Bagpipe chanter

[Mr. Woolery]

I'm unclear whether the discussion is about practice chanters or actual GHB chanters, so I'm going to give my opinions about both.

With PCs, the important thing is that you practice on them. If the blackwood will make your practice more enjoyable, then use blackwood. I prefer it personally because my old Hardie blackwood PC (with lurid yellow sole) sounds better than any of the plastic chanters I have tried so far. But I've only tried about 4 different makes of plastic chanters. I found that the Hardie was what I wanted and I play it with pleasure so I play perhaps a bit more than I would with a less pleasant instrument.

With GHB chanters, I see plastic as having a place in a band or when you have some reason to want a fairly bulletproof chanter. That's about it, though. I'm a rather opinionated cuss about my chanter.

I play a McCallum blackwood chanter (round holes) and I love it. I do own a couple of other blackwood chanters, most notably a Hardie that will give me a true Bb with reeds I can get today. (Some older chanters can be hard to fit a reed to, it seems.) I do have three plastic chanters (one is for band, one is for a beater pipe and the last is my Dunbar plastic chanter that goes with my P1s that I loaned to a good friend) and I have experience with a couple of others. While the sound can be very good on all of them, I find that there's a strident edge to all of my plastic chanters that is not there with wood. It is subtle, but consistent across the board so I believe is a part of plastic chanters in general.

My personal contention is that my blackwood chanter makes me a better piper. It is more vibrant and lively than plastic. The tone is richer and mellower. Not hugely, but all these little things add up. Ultimately, I take greater pleasure in playing a blackwood chanter so I play it more. Just that simple. I will play what I like to play.

Very few people are going to play the pipes without loving the music. If a particular setup makes the music better for you, then go with it. Play it and love it. Play the setup that makes you love it more. I had this brought home to me yet again yesterday. I played my personal music for about 40 minutes out on my deck, saving my energy for band practice. Then I spent nearly 2 hours playing at band. At home I was using a chanter and reed that I really like. At band, it was the band poly chanter and the band reed. The chanter felt dead and unresponsive at band. The reed was harder (ever so important to band sound that we all play reeds that are like blowing on a 2x4 because some yahoo from a big-name band said that's the way to get tone) and kept cutting out on me as I got worn out. At home, I was wanting to play for a long time. At band, I couldn't wait for it to be over. Just because the chanter and reed combo is so different.

Seek a chanter and reed that make you want to play. The more you play, the better you get.

-Patrick

[Mr. Woolery]

Oh, and regarding breakage, I say hogwash.

Yes, a blackwood chanter will break more easily than plastic. But plastic can be broken. And blackwood can last a hundred years with basic care. Just treat it right (you should have been taught how to treat it when you learned to play - never grip it in the middle or bottom to rotate it or remove it, only at the knob by the stock, also wrap it in a towel when you put it away, that kind of stuff) and you will be using a blackwood chanter for your entire piping life.

I am apparently in the minority in that I feel every beginning piper who intends to play for any length of time should start with a blackwood chanter. Pay for the upgrade when you buy the pipes. If you play with a band, they will issue you a band chanter. Probably poly. But for your playing at home and on tunes you love, use the nice chanter. And treat it right.

-Patrick

[Snowbear]

Thank you very much! It is the GHB pipe chanter I really want. Since there is so many brands, makers, oppinions; I get confused.

When I started playing a year ago I went straight away and bought a hardie BW practice chanter with som engraving on it. It costed a bit extra, but was worth it. The first thing it that if you like your instrument, you want to play it more. And then you will also treat it better. I have later on tried the poly PC that the others use, but cant really find the joy with them. Poly is so cold and dead with a sharp sound. The BW gives a more feel to the playing and I feel that techniques go better on it.

The problem is the pipe chanter. The poly I have is rubbish. OK for a beginner, but I can't play any faster tunes on it than mabe 6/8 marches. It squeeks when changing notes fast, and gives a sharp sound. It does OK for slow tunes, but still sounds a bit noisy. The sound I am looking for is something that is pleasent to listen to. I want people to lean back and enjoy, not cover their ears.

About breaking ... I can't really see that I will be breaking it. For any good instrument I have I do take good care. It's just a matter of keeping it in a solid case when not playing it. The only way I think it could break might be if it is treaten the way some people treat their pipes. (lay it on the ground when playing outside. After practice; just throw the pipes in a backpack and head off to the bus. Don't take the pipes up from the backpack till next practice. etc..etc..) People have been playing BW chanters for a very long time, and they could take care of them. So whay can't we take care of it as well?