DOCTOR BAGPIPE: 1. Practice Chanters

Here is a video about the practice chanters I use, and why. BONUS! Unboxing a vintage practice chanter in mint condition.
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[@Donnybrook10]

nice find! Guessing late 70s/early 80s maybe. Does the cassette tape have a date on the recording? I bought a late 50s set of Glens in Cocus wood including cocuswood chanter from an old firefighter friend who hasn't played since the late 70s for $600. He was never too serious about playing so they had low mileage. As I was leaving he said "oh yeah, here's the practice chanter that came with them. Both are in near mint condition. To top the deal off, they are in the old-fashioned wood carry case. Love them.

[@MAMDAVEM]

I have the identical Lawrie chanter that you bought on KZbin and I got mine as a teenager in 1974 and still use it today.

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

Im loving mine!

[@dunaber]

Hear! Hear! And good luck Matt with your "Dr Bagpipe" channel!

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

thank you Michael!!!!

[@geraldm7435]

Nice to see a cassette tape! 😁

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

I love the sound on tapes. An era gone but still on tape!

[@golderoptonlinenet]

Cheers, Matthew ! I was intrigued by your comments about vintage Lawrie practice chanters, and Michael Grey's advocacy of them as a means for developing technique. Within the last few years, I have acquired three vintage Lawrie practice chanters for purposes of accurately reenacting Scottish Regimental pipers from the late 19th Century, through WW1 and WW2. If I was going to portray piper's chanter practice in periods past, I needed vintage practice chanters. I quickly found that I preferred the vintage chanters for my own practice outside of reenacting. I did not have the vocabulary, or necessarily the knowledge, to understand why everything felt and sounded better, and executing embellishments improved upon using the vintage practice chanters, but that has been my experience. Until very recently, I hesitated to bring them to pipe band practice, on the idea that the vintage practice chanters were somehow not "legit". However, our band has resumed Zoom chanter practice, and last week I broke out a vintage Lawrie chanter, and got good comments on my playing from our Pipe Major. With your timely endorsement, I am likely to continue to use them !

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

WOW! I'm so glad this resonated with you! I know, we all want to get the latest gear and share at band, and yes the primary word on long practice chanters is that they ease the spacing transition. true! but I dislike countersunk holes primarily, and secondly the smaller scaling lets one focus on nimble dexterity all around. I often do not place the PC on the table, so a lighter one helps this routine. I will throw the long PC in the rotation, but perhaps only if it has been a week or more not moving to the pipes to help stretch my bottom hand. but for many many years I always carried my short PC with small not-countersunk holes around for teaching and started to play better on it! i'm excited to spend more time on my mint-vintage lawrie this winter! MW

[@hjk9166]

@@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028 hello im a bagpiper to not inany pipe band but i watched your other vids and your a very good piper

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

@@hjk9166 thanks so much for your compliments and tuning in! I did all the traditional music along with my own, so i got far and have been having fun!! No pipe band needed either!

[@hjk9166]

@@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028 yep my piping tutor is a pm of a grade 1 pipe band

[@hjk9166]

Inveraray pipe band hes the pm of

[@heritage.bagpipes]

"that belongs in a museum!"

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

Indiana Drones! Lol this is STILL mint over here i love my DunbarEller! M

[@charlesmartin1079]

That Lawrie was the staple at the "Scotch House" in SF. I believe you are a SF native? You've been there then. Where I got my Lawrie PC from.

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

i am new to SF area, but glad to know this bit if history!

[@DukeOfDidge]

Sooooo would I do well to purchase a Jr-sized practice chanter? I've bought some for my kids, but never thought to use one for my own practice... would that potentially be of some benefit, to practice with a little chanter?

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

I’d recommend custom ordering a standard (not child’s nor long) chanter and request to NOT countersink the holes to simulate the old PC style.

[@DukeOfDidge]

@@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028 Thank you, sir!

[@doctorbagpipedr.matthewwel3028]

@@DukeOfDidge of course! Dunbar has the chanter and custom settings - just note the non-countersunk holes - they have assured me that one can order the retro style that way - good luck!