sound

Uilleann Pipes
1

Hi.
I´m very interested in sound. This probably has been dealt with before. Would somebody be as kind as to write a link to this thread in case?

Anyway, quite often you can read something about the "sound of a chanter (from maker X, X-bore, X-wood). To my opinion the sound of a chanter (of a given wood and a given bore) depends much more on the reed and the player, whereas the chanter itself has a much stronger influence on tuning, loudness and performance. Differences in the sound of a chanter are mostly due to the surface quality, wich is governed by the wood and the sharpness of the maker´s reamer. The chanter - unlike with stringed instruments - does not vibrate.

To become aware of the influence of the player just compare it to a flute (no reed problem here) that might be tried by differnt players (e. g. during a pause of a session). The same instrument but vast differences in sound here.

To become aware of the influence of the reed just imagine a superb chanter and a mediocre reed (with all its beloved features: auto-cran, instabil back-d, out of tune e, no second-octave a-b-c, etc. )

What are your opinions? Any attempts at a percentage-rating?

2

In my limited experience with UP’s I have found that with a good reed the chanter does indeed vibrate in my hands. This is even more pronounced with the drones going. When the chanter is vibrating, the sound is certainly much more “rich” to my ear. Your mileage may vary.

John

3

True enough, playing with drones fired up adds a whole new dimension, and this buzzing becomes most apparent. But even without the drones going, there is a discernable vibration that I can feel when fingering the holes (of the chanter) and perhaps it’s just the air escaping… 'fer instance, just that tiny space, when I lift my finger(s) or close the hole(s) I can feel the vibration, or buzz… makes the chanter seem alive.