Soft D / Hard D - in tune together

Uilleann Pipes
1

I’ve tried to find a thread about this, but couldn’t find… sorry if this is a repetition.

More related to reed adjustment, than making, but does anyone have any advice with regard to getting soft AND hard D in tune together?
I wonder if there is an adjustment that can be made, to maintain the tuning of these notes? Just now, my hard D is pretty much in, but if anything a little sharp… soft D being quite flat. It’s a handy thing to have both notes in tune.
cheers,
Calum

P.S For concert chanter :wink:

2

Good luck with that. Only once in my eight years of piping have I managed to get it in tune. However as a result I got a very, very flat high E. It seems to depend on the read, thats the long and short of it.

L42B :slight_smile:

3

Yeah, I know what you mean.
Having said that, I’ve had both in tune for a good long time on this reed and in this chanter, and on other chanters too. For some reason the tunings gone for the moment So, I don’t think it’s a magic ‘eclipse’ that happens every 10 years by accident! I’m sure there must be a way to influence the reed to do that. ( I hope!)
Calum

4

On Mick O Brian’s CD The May Morning Dew, on that very song, there’s a point where his Bottom D shifts from hard to soft and both seem to be exactly in tune. Amazing.

5

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it NOT supposed to happen?

6

Brian Howard invented the iris to tune the two Ds. It is a ferrule with variable opening on the bell of the chanter. Turn the ferrule to open or close the bell by degrees. A bit of rush will do it. Vary the size of the rush for tuning. I realize most tutors don’t cover this, but it is rather basic.

7

My hard D on my C set is in tune, but the soft D is flat. I haven’t found the right geometry of my reed to get those in tune

On Mick O Brian’s CD The May Morning Dew, on that song, he even gets a hard and soft E that were in tune. That’s really neat.

8

Yo C

If you reckon they have been in tune with that chanter/reed, then have a think about what’s changed?

I discovered recently that bridle placement (in my quest for loudness) can really screw up the tuning of those notes with my chanter and reeds, but tedious small adjustments reversed the effect and brought them back in tune again.

Another wee thing to try if you don’t have an iris is to partially tape the exit hole of the chanter. Looks like crap but can change the nature of the Ds a bit, seems to bring a slightly sharp hard D down a bit, affecting the soft D less (also can make hard D easier to get too)

Have fun!!

A