Hi folks -
I’ve finally turned to the darkside. 
I’m waiting on the NPU tapes, but in the meantime I need a basic fingering chart. I haven’t had much luck through google. I found one chart from Brian Howard, but it’s for a fully keyed chanter and way too complicated. All I want is a simple diagram showing the fingering charts for the D and G scales across both octaves.
I’d appreciate any help you might bestow upon me.
Best,
Chris
Brian has a fingering chart online:
http://www.saltlakepipers.com/The-Pipes-Chanter-Fingerings.html
Just remember, the blue dots are the open holes. The black represent closed holes.
No way! Hey…good move, Chris. This is one instrument where the beginner definately benefits from the experience of other pipers.
First bit of advice…ask before messing with anything…no matter how strong the temptation is. Dry reeds depend on sooooooo many things to work properly. Second bit of advice, don’t believe everything you hear.
I dare say that many pipes are not set up properly, and the isolated piper doesn’t know it. Everything is not as logical as it appears. There are baffling mysteries, even to seasoned reed makers (and pipers).
Re the fingering charts, those are basics that will get you started, but some chanters require straying from the chart for certain notes. Keep the chanter on the knee (except for the bottom note), and close as many holes as possible yet keeping each note in tune. There shouldn’t be much pressure difference between lower and upper octave. Bag pressure should not always be consistent…it has to vary on certain notes.
Good luck and check in often. 
Thank folks! That’s just what I was looking for. And thanks for the warm welcome and bit of advice as well.
Brian - That’s one beautiful page and a very nice way to illustrate the fingering. Great web design indeed.
One question, though… you mention that the second octave is exactly the same but with more bag pressure. Is this really true? I don’t mean to doubt you, but I seem to recall having seen fingering charts in the past that give a slightly different chart for the second octave.
Thanks again.
Chris
As mentioned before, it’s all relative to your chanter - and maybe even more so to the reed. But the basic notes should all finger pretty much the same in both octaves. The best tool for figuring out what works on your stick is your ear. Just start having a go up and down the scale. Start with the chart on my site if you like (and thank you very much for the compliments!). If it’s not working try altering your fingerings a bit and see what happens.
Also, remember that for most of the upper half of the second octave, you often may need to “run up” to the note from a lower note in order to get it to sound. This need may vary widely however again based on chanter/reed design and the weather outside.
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any other questions. BTW, do the sound clips work for you?
Best!
Brian~
Thanks for the quick response Brian. That’ll set me in the right direction.
The sound clips work fine in Explorer but don’t work in Firefox. Explorer is set to use Windows Media Player 10 as the default audio player while Firefox uses WinAmp. Winamp doesn’t seem to hand WMA properly. It might be a good idea, in general, to replace the WMAs with low quality mp3. I know that WMA takes up less space than mp3, but it greatly increases the risk of incompatability. Since these files are so small anyways MP3 might not make much difference in size.
Best,
Chris
No it isn’t. For example single fingered octave a in a tight played scale will have you trying more than you want.
Thanks Peter -
Do you know where I might find (for free) alternative second octave fingering?
Chris
Hi Chris
Here is a link to a French tutor, where you can find legato fingering besides staccato.
Hope this help.
If some parts are not understandable enough for you, let me know which page you would like to read, I’ll make translation.
Not really a matter of legato and staccato this but of how many fingers you lift.
To simplify matters: just play the high A with the right index or index and middle of as well as the A finger off the chanter, it’s probably easier to do it that way.
Thanks folks. Everybody has been really helpful.
Hi Chris,
You might find some useful information here:
http://www.uilleannobsession.com/faq.html
There is a finger chart linked under the set descriptions but I don’t know if it works anymore?
You have to remember that finger charts are completely subjective. Most chanters will require you to finger each note slighly differently than any finger chart will show you. Similar to what Peter said, I usually leave the F#, G or most of the bottom hand off for upper hand 2nd octave notes.
Good luck,
Patrick.
Thanks from me too! I too am moseying towards the dark side! After a brief tryst with a friend’s practice set, I’m looking into getting one. So, this is all stuff I’ll be looking at as well.
meemtp, don’t waffle, dive in and get your nose..uh…I mean feet wet. I won’t hurt a bit.