Buying A Quality Practice Chanter Many beginning bagpipe students (or their parents and/or relatives) are so excited at the idea of learning bagpipes that they rush out and buy the first (or least expensive) practice chanter that they find. They may buy it from a local music shop, an online auction, a booth at the highland games, or even from a reputable Scottish importer or piping supply shop. The chanter pictured to the right is a typical example of many people's first chanter. I had one once. In fact I think I still have it, although somewhere along the line it got broken in half. I can't quite remember how. Maybe I just got too frustrated with it and broke it over my knee.
Chanters such as these are often made in Pakistan (current politics aside) and are generally of very poor quality. They may look attractive, with their shiny bits of metal and high-gloss finish, but they are trouble! Take a close look at the chanter pictured to the right. You may already have one of these in your possession. If you do, consider it a lesson learned and then go out and purchase a quality instrument.
The purpose of this article is not to make anyone feel bad for buying a cheap practice chanter - but to explain the problems of learning on a practice chanter such as this, and how to instead choose a high-quality instrument that will give you years of playing enjoyment.
Attempting to learn or play music on an instrument of poor quality is a dead-end. Any instrumentalist will agree that when you play on a quality instrument, life is great. When you play on a bad instrument, life can seem very hard indeed. (Life = playing good music) Why is learning on a low-quality practice chanter detrimental to your playing?
1. Ear Training - ear training is a process by which a musician learns when their instrument is either in or out of tune. Teaching your ear the correct and 'true' bagpipe scale right from the beginning is a huge advantage. If you learn on an instrument that is chronically out of tune, your ear will become accustomed to that incorrect sound. Consequently, learning to hear correct tuning is made more difficult. Bagpipes are in constant need of tuning and training your ear to hear the slightest deviations in pitch and tone is essential, right from the beginning.
2. Hole Size and Placement - Many poorly designed practice chanters, and practice chanters which are twenty or more years old, have holes which are flat to the chanter, making proper finger placement difficult to learn.
*Note: I am not saying that all old chanters are of poor quality. Quite the contrary. Many old chanters are very well made and good-sounding. But I am of the opinion that they are more difficult to learn on. Most quality practice chanters these days have finger holes that are 'countersunk' and placed in such a way as to closely resemble the hole spacing of a bagpipe chanter. This is important because when the time comes to begin playing the actual bagpipe and its chanter, it can be quite a stretch to cover those big holes. Pipe chanter holes are much larger in diameter and are often spaced differently than on the practice chanter, especially on the bottom hand. Beginners often have trouble finding and covering the holes completely. Holes which are countersunk are much easier to feel and will cut down on the frustration caused by fingers slipping and making strange noises. To the right is a snapshot of three chanters. The middle chanter is a pipe chanter; the other two are practice chanters. The one farthest to the left is an older practice chanter made in the 1960s; the one to the far right is a modern practice chanter with countersunk holes and accurate finger spacing.
The photo to the right helps to illustrate the issue of hole alignment. The holes have been filled to highlight their size and spacing.
(Pipers, don't worry, I didn't fill the holes with glue. I used PhotoShop to make that effect)
The chanter in the center is a pipe chanter (chanter B). The chanter to the far left is an older practice chanter (A) and the one to the far right is a modern practice chanter (C).
The differences may appear slight at first glance, but when the chanter is in your hands even a millimeter can seem like a mile.
Notice the very evenly spaced holes on Chanter A. Pipe chanters do not have evenly spaced holes. Chanter C, although not exactly matched in hole spacing to the pipe chanter, is much closer.
Look closely at the bottom two holes of each chanter. The stretch for the bottom hole on the pipe chanter is considerable.
The bottom hole of Chanter A is placed comfortably high, while the bottom hole on Chanter C is placed lower, like a pipe chanter. This is very important, as the bottom hole (low G) can be the hardest hole to cover for beginners. If you are taught from the beginning to stretch for the bottom hole, it is much easier to transition to the highland pipe chanter.
3. Frustration - the bagpipe is a demanding and exacting instrument. The technique required to execute bagpipe fingerings and embellishments is considerable.
Trying to make good music on a bad instrument is a maddening experience and frustration with a shoddy chanter may cause someone to just plain give up. Even an accomplished player would have a hard time producing a decent sound on a low quality practice chanter.
Countless times I have switched chanters with a student and watched their eyes go wide with amazement at how easy and enjoyable my practice chanter is to play compared to theirs. Sometimes that is all it takes to convince someone that they really do need to get a new chanter. Maybe I should go into the practice chanter business! Practice Chanter Reeds
The most important part of any woodwind instrument is its reed. The practice chanter is no different. There are many quality practice chanter reeds on the market today and it is well worth the seven dollars to choose one of these reeds.
A good reed can make even a low-quality practice chanter sound decent - and much more enjoyable to play.
Not all reeds work in all chanters. Sometimes they need to be manipulated - sanded, clipped, etc. These things can be done by your instructor or piping shop owner.
Full-Size or "Long" Practice Chanters
Full-size practice chanters have often been considered a step-up from regular chanters. You can distinguish a Full-size chanter by its length - usually several inches longer than a regular-size chanter. -
The hole spacing is often closer to that of a pipe chanter. -
The tone is usually better and more resonant. -
They are often made of African Blackwood, instead of polypenco and are generally of better workmanship.
They can be more comfortable to play sitting at a table because they are long enough that you can rest the end on the table without having to slouch. -
They can easily cost twice or three times what you would pay for a regular-size, polypenco chanter. (Approximately $100-$144+) Things to look for in a quality practice chanter
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Maker - A practice chanter is a musical instrument. If you consider the workmanship that should go into making an instrument, a practice chanter should be no different than a flute or violin. Pick a chanter from a reputable maker that values his/her work. Do some research online or better yet, ask your bagpipe instructor or piping supply shop owner what they recommend. -
Sound - Each brand will sound a bit different, but a quality chanter should have a warm, rich tone, robust volume and a true scale from top to bottom. -
Looks - Inspect the chanter for manufacturing flaws like loose bits of wood or plastic in the holes and sawdust up the bore. You also want an instrument that you will be proud of. A polypenco practice chanter is really a utilitarian model, but it can still look nice. As a general rule, stay away from chanters made from light colored woods. Go for the dark brown to naturally black wood - not heavily stained or lacquered woods. Practice chanters we recommend...
One chanter I recommend is the Gibson "Standard" chanter. It has beautiful tone, nicely spaced, countersunk holes and I have had nothing but good results with it. 99% of my students play the Gibson practice chanter. For more information, visit www.gibsonpipes.com.
Other reputable brands of chanters are Naill, Dunbar, Walsh and Kron. There are probably others I am missing here, but these makers are known to produce good quality chanters. Another very popular chanter is made by "Tru-Tone". The last time I checked, Tru-Tone chanters were on the less-expensive end of things. However, a Tru-Tone with a good reed can sound just fine and may be a good starter chanter for someone not wanting to drop $55 on a practice chanter right away.
In conclusion...
Bagpipes are an ancient and beautiful instrument. They are also said to be one of the most difficult to learn and to play. The practice chanter is your first step on the road to learning the pipes. Shouldn't that first step be made in a comfortable and well-made shoe? To continue my metaphorical message I'll say that I hope your bagpipe journey is a long and rewarding one.
Pick the right tool for the job.
I believe that the move from the practice chanter to the bagpipes should be as comfortable as possible. If you are even the least bit serious about learning to play the Great Highland Bagpipes, do not buy a poor quality practice chanter. You will save yourself much frustration. |