BLOWING-IN
NEW REEDS
- The
term
"blowing-in" refers to the practice
of giving new reeds a chance to settle to their natural strength with
minimal adjustment to the reed itself. This is done through simply
playing the reed, sometimes with drones plugged to make it more managable.
In a reed's early stages,
this
is necessary due to the fact that new cane will weaken with regular playing, making the reed easier over time. As a
general rule, a reed
that is immediately comfortable will have a limited lifespan.
- It is normal for cane to
dry out to some
degree during transit, so breathe some moist air through the reed for
20
seconds or so before trying.
-
If you have a number of reeds to
choose
from, try to select one slightly above your normal strength. As stated,
new reeds will generally become easier with regular playing. How
regular will depend on the cane, but as a guide, 30 minutes a day for
one
week should be enough to bring the reed to a comfortable strength.
-
Don't rely exclusively on the
blowing-in process. If a
reed is
still too firm after a week or so, you
may need to coax it to your required strength. This will involve
pinching and or thinning the blades of the reed. These techniques are
detailed in Adjustments.
-
After a short rest, some new
reeds will
go flat quickly. This is a symptom of new cane absorbing moisture which
causes the mouth of the reed to open up, hence lowering the pitch. In
this case, it may be necessary to give the reed the occasional light
pinch around the shoulder of the sound box. Once the reed has
eventually settled, this should be less necessary.
-
If you find that a new reed
is hard to the point of being unplayable, or a reed's strength is
suitable but there are other issues relating to pitch or balance, the Adjustments
section should help.
These
points apply to
any reed,
old or new.
-
Avoid exposing the reed to extreme
conditions - too wet, too dry, too hot.
-
Take care not to damage the corners of
the reed when handling.
-
To maximise the life of a reed, consider the use of a
reed protector. This will
enable you to remove the chanter and reed from the bag after playing,
which will in turn prevent the reed from absorbing excessive moisture
from the bag. If there
is moisture surrounding the reed seat after playing, wipe it away and
allow the reed to briefly air before putting the protector on.
-
If mould
becomes a problem, then you are not drying enough, or you may need to
place a small hole (about 1 mm) in the protector to allow some
evaporation.
This can be covered during hotter months if the reed becomes too dry.
CHANTER REED PARTS
The
following contains information that
will assist in getting
the best out of new and old reeds. There are really only 4 basic things
that can be done
directly
to a reed: Reduce the opening, enlarge the opening, thin the blades or
shorten. These are outlined in detail throughout the first two
sections relating to hard and easy reeds. The remaining sections will
refer back to these techniques.
This advice relates to new reeds that are strong to the point of being
unplayable. The following will help you to adjust
such reeds to a
manageable strength. It will also assist with those reeds that refuse
to weaken irrespective of how much they have been played.
There are two basic
methods of
easing a reed:
1) Reduce the opening of the
mouth (the
distance between the blades).
2) Thin the blades.
Usually
a combination of the
two
will achieve the best result. If you rely solely on one method, you
may compromise the quality and lifespan of the reed. For example, if
you make the reeds opening too small, you could reduce the reeds
vibrancy and make it too sharp. If the blades are over-thinned, you
could be left with a reed that is unstable. It is important to
understand these points before you proceed.
Before
deciding which method
to
start with, you need to ascertain if the reed is at the correct
pitch.
If the reed is
flat and hard, reducing
the opening will help to solve both problems by lifting the pitch and
easing the reed.
However, if the reed is correctly
pitched, but is still too hard, reducing could make it too sharp. In this case, the better option would be to thin the blades.
- Holding the reed between
your
index finger
and thumb, lightly pinch the reed across the shoulder of the sound
box for a few seconds.
Only squeeze to the point where the tips of the opening just meet and
no further. If it is still too hard, try again, holding the blades
closed for a little longer.
-
After you finish playing,
the reed will
most likely regain some of its original strength. Before each time you
play, you may need to pinch the reed in ever decreasing amounts until
it is eventually playable.
-
While doing this, it is important
to
monitor the pitch and vibrancy of the reed. A natural by-product of
reducing the opening is that the pitch will go up. If the reed is still
too hard and yet the pitch is now too high, or the reed is starting to
lose vibrancy and volume, thinning the blades would now be the better
option.
- Thinning blades can be done with either
a sharp knife or fine sandpaper. The key word here is moderation
as once cane is removed, it obviously can't be replaced. The aim is to
remove a very small amount of cane and then test. Repeat this
process until the reed is at the required strength. It is important not
to drastically alter the side-on profile of the reed.
-
Begin by thinning the top area of the
blades just short
of the
tips. If the reed is still too hard, you may
need to further thin 2 to 3 mm either side of the middle and top area.
Try
to avoid over-thinning the centre of the middle area as this may cause
instability on F and encourage too much of a crow on High A.
- Thinning the sound box should only be done
as a last
resort for
reeds that are extremely hard or lacking in vibrancy.
-
It is important not to over-thin any
particular point of the blades. As you proceed, regularly check that
they are evenly matched for strength by lightly pinching
the reed towards the middle and look for areas that resist more
than others. If this happens and the reed is still too hard -
focus your attention on these areas of the blades.
-
If you use a knife, use a sharp hobby
knife, lightly
scraping
along the grain in the area described.
-
If you use sandpaper, only use a fine grade such as 240 grit. One technique is to wrap sandpaper around your index finger
and sand each blade across the grain. With this method, it's easier to
avoid damaging the tips. Another other option is to use a fine emery
board in a circular motion.
Enlarge The
Opening
-
Doing this will increase the reed's
strength and lower
the pitch.
Wet your fingers with tap water and apply
some moisture to the sound box. Squeeze the reed at its sides around
the sound box area.
-
For a more permanent result, take a reed
mandrel and gently force it into the staple from the reed seat binding
end. This should open up the compressed end of the staple and therefore
increase the distance between the two blades.
-
Shortening a reed will increase its strength and lift its
pitch - be aware of this before proceeding. While there is an amount of
risk involved, shortening an old or problematic reed is often
successful and is a skill well worth mastering.
-
Holding the reed at the
sound box, with the middle and top
areas resting on a hard flat surface, cut a
small amount of cane (.25 mm to .5 mm) from the tips using a sharp
hobby knife or better again a chesel. Depending on how far you have
gone,
you may need to thin the blades right to tips in order to compensate
for the increase in strength - just don't end up back where you
started. You may also find that the top notes are tight and restricted
- again, thin the blades right to the tips. Also check that the
interior of the tips
are clean and free from stray cane fibres resulting from the cut.
-
Remedy by pushing the reed further into
the reed seat. Don't go too far as this may cause instability on F and
possibly an excessive crow on High A. Be aware that sinking the reed will also
sharpen the higher notes more than it will the lower notes. In either
direction, the higher notes will be more affected than the lower notes
when a reed is repositioned.
-
If the reed is too hard, reducing the
opening will help both issues.
-
If the pitch is still too low,
shortening the reed is the only other option.
-
Reposition the reed higher in the reed
seat. This will also flatten the higher notes more than it will the
lower notes.
-
The reed may be too dry - adjust your
moisture control system if applicable.
- If the reed is too easy, enlarge the
opening.
SCALE
HAS SHARP HIGH
NOTES & FLAT LOW NOTES
-
Lifting the reed will help to restore
balance, however this will also lower your overall pitch.
-
If the reed is too hard - try thinning
the blades. Concentrate on thinning the middle to top area and
also towards the sides of each blade. Ensure that the blades have the
same amount of give and that the reed is vibrating efficiently.
-
Slightly thinning the sound box will also
help to free
up the top
hand, but going too far here will
compromise stability.
-
Enlarge the opening and if necessary thin
the blades to
compensate.
SCALE
HAS FLAT HIGH
NOTES & SHARP LOW NOTES
-
Sink the reed, however this will also raise
your overall pitch.
-
If the reed is too hard, thin the center of
the top
section just
short of the tips.
-
If this fails, slightly thin the sound-box
area or
round off the
shoulders.
-
Ensure that both blades are matched for
strength and
that the
reed is vibrating freely.
-
Opening the reed's mouth with a mandrel could also help, but also incease strength and lower the pitch.
- Excessive High A crow is usually caused by
under-blowing the
reed. It is
quite common in lower grade bands for pipers to blow a reed so that it
just vibrates and no more. Increasing air pressure will help to clear
the High A, but make sure the reed is firm enough to avoid the chance
of skirling on Low A or Low G.
-
This is also caused by the reed sitting too
far into the reed seat, however be aware that some makes of chanters
will actually crow more with the reed sitting too high.
-
Check that your reed is not
receiving too much moisture. If necessary, adjust your bag set-up to
compensate.
-
Sanding the tips of the reed may also
help. The simplest method is to sand the outside
edge of the tips at 45 degrees on very fine sandpaper - 600 grit
to be safe.
-
Another method is to sand directly across the end grain of the tips at 90 degrees.
This is a more
refined method of shortening a reed, but in very small amounts so the
pitch is not that greatly affected. The initial step is to place very
fine sandpaper (600 grit) on a flat surface. Then, pinching the blades together at
the top area, between forefinger and thumb, pull the reed across the
sandpaper for about 2cm. Test the reed and if necessary, repeat the
process
until the High A is clear. An important step is to check that the
outside and particularly the inside of the tips are clean. If
necessary, remove any stray cane fibers with the corner of the same sandpaper.
-
It should be noted that some chanters are
more
susceptible to
High A crow than others.
DOUBLE-TONING
OR
UNSTABLE F
-
Often caused by the reed sitting too far
into the reed seat - lift the reed.
-
Also caused by the reed's opening being
too large, possibly from excessive moisture.
-
If you can afford
to ease the reed and lift the pitch, reduce the reed's opening.
-
Another possible cause is that the reed is
too long for
the
chanter. If you can afford to lift your pitch - try
shortening the reed.
-
Usually caused by the reed's opening being
too large.
-
Similar to an unstable F, shortening the
reed will also
help.
-
Before trying anything - inspect the
inside of the blades by looking down from the opening. Check for any
foreign matter or stray cane fibers. Loose cane fibers shouldn't be
there in
a new reed, but if the tips have been sanded or cut, it's possible they
were not cleaned up thoroughly.
-
If the reed is too easy and you can
afford to lower the pitch - open up the mouth of the reed.
-
If the reed is too easy and you can
afford to raise the pitch, shorten the reed.
-
If the reed is hard and dull then the tips
may be
too thick. Try thinning the top area right to the edge of the tips -
ensuring the blades are still of equal strength. Thinning this area
takes a
lot of care - check often to ensure you don't make the tips too thin -
particularly the corners. Use a fine black emery board in a circular
motion for this area.
-
Excessively dry reeds can sound dull -
check your moisture control system if applicable.
-
If none of the above helps - try
refreshing the inside of each blade. This is useful for older reeds.
With a pipe cleaner dipped in methylated spirits, pull the cleaner
through the reed from the reed seat end, moving side to side. Another
method is to use the corner of very fine (600 grit) wet and
dry sandpaper. Insert it into the opening just short of the corners -
then, lightly pinch the top part of the blades together and pull the
sandpaper out. Flip over and repeat for the inside of the other blade. The aim is to
remove the smallest amount of cane just to clean up the surface of the
reed interior.
-
Usually caused by over-blowing a reed
that is too easy. If fingerwork is not the issue, then opening up the
reed with a mandrel is usually the best remedy.
-
Also be caused by not
covering the High A and High G holes accurately when finishing a grace
note or melody note on either of those holes.
-
Another common error is for the High A
thumb to strike the chanter after the other top hand fingers when
changing from High A to Low A, or High A to Low G. In this situation,
your chances of skirling are greatly increased, particularly if you are
playing an easy reed. The top hand fingers and thumb should strike the
chanter at the same time when changing on these notes.
"GURGLING"
E, LOW A OR LOW G
-
Caused by over-blowing a reed that is
too easy.
-
It should be noted that some chanters are
more
susceptible to
this than others.
REED
IS UNSTABLE
(SENSITIVE TO CLIMATE OR BLOWING)
-
Usually
caused by the reed being too easy - it may be at the end of its
life.
-
Also caused by too much cane being
removed from the sound box or middle area. Try shortening the reed to
compensate.
-
Lifting the reed will help to a minor
degree with blowing issues, but of course will lower your overall pitch.
EFFECTS
CAUSED BY ADJUSTMENTS OR CONDITIONS
REDUCE
THE REED'S OPENING
-
Raise the overall pitch, in particular C
and F.
-
Help to stabilise a double-toning or
unsteady F.
ENLARGE
THE REED'S OPENING
-
Lower the overall pitch, in particular C
and F.
-
Raise the overall pitch, in particular the
higher notes.
-
Possibly cause the High A to take on a crow.
-
Possibly cause a double-toning or unsteady
F.
-
Generally make
the top notes unsteady if the reed is pushed in too far.
LIFTING
THE REED
-
Lower the overall pitch, in particular the
top notes.
-
Help to clear up a crowing High A.
-
Help to stabilise a double-toning or
unsteady F and the
top notes
in general.
THINNING
THE BLADES
-
Lower the pitch of the top
notes relative
to the
lower notes.
OVER-THINNING
THE BLADES
-
Cause the reed's pitch to be overly
sensitive to
blowing
and temperature variation.
-
Make the F unstable and possibly
double-tone.
-
Possibly cause a crow on High A.
SHORTENING
THE REED
-
Raise the pitch, especially the lower notes.
-
Stabilise a double-toning or unsteady F.
SANDING ACROSS THE
TIPS
-
Help to clear a crow on High A.
TOO
MUCH MOISTURE
-
Cause the reed to open up.
-
Lower the overall pitch, in particular the
notes C and
F.
-
Possibly cause a double-toning or unstable
F.
NOT
ENOUGH MOISTURE
-
Cause the reed to close up.
-
Raise the overall pitch, in particular C, F and High G.
-
Cause the sound quality to become thin and
dull.
Ross Bates
0411 168 146
rabates1@live.com
ABN: 24 591 526 576
Website created and maintained by Ross Bates
Last updated 18/08/2024
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