that grew way too big for my liking, I can say that much but again all these things depend so much on preference and taste I am not really sure what that means. Possibly that you shouldn’t make decisions about pipes based on anything you find on the internet.

7

I don’t know, a soundfile may tell you something about tone but not much about volume etc. And even then the maker of the pipes maintains all you’re hearing is the player anyway. Quote “Gumby”.



Well, I would not go quite so far as to say " ALL you are hearing". Give the man a nasty unwilling set where notes cannot be moulded to shape and with drones that sound like a truck grinding its way up a steep hill and it all might produce a different picture… BUT, give a good NBD to someone who is used to playing a proper flat set and the results can be beautifull.

8

I suppose that was a bit of hyperbole on my part to stress the point that it’s not maybe all too useful to think of a sort of generic NBD and approach the subject as if that sort of thing existed. Or maybe I was just sloppy coming in from Willie.