How to make a bagpipe practice chanter reed.

DIY video on how to make your own plastic bagpipe practice chanter reeds. You may need to make some adjustments to the length and thickness of the finished reed to be able to tune it to your specific practice chanter, but if you just follow the instructions you'll have a good starting material. It'll probably take both luck and experience to be able to make a really good reed this way, but with a bit of practice you get a sounding reed which you can play in your practice chanter. The sound of the reed is not the best, it's kind of weak and "breathy", but it is tuneable and it let's you practice your scales and tunes. If the reed doesn't sound, the blades might be too thick or the reed is too narrow between the blades. Try filing of even more of the plastic until it starts sounding, or if it's too narrow you can place a thin cylindrical item (a piece of wire or something like that) between the blades and then gently try to bend the blades around it. If this doesn't works out, you may need to push the metal tube further into the reed.
Almost forgot: when filing the reed, be sure to finish it by filing a sharpened edge at the tip of the blades. You do not want blunt edges (but they don't need to be razor sharp either). Also, You'll want the side edges (not the opening, the sides) of the blade completely aligned and sealed tight. The edges on the sides are supposed to lie flat next to each other, no gaps in between. Otherwise, the reed won't work. This is mostly sorted out by the shrinking tube, but make sure it's tight non the less. If it's not tight, you might want to move the metal tube further down in order to get the edges closer together. But you don't want the tube too far down the reed since that'll make the soundbox (the hollow room between the blades, just above the tube) too small. Just follow the drawing (I.E. place the metal tube a couple of millimetres below the center of the blades) and everything should work out.
When flattening the metal tube, do not flatten it entirely. what you want is a sort of cone shaped tube which is open in both ends, so do not seal the flattened end of entirely. Leave a gap of about 1,5-2 mm, just like I have in the picture in the vid (I.E. I didn't flatten it any further after the picture was taken. That's about how flat it is supposed to be).
Here's what the reeds sound like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbaEJMlDOkw
Any questions, just let me know. Hope you like it!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• PC
• practice
• chanter
• GHB
• great
• highland
• bagpipes
• bagpipe
• reed
• DIY
• making
• make
• reeds
• plastic

[CapoeiraPiper]

wicked!

it would make more sense to file down the plastic before assemply, though.

but wicked! where might one find a shrinking tube?

[backflipbushido88]

Thanks mate!

I waited with the filing because of the difficulty of holding the blades when not fitted to the rest of the reed (the fitting adds stability), plus the fact that you can't know for sure how much filing it's going to take so you will need to file while you can test the reed.

Heat shrink tube can be found here and there, try an electrics store, a hobby store or a building/hardware store for example.

[eastrockaway11518]

what is the name of this tune, by who? thanks

[backflipbushido88]

The tune is Scotland the brave, one of scotlands two national anthems (unoficially). Who wrote it I do not know, as it is kind of an old traditional tune.

[backflipbushido88]

Oh, and the tune in the middle is Rowan tree (if I'm not mistaken).

[Graemereserve2]

Nice video - and very useful - could you explain how the wax hemp twine is held in place ?? Could you explain why the twine is necessary ??

Thanks

[backflipbushido88]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

The waxed hemp is sort of sticky, and if you wind it up tightly it will stay in place. I use it partially as a means of securing the blades and the heat shrinking tube to the metal tubing, but also as a way of fitting the reed in the practice chanter. Some reed seats are more narrow than others, and some are wider. Therefore you wrap waxed hemp around the bottom of the reed, to fill out the emty space so that it fits snuggly in the seat.

Cheers.

[wesleyverde]

What is the name of this song? Does any body knows?

[kovona]

Are you McGyver's son?

[canibamusical]

very nice...

[kalfass]

thank



[rabates123]

Great video - thanks for posting.

[Frarped]

Hi, what size should the shrink tube be? Great video btw :)

[cofeemugs1343]

I DONT EVEN PLAY THE BAG PIPES!! WHAT AM I DOING WATCHING THIS VIDEO?!?!

[dylo101]

I would like to know what the official song is called Who made this song: d

[dylo101]

what's this song I think this one really beautiful song can someone help me

[allthings16]

I made one had to sand it down alot but it was all good and got it sounding very nice just like a normal reed thanks man saved me £3.50 of my money :)