Salt Lake Piping Club

A brief 'note' on tuning:
Most types of bagpipe were created to play not only as a melody instrument, but also against their
own set of drones. The drones, of course, produce a steady note or notes usually tuned to the bell
(bottom) note of the chanter, or some ratio thereof. The problem that arises from playing against
drones is that the notes played in an equal temperament scale do not correlate well and will sound out
of tune. So chanters are commonly tuned to a just intonation scale which allows all notes to sound in
tune with the drones.

One problem commonly observed in session groups is that some musicians will invariably be 'tied' to
their electronic tuners - those little black boxes that tell them how close to pitch they are. However, if
you use one of the commonly available tuners to tune the pipes, it won't work well because the
common tuner is pitched to equal temperament, and not to just intonation.

As a result, it becomes highly difficult to know if you are in tune or not. You either need to spend a
bit of money on a reliable cross temperament tuner that can be switched from equal to just, or you
can simply use a hand chart to make note of how far 'off' your notes should appear when compared
against an equal temperament tuner. The chart below illustrates these values and is a good starting
point when tuning. The values given are in cents (100ths of a semi-tone) sharp or flat using an equal
temperment tuner calibrated to A = 440 Hz, and may be assumed true for both upper and lower
octaves:

A list of tools commonly used in reed making:

Cane tubes (Arundo Donax)
Needle nose pliers
Tin snips / Metal shears
Calipers
Needle files
Utility knife
Staple mandrel
Hammer / Hardwood dresser
Shooting block
Sanding cylinder(s)
Dovetail saw
Sandpaper (commonly 100-600 grit)
Bench Vise / Small anvil or metal block
Hemp, cotton, and/or nylon thread (waxed)
Cobbler’s and Bee’s wax
Dental floss
Plumber’s Teflon tape
Incannel gouge(s)
Scraper(s)
Copper / Brass sheet (0.018-0.025” thick)
Copper / Brass tubing (5.0-4.0mm dia.)

The title of David Quinn’s book on reed making The Piper’s Despair sums up
the feelings of many uilleann pipers in short. Reed making is as much an art as a science and while it
can certainly be difficult to find a good reed, once you have it, there should be small difficulty keeping
it going for many years. Uilleann pipe chanters and regulators employ a double reed design, and the
drones a tube and lounge design - each hand made from cane (Arundo Donax) ‘slips’. Each reed must
be made individually to fit the chanter or set of pipes they are designed to play in as there is very little
'standardization' in uilleann pipe making.

The best solution to potential problems with your reeds is to make your own in the climate which they
will be most often played. Reed making can seem a daunting task, but with a few modest tools and
supplies, it can be undertaken fairly easily. There are many websites dedicated to reed making and
you will find some of our favorites listed in our links. Many of our members are active reed makers,
and would be happy to answer any related questions you may have. Feel free to contact us at any
time with questions, suggestions or hints you have.