Hi folks,
Im just starting to learn to play the Uilleann Pipes and I have a few questions:
I feel quite comfortable with the pressure I need do play the pipes… but, when I sound the higher octave there is only a quite small range of pressure in which the E F and G sound stable plus the D is noch starting to… roll?/ scratch?/snare?.. is this normal? Or what can I do to make the D more stable so that I maybe can play in the upper octave with one pressure up to A and even then be able to have a stable D inbetween?
Playing in the lower octave the G often overblows into the second… what can I do to prevent this?
How can I sharpen a single note? I’m playing a practice set without drones of course, but i feel that the C# and B are quite flat. I know, they have to be in tune with drones and dont need to be exactly tempered. Also I already taped the D because it was far to sharp and I needed to bring the rest of the chanter up so that it is at least quite in tune.
I feel quite comfortable with the pressure I need do play the pipes… but, when I sound the higher octave there is only a quite small range of pressure in which the E F and G sound stable plus the D is noch starting to… roll?/ scratch?/snare?.. is this normal? Or what can I do to make the D more stable so that I maybe can play in the upper octave with one pressure up to A and even then be able to have a stable D inbetween?
What you are experiencing is probably “normal”. Uilleann pipes usually require a range of pressure across the scale - for instance a gradual increase from the bottom D up to the top of the second octave. Individual notes sometimes need small pressure adjustments, and this takes practice. The back d often needs less pressure than most second octave notes.
But it’s nearly impossible to diagnose problems from written descriptions, especially if you are just starting, and don’t know what is “normal”. You need to get to a gathering of more experienced pipers, or at least a lesson or two, as soon as possible. Otherwise you could learn bad habits or get used to something that isn’t set up correctly.
Playing in the lower octave the G often overblows into the second… what can I do to prevent this?
Are you sure you’re using the recommended fingering for G - two fingers off? One-finger-G will nearly always overblow, this is completely normal.
How can I sharpen a single note?
You can’t, really. At least, as a learner you should not worry too much right away, until you get better at pressure control. It’s possible that you are underblowing the first octave generally, or your reed is not set up just right, etc.
If back d is sharp but C# is really flat, you may have a reed or chanter problem. All these questions require hands-on diagnosis from an experienced player. Also realize that you may want a second or third opinion because player preferences differ a lot.
Best regards,
Bill
I’m playing a practice set without drones of course, but i feel that the C# and B are quite flat. I know, they have to be in tune with drones and dont need to be exactly tempered. Also I already taped the D because it was far to sharp and I needed to bring the rest of the chanter up so that it is at least quite in tune.
Thank you all very much!
Indeed I am planning to go to the tionol at Fürsteneck and I already was at Jens Güntzels workshop. He really was very helpful and explained a lot of things to me… well, it’s just that I can’t go there every day.
The chanter is a Rogge one from 1997 which I bought from another piper. It just needed a little repair on a leak in the chanter top, which Jens did very accurately. I also use the two-finger-G. I think it will be the best to have a talk with some experienced players at Fürsteneck. See you there!
Your question #1 seems to be about the “sinking back D” problem. Back D is a “problem note” on many chanter/reed combinations. When you play a note in the second octave such as G, then go straight to back D, the back D “sinks” in other words plays very flat. If you back off your pressure while playing back D and you hear it rise in pitch, you know you have that “sinking back D” problem.
Some chanter/reed combinations have inherently unstable back D’s, some have back D’s which are always stable and strong.
About C# and B being flat, be aware that these notes are supposed to be flat of Equal Temperament.
The issue is that there are two ways to tune a scale: ET, in which the octave is arbitrarily divided into twelve equal tones, and Just Intonation, where each note is precisely tuned to the drones.
So I wouldn’t worry about this stuff and just practice!
One other thing: though I wouldn’t usually advise a beginner to mess with their reed, IF your reed has the type of collar which can be easily slid up and down, you just might discover that changing the position of the collar fixes the flat B and the funky back D. You can move it a TINY bit and test the chanter.
I had a beginner show up with a chanter that had a pretty bad scale. The B was very flat, and various notes across the gamut were bad.
I moved the collar to various locations, and found a spot where the chanter’s entire scale was perfectly in tune.
