Second octave e not sounding cleanly

Uilleann Pipes
1

Other than adding tape to ghost e and inserting a rush are there other steps worth trying?

2

What do you mean “cleanly”?

There are at least three variables:

  1. pitch, the note being too sharp or too flat.

  2. timbre, the note having a non-normal tone, perhaps akin to “hard bottom D”.

  3. attack, the note being difficult to start, but once achieved has normal timbre and pitch.

I used to have a chanter/reed combination where 2nd octave E just wouldn’t sound if I just lifted my fingers, no matter what pressure I tried.

It had a growly sound sort of like Hard Bottom D. The good news was that it was right in tune! Not flat like 2nd octave E often is.

I found that I needed to start the note by “slurring” up to it, both fingers together. Then the note had a normal tone.

I only played that chanter/reed combination for a short while, but the habit of always slurring up to 2nd octave E has stayed with me.

3

‘2) timbre, the note having a non-normal tone, perhaps akin to “hard bottom D”.’

The sound is growly and indistinct.

4

I’ve had the same thing happen for a few years now, but it only happens in the summer months (May-Oct, where I live) and it only happens with the reeds I’ve made - which is the real problem.

The 2nd E is still approachable with the right tricks, but simply playing it yields what sounds like a growling, hard bottom D, screaming without control.

Recently, I tried a shorter reed that I’d made a few month ago (that I didn’t think would play) with a very “blunt” looking V scrape, and it does not have the same problem. It’s a bit dead sounding - still needs finishing work - but it works normally. I plan to try making another with a similar scrape to see what happens, but I haven’t had the time.

5

Have you tried different ways of starting the note? Slurring up to it rather than lifting the fingers straight off?

That’s the only thing I found that worked on that chanter/reed I used to play.

6

From Pat Sky’s book:

Problem:
There is a squawk in the 2nd octave E
Play it: As you go to the high E try increasing the pressure and see if the squawk goes away,
if it does then learn to use this technique. The E should take the same amount of pressure as
the back D.
More tape: First take Seth’s advice above, if that does not work then place a bit of tape over
the Eb hole.
Try a rush: Take a short piece of wire/rush and cut it to length so the wire extends almost to
the F# hole, and insert it into the bell of the chanter.
Alter the staple: If you have tried the above and the 2nd octave still squawks you can try to rebind
the reed and alter the staple. Wrap several rounds of string around the head, tie it off and
remove all of the binding from the reed. Next take the staple and with a pair of pliers close the
eye of the staple a few thousands. Rebind the reed with new binding. Make sure that you mark
the staple so that you replace the reed head in its exact previous position.
NOTE: Some say that the reeds that have a “Tone Chamber” avoid the problems with the E
note. I have not verified this.

Try these solutions in order, as they scale from least destructive to most destructive.

7

Let us hear what you mean.

8

For ddx, how is the bottom D?
Can you get both normal and hard bottom D ok?

I ask this because the lower scrape of the reed can affect the E (e.g. lower scrape is too thick, or unabalanced, or uneven, etc) making the note difficult.
These things can be more obvious in the 2nd octave, but the 1st octave E and bottom D might suggest more scraping required.

Ultimately, the main question might be - has the chanter ever had an acceptable 2nd E?

M