Hard bottom "D"

[j.hohl.kennedy]

While perusing older posts, I came across an interesting thought. *Is* the "soft"-bottom "D" note a more recently used characteristic of piping? Conversely, was the hard-bottom "D" more common, traditionally?

[elbogo]

Very good question, to which I add, not knowing exactly what I'm asking: is it possible to play only in the 2nd octave, and would one want to do this? By extension, would one then get a "softer" D in the 2nd octave?

[Cayden]

On most chanters soft bottom D is considerably flat while hard bottom D is in tune. To my ears that makes an easy choice.

[Pat Cannady]

On 2002-12-25 23:40, elbogo wrote:
Very good question, to which I add, not knowing exactly what I'm asking: is it possible to play only in the 2nd octave, and would one want to do this? By extension, would one then get a "softer" D in the 2nd octave?

"Bottom D" whether hard or soft, is a first-octave note only. You do not want to squeal this note into the second octave. If it is difficult to hit a bottom d cleanly, either you're overinflating the bag, pressing the bag too hard, or your reed might need adjustment/exposure to more pipe-friendly conditions in terms of relative humidity.

There is no hard or soft D in the middle of the chanter's range. The D note one octave above bottom D is fingered by placing the chanter down on your leg, closing all the vents in front, and taking your top thumb off the hole on the back of the chanter. This note is most often referred to as "Back D". Some players lift the index finger of their top hand (a flute playing habit usually). I don't do this because my back d is in tune without the additional venting. As far as I'm concerned, lifting the top finger and thumb to play back d complicates things unnecessarily.

You may have heard of "ghost d" or "d supernatural"; it is a very muted note whose actual pitch lies slightly north of d. On most concert chanters, "ghost d" is actually much closer to E flat than to D. It is fingered with the chanter down on the leg, all vents closed except the smallest finger of the bottom hand. Typically, it is used to grace the back d or to slide up to E.

Top D, two octaves above bottom D, is seldom played and different chanters finger it differently. Typically, a piper has to get a running start at it by fingering an octave g or a and then glissing up through b and c#; on my chanter, top d is fingered something like the C nat one octave below with a bit more bag pressure.

Hope this helps.

PS-The early narrowbore chanters I've heard tend to produce a hard bell note that is more in tune than their "soft" bell note, if you can even get the chanter to play a soft bell note at all. Narrowbore chanters tend to produce this hard bell note much more easily than their wide-bore cousins. Make of that what you will.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Pat Cannady on 2002-12-29 12:01 ]</font>

[maze]

I was informed by a pipe maker at a tionol that the hard bottom D is actually a second octave note.... due to the harmonics of the chanter. one can notice if one plays a hard bottom d and tries to walk up to an e, it will be second octave rather than first octave e which results from moving up from a soft bottom d... this actually makes some sense.... any thoughts

[Cayden]

You are right about the higher harmonic kickign in in hard bottom D I suppsoe, I wouldn't call it sencond octave, going up the scale on a good chanter you will actually get a nice hard bottom E. Works on my chaner, in both octave too.

[Lorenzo]

The bottom "D" or the end hole at the base of the chanter, is just another fingerhole turned sideways...the rest is kind of self explanitory. If the chanter was extended in length, then the "D" hole would be on the side just like the rest of the fingerholes.

Sure, the lower "D" has elements of the upper "D" in it, but so does any musical instrument, even strings. Guitar players often tap into it, or interrupt the total complete wave-length to get the harmonics, or false tone. That's kind of a parallel of how the "Ghost" D is acquired.