My Neil O’Grady half set has finally arrived, actually three days short of the estimated delivery date. I’m very new at this, but I am very pleased with the set. While simpler in looks than most sets, it looks pretty good to me - very well finished. It made noise right out of the box (once I put the reeds in). I’m in the process of playing-in the chanter reed. I have to get used to the finger spacing on the chanter, but it’s not too different from some of my whistles. I just can’t feel the holes as well. I was able to get the drones tuned and sounding pretty good, but until such time as I’m better on the chanter, I’ll leave them switched off. One small problem (probably my fault) is that the chanter is slipping easily into the second octave, especially when I go from a to g. I’m also not sure of my bellows technique. I know I am controlling the air with my bag arm, but it seems somehow that I am also controlling with my bellows arm. Any pointers on working on this would be appreciated.
Jamie,
Pump up the bag and apply pressure from the bag to play the pipes. It takes time to develop the technique, but you’ll learn to ‘ease up’ on the bag pressure to allow the bellows to refill the bag while sustaining the drones. Don’t overfill the bag to the point where you’re driving the pipes from the pressure of the bellows.
Depending on your practice and learning curve, it may take several weeks to be able to hold a single note at will, without any change in pressure.
Is O’Grady still using a leather hose between the bellows and bag? If so, you’ll have to be careful not to twist the hose or it will choke off the supply to the bag. I cut the strapping from one end of the hose and inserted some clear flex tubing and retied the hose. This cured the problem of it binding.
To get used to playing from the bag and not the bellows start at the bottom of the scale and play each note for a full 30 seconds at a time. Let the bag get about half empty (or half full) before refilling it again with the bellows (this might also depend upon the size of your bag). Try to do it without changing the volume of the note being played or without any wavering.
Thanks to both of you for the suggestions. I’m having a much easier time after practicing the scale by playing reaalllyyy looonnnnggg notes. However, I’m still having a problem whereby my G and sometimes my F are jumping right into the second octave. I’m trying some of the first exercises in the Heather Clarke tutor, but going between the G and the A is quite difficult when the chanter jumps up to the high G. It seems a minute change in pressure drops the note back down. Hopefully, this is something that just becomes instinct.
I know I’m supposed to play the reed in for 3 or 4 hours, but is this something that is supposed to happen?
Also, the chanter is a tad sharp, so I expect I’ll have to seat it a little higher. Do I do this by adding new hemp, or unwinding what is already there and rewrapping it a bit lower?
Lastly, how do you remove the wincap without touching the reed? Man, I thought I had steady hands, but I can feel the reed touching the inside of the windcap, and it scares me to death!
At some point you’ll have to get the cap off.
If the reed is scraping then the reed is not centered properly. Check for center before replacing and place the reed on a steady little finger while guiding into the cap.
To avoid the upper G and F first slide the bridle up just a minute bit to open the reed. This usually cures the problem. Make sure you try different fingerings for the particular chanter, ie, use two open holes for lower G or some variation.
Don’t trim anything for quite a while even though that will open the lips. Try humidifying your place a little and try different temperatures before making adjustments, and of course play it in.
You can unwind and rewind loose hemp or winding to size it up, or alternatively you can place a new piece over the top. If the reed tends to loosen easily at the seat use a tiny bit of wax on hemp to secure, I mean very little.
Welcome to the world of reeds! It’s a very fine art to get one working properly. As the years go by, and you try other reeds for comparisons, be prepared for many pleasant surprises and disappointments in the learning curve. Right now you have no comparative value to know if the results are acceptable. And remember, what you think is wrong may be okay to an experienced piper.
Jamie,
O’Grady bridals are very stiff. You may get some resistance when trying to move it up.
Go easy, as the adjustment needed may only be the thickness of a pencil line or about 0.5mm.
This will also flatten the notes a bit. Check the tuning before seating the reed differently.
Jamie afore you do anything keep on at least one drone(stick something over the ends of the other 2 bluetack or similar)this will let you get used to the correct pressure as you will hear a wavering of the drone if its wrong.Also its a good exercise to get bellows /bag coordination.DON’T be too quick to feck about with the reeds a good reed should need little or no adjustment whatsoever.I have reeds made by Alan Burton and Andreas Rogge Alans has been playing for 5years and Andreas for 8 years both have had no bridle adjustment at all.I very rarely even think about them.The regs are a different matter altogether but even they only need adustment in or out of the seat.
Slan go foil
Liam
i had to put a little note in the lid of my case, it says “don’t mess with the reed”.things got much better after that. i caught myself making constant adjustments, where i find if i play it for a while things usually work themselves out. i found mounting a humidty gauge in the case and always noting its reading helps one understand what is going on.eventually you’ll naturally read the weather and your room conditioning system . have fun, tansy
Progress Report: I think my problem was I was squeezing too hard, causing both the sharpness as well as the jumping into the 2nd octave. I worked a bit on the other reed that was supplied , and I had the same issue. The set takes very, very little pressure to play in tune. From G down, it almost plays itself.
I’ve got a long way to go, but it’s getting better… I’m determined to not play with the reed until I’ve played much more.
I have a couple more questions about my O’Grady set, especially for Tony, who can probably answer being another O’Grady user.
My first question is about the little leather straps on the bellows that are used to hold the large and small belts. To me, these look like something that might wear and eventually break. Tony, how are yours holding out?
Thanks!
[ This Message was edited by: JamieKerr on 2002-10-18 11:17 ]
The bellows straps will stretch a bit. That’s normal. Just watch the nails in the brass squares that hold the leather, they may pull loose on the rear ones. I went to a shoe repair and had new strips cut. It was easy to pull the nails and reuse the squares so it looks new again.
The leak in the tube… Hmmm, depends where it’s coming from. The joints are glued, stitched and tied to the stock and bellows fitting with nylon cord. You might get away with a drop or two of contact cement right at the point of the leak. Better yet if you remove the cord from one end, seal it from the inside. I don’t know if O’Grady applied any seasoning there, I doubt it was necessary,so the leather is dry and the cement should take well. You might need to re-singe the ends of the cord to keep them from unraveling.
On 2002-10-17 22:44, Tony wrote:
The bellows straps will stretch a bit. That’s normal. Just watch the nails in the brass squares that hold the leather, they may pull loose on the rear ones. I went to a shoe repair and had new strips cut. It was easy to pull the nails and reuse the squares so it looks new again.
Tony, after you pulled the nails, how did you reuse them? Did you fill the holes in on the bellows first, or did you just nail them back into the same holes? I would expect that the nails would fall out even easier after a repair. I don’t know if I’ll ever have to do this, but I am curious. Thanks!
Thanks for the advice - I agree with you. I have contacted the maker to see what he has to say. I’ll clarify the issue a bit - the leak is very minimal, and only evident when I plug the end of the leather tube and then force air into it while purposely collapsing the tube. When the tube is extended normally, there doesn’t appear to be any leak. I don’t think it is something that warrants sending it back for repair, if I can easily do it myself. The biggest leak problem I have is with my fingers, more especially my right hand, more especially my middle finger. I’m thinking of gluing this finger to the chanter, but that will limit the amount of tunes I can play, as well as getting in the way when I need to pick my nose.
Overall, I am more than satisfied with my half-set. It plays very easily and is in tune. I’m starting to venture into the second octave, and that is also going well. The only adjustment I’ve had to make is adding just a bit of hemp to the reed to flatten it a smidgen.
I only rarely attempt the drones, but they’re operating well also.
I’m a very happy customer.
[ This Message was edited by: JamieKerr on 2002-10-18 11:30 ]
Jamie,
I also have an O’Grady practice set. As far as the leather tube between the bellows and the bag, I took it off the leather tube and replaced it with a radiator hose. Patrick D’Arcy suggested I do this when he took a look at my set, and it works GREAT.
Heres what you do. Undo the nylon binding on both ends of the leather tube. You should be left with the little wooden piece that fits on your blow pipe, and your bellows with a brass hole for the air. You can get radiator hose at usualy any auto parts store or Pep Boys. Take the little wooden piece with you to the store. You can find the right diameter hose by seeing if the wooden piece will fit inot the hose snuggly. If the wooden piece fits snuggly into the hose, then if will fit perfect on the brass hole piece on your bellows. By about a foot of the hose (depending on tummy size).
Once home, the hardest part of the process is to wedge the hose on the brass whole of your bellows. It takes quite a bit of force but because of the one-way grooves on the brass hole once it’s on, IT’S ON. You won’t need to tie it on and you won’t be able to get it off without cutting it off (But thats a good thing). Once the hose is attached to the bellows, cut the other end of the hose to your waist size and place the little wooden piece in the hose (again you probably you won’t need to bind or tie it in place either).
The radiator hose works great because it is airtight and will help keep your bag in place because of stiffness of the hose. It works very well.
Hope that helps,
Joseph
Thanks Joseph. I had heard about that modification before. Like I said, right now there is no problem with the tube as is. However, if it gets worse, I may consider the radiator hose.
Jamie, I reused the nails and drove them close to the original holes.
I considered changing the leather hose for automotive hose but the stuff sold locally seemed too rigid.
Pipemaker Bob May suggests going to a bicycle shop and getting gel tubing. It’s a product that is used to cover handle bars.
If you use rubber or gel hose, eliminate the wooden fitting and press fit the hose over the wooden stock w/ the flapper.
Jamie,
I also have an O’Grady practice set. As far as the leather tube between the bellows and the bag, I took it off the leather tube and replaced it with a radiator hose. Patrick D’Arcy suggested I do this when he took a look at my set, and it works GREAT.
hmmm… Uilleann pipes and car parts. Now that’s right up my alley!
When I was in Armagh this summer, I met Tiarnan O Duinnchin who plays his Dave Williams set with a bag that is made from an old innertube. He says it works great. Plus I’ll bet it never leaks.
