I’ve noticed that my back D is flat. The c-hole is a little sharp so I added electric tape and that solved the problem. If I want to sharpen my back d, do I need to shave x off reed or can should I raise/lower the reed in the chanter?
Thanks
With what you say about the problem, it’s not really enough information to help you.
How/where are the rest of the notes?
Why don’t you just sink the reed in a little bit, and see what affect it has on the rest of the notes. That is, non-destructive first.
Is your pressure even. Or just try opening more fingers to sound the back D, leaving just the A finger on.
On my chanter, the back d pressure gradient is “backwards” meaning that added pressure pushes the pitch down. It’s controllable and stable, so I am ok with it. (So is my local pipe guru, who is well qualified to make that call)
The moral being, maybe it is a pressure adjustment thing?
Remove a little hemp/binding so that the reed sits a little further down in the chanter throat. Also try moving the reed bridle a fraction.
Heres a couple of sites (there are others):
http://www.upreeds.com
Hi rglight,
right order:
1st: Check the tuning of “a” or “g” in lower octave to 440 Hz.
Probably the reed has become louder. That lowers the tuning, more the upper octave than the lower one and also flattens the back “d” a bit. So if too loud + flat shift the bridle a bit to staple-end. That closes the lips a bit and sharpens the tuning including the “back d”, more the upper than the lower octave. Afterwards shift the reed in the chanter out or in to tune to 440 Hz. Or simply you only have to push the reed into the chanter for about 1 mm. Try this first.
If that is not sufficient I assume the reed was never good, “back d” ever flat. New reed? Then the visible and scratched part of the reed cane is too long altough it might be in tune with other notes and both octaves. Then:
2nd: You could cut about 0.5 mm from the tip or let it do by someone who is able to. Then the reed has a higher eigenfrequency, back d will be sharpened, because its the note with the maximum influence coming just form his eigenfrequency. You probably have to pull it out for about 0.5 mm from the chanter top to reach again 440 Hz. But then probably the upper octave will be a bit sharp. Cane to be unwind, pull it longer to normal lenght (about 82-83 mm) over all and back into the chnater, try again.
More than described may be not a job for this forum because too complex. Job for a visit in a workshop 
All these posts have been helpful, but I doubt its a pressure thing. I’ve tried a variety of pressure and can’t get it in tune. It seems that the rest of the holes are all in tune except for the c (which I fixed with electric tape). I’ll try the bridle first, and then pulling the reed out. At this time I only have 1 reed some I’m a little chary of shaving it, in the likely case I screw up. I’ll update with what, if anything, worked.