How to reduce the bag pressure needed to play my set?

[Oldpiping]

Hello piping brothers!

As I have big problem with high pressure needed for playing my practice set, I wanted to ask you for some help.

Here's the thing:

I have a D chanter by highly respected maker known for great concert chanters. The bag & bellows are Kelleher and airtight. The reed is made from soft Californian cane. The tone of chanter is nice in all aspects.

The problem is that it feels and looks like heavy fighting when I am squeezing the bag like crazy... Playing master quality musical instrument should be a much more pleasant experience, right. Well, not in my case.

What I am doing wrong? Which are the solutions to make chanter/reed much easier to play, ie. getting less pressure needed, but keeping the full tone.

The option of buying a B or Bb chanter instead might work, but it's not my wish in this case!

Thanks for all suggestions!

[PJ]

How long have you been piping (uilleann pipes, that is, not highland or NSP or anything like that)? It is common for beginners to have problems like this, in the early stages, and for a variety of reasons - bad posture, not holding the chanter properly, bag too big/small, etc.

If you're not a rank beginner, have you asked a more experienced uilleann piper to try your chanter? If so, did they find the reed to be unreasonably hard-blowing?

Some pipers will tell you that a hard-blowing reed, once it has been broken-in, will last much longer (years instead of months) than a reed which is easy-blowing from when it's made. This is little comfort to someone who is starting out and just wants to be able to learn a few tunes.

Don't assume that a flat chanter (B/Bb) will be easier to play. There's no reason why the reed should be any lighter than a reed made for wide-bore concert pitch chanter.

If you really need an easier reed, ask your pipemaker either to make you a new reed or to adjust this reed. Sometimes it's just a matter of moving the bridle, but other times it might require some judicious scraping, which is best left to the maker.

[Fergmaun]

Has your set of pipes been like this when you go them first.

Has another more experienced piper tried your pipes yet or see your local pipemaker/reedmaker.

Here is some basic tips I would do.

Is the reed airtight - suck at the bottom of the staple tubing and cover finger over reed head lips and if any leaks rub wax up/down sides of reed head.

Is the reed hard to play - lips of reed open to much then squeeze bridle wee bit with fine nose pliers to close reed lips

Is the reed fitted in chanter reed seat correctly if too loose add more bit of hemp.

Is the chanter top connected to chanter ok if too loose add a wee bit more of hemp.

Is the chanter fitted correctly into the bag chanter stock if too loose add more hemp.

Cheers

Ferg

[dyersituations]

I'm mostly echoing what has already been said, but if you can, have an experienced piper give your set a go. When I first started about a year ago I also felt like I needed to apply a ton of pressure, but it was largely because I didn't know what the correct pressure felt like and my grip wasn't super airtight. I have since found that I was applying too much pressure, and as my grip has gotten better and I've gotten more used to the pipes in general, the air pressure I have had to apply has gone way down. Again, I think that's mostly me figuring out how air pressure works with the chanter. Also, my reed was built in July, and it has probably been played in nicely by now.

My biggest tip from someone who is relatively new to pipes is to just keep at it and play as often as you can. Also try to get lessons with experienced pipers. That really helped me get past some playing issues I was having.

I tried a local pipers B chanter a couple months ago, and while it took a little less pressure, it wasn't enough of a difference to say that the pressure was vastly different. It comes with the same problems like getting a good airtight grip. That being said, I'm likely getting a flat chanter soon as I pretty the mellower sound.

[Mr.Gumby]

Yes, let a piper try the set. I have had students struggle with pipes and, seemingly, pressure but in almost all cases the sets played lightly and fine when I tried them.

Make sure you're not trying to play the chanter like a whistle try get to the second octave by blowing harder, close your chanter to get there, only a (relatively) slight increase in pressure should be enough to play the octave. Use your bad-arm to control pressure gently, only use the bellwos to top up the air in the bag. Don't ever use blunt force (=pressure) to play your octaves. The basic stuff, really.

It does get easier once you know the how. Unless ofcourse you do have a very hard reed so do get someone experienced to have a blow.

[oliver]

A very hard reed to blow is not very encouraging when starting playing the pipes ; make sure your reed is ok, either by getting an experienced piper play your chanter or ask the pipemaker.
That said, some pipers like a hard reed and others favour a lighter reed. The "right" pressure might not be the same for a piper or another (even
David Power said that at first the 18 Moloney was quite hard to blow, and that after a little trick, he was happy to get "more manageable pressures"...).
The pressure needed should suit you anyway, as long as the chanter goes along with the reed, not too muffled a sound for instance, and in tune of course. If you've no experience with reeds, try and get as much info before adjusting yours, and go easy with it.

[geoff wooff]

You say that your bag is airtight but how is the air flow ? Is there any restriction during the action of pushing air into the bag or it coming out through the neck stock ?

[dyersituations]

You say that your bag is airtight but how is the air flow ? Is there any restriction during the action of pushing air into the bag or it coming out through the neck stock ?

That is a good question. One of my bags has a blocked neck stock that I need to clear. Check how easy the air releases from the bag when no chanter is attached. I started to notice a problem when it was tough to empty the bag when I stopped playing.

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Also make sure that the valves on your bellows and blowpipe are correctly facing down at a 90-degree angle relative to your playing position. (Many makers put a little notch or mark of some kind on the blowpipe so that you can tell where it's supposed to be.) I've seen a lot of players who don't seem to be aware of this, and it makes a HUGE difference.

[geoff wooff]

There needs to be a proper book written on Pipes maintenance... although there has been one in preparation for some years now, so I'm told.
From the state that some sets are in when their owners come to me for help I would suggest that the level understanding of how these things work is quite low ,with some people.

[Tunborough]

There needs to be a proper book written on Pipes maintenance.

I wonder, could we interest a publisher in this draft?

[Oldpiping]

Thanks to everyone for suggestions - I have to take few days and try all these to see what will work. I'll report back! But you are right, giving set to experienced piper will be best solution.
Since the reed was made in winter and in my house it's 20-30% higher humidity, this might be a part of the problem.

Thanks again !

[oliver]

If it's because of humidity, you may try and close the bridle a wee bit.

[rorybbellows]

Maybe you are just lacking the physical attributes needed to play even a soft reed, Were you repeatedly bullied when you were at school, did you find you were always last to be picked for team sports or do you have to run around in the shower to get wet. You may have to start drinking protein shakes and take on a programme of pumping iron.

RORY

[Oldpiping]

I always enjoyed your sense of humor RORY

...but you are right. Biceps building exercises can only help, especialy if I will play the pipes without T shirt, since my wife might finaly enjoy my playing