How to soften a strong bagpipe chanter reed

Chris Apps demonstrates how to soften a bagpipe chanter reed. Chris Apps is a bagpipe reed maker with more than 30 year experience. He is currently making reeds and playing his bagpipes in St Louis MO.

[@bluazur55]

I like a very easy reed and have fiddled with sanding molded reeds for quite a while (including your G3 which is my favorite). But I've never messed with ridge-cuts and just watched your water/bending technique. Amazing. I had no ideas this trick existed and I just tried it on a new ridge-cut I had. This 15 second procedure took an unplayable red and made it immediately playable with great intonation. Many thanks!

[@AppsReeds]

Glad the video helped. The tape is used to flatten any note that is otherwise sharp. The tape is place accross the top of the hole. The more the tape covers the flatter the note.

[@micregil]

Thanks Chris, this information really helps me a lot, I always have a lot of trouble with my reeds.

[@DaveHedgehogMason]

Chris,Excellent! Glad to see no squeezing!!! I will send this link to my pipers this instance!! Keep a cool tool!! Dave Mason, Cincinnati.

[@FrancescPunsola]

Thanks!, the Catalan people like me aren't so strong to blow the medium or hard ones, but your info is so usefull to keep blowing reeds without damage them. The soft reeds works well on my "A" bagpipe chanter just for piobaireachdt.

[@jazzman1626]

I gave up the pipes a good few years ago because I was fed up trying to get a pipe chanter reed I could blow without going dizzy! I never got any help from pipers who had easy reeds, one guy was built like a brick out house but I could just about blow his pipes with my nose, they were so easy. In all the years from 1967, I only had about three years of comfortable piping. My best experience was when I had a loan of a set of MacDougal of Aberfeldy’s which had a sheepskin bag that was so tight, it was like putting a football under the arm. The reeds were perfect and the pipes felt like they were almost blowing themselves. I would see on tv, people younger than me who must have had easy reeds, but then they were being taught by well known pipers. It made me angry that, in my eyes, easy reeds were kept for whoever’s face suited the well known pipers. In my opinion, a piping tutor who knows how to manipulate reeds to best advantage, but doesn’t pass on these skills to the pupil, is not worth shit! See how amazingly long anger can last? I would love to get my WW1 R.G.Lawrie pipes going again, but I’m in my 60s now, and if I couldn’t get into the secret society of pipers who are allowed playable reeds back then, I’ve less chance now of getting a peep out of them. I have just bought a Blair electronic bagpipe but fine tuning the holes is so difficult. It is also way too thin for comfort. I was doing a good job of “Jimmy Tweedy’s Sea-legs” when the grace notes I know I’m playing, don’t sound. Sorry about the rant, but I really miss playing real pipes. Before I leave you in peace lol, a little tip for sellers of pipe bags. If someone asks you for a sheepskin bag, don’t talk him into buying a hide bag instead. SELL HIM A SHEEPSKIN BAG!

[@MOBagpiper100]

I can supply you with easy reeds if you would like some. Bests. Chris

[@jazzman1626]

Chris Apps Thanks, but I’ll have to really think hard about it because my lungs are really weak nowadays. I’m not sure if it would be good for me now anyway. I was thinking it may be a good idea to go and see if someone at the College of Piping in Glasgow would set my pipes up for me. I remember my very first go on the pipes. The pipe major gave me his pipes and said try playing something. After a couple of brief instructions on how to strike them in, I managed to play the first measure of the 3\4, Lord Lovat’s Lament. I was dizzy right after lol.

[@pmbear]

Chris love your reeds, they work great, and you can expect another order from me soon, keep up the good work.

[@randye80]

Chris: I would like to see a video of how to soften a G4 (ridge-cut) reed. Also, how to flatten a sharp high G on both reed types. Great videos! Randy

[@kevinsargent3780]

Thanks for this, Chris; very helpful. I am a beginner using chanter reeds in a bombard and they arrive a bit heavy.

[@hamiltonkeyes780]

we used to ease the read by scraping the wood from the box but I did like the way you shown it. Grade 1

[@Bobandvy1]

I am so grateful to you for this video instruction. I am new at bagpiping and was very frustrated at the new reed which wan just so frustrating! Now the chanteris singing again! Now if I could just get my EZ drones to stop their squalking! (Video hint??)

[@AppsReeds]

Thanks Dave. Glad you like it. Any suggestions for future vids. Chris

[@griffincenteresl]

This video helped me get my first ever chanter reed softened up enough to get a beautiful sound! Thanks. Do you have tips for keeping the drone reeds in the drone vs constantly falling into the bag?

[@griffincenteresl]

This video really helped me get my first ever chanter reed softened up just enough to get a beautiful solid tone!! Do you have any tips for keeping the drone reeds in the drone vs constantly falling into the bag?

[@deannasander7668]

Very helpful, thanks

[@cruisinthefifties]

Thanks VERY much. I'm 76 and started playing at 68 and it seems the older I get the more difficult it is to blow in new (EZ) reeds; I can't do a thing w/ medium reeds. I've done scraping but have not been doing it right which has shortened the life of these EXPENSIVE devices. OOPS>>>just read below this won't work on ridge cut (I use Warnock EZ) so how do you do this to a Warnock? I've been VERY unhappy w/ Warnock EZs. Thanks again, Chris.

[@bagpipesMusap]

شكرأ كريس تحياتى 🌹

[@AppsReeds]

Again, sorry for the delay. I must check here more often. The E can only be fixed by sinking the reed in slightly further. You will have to tape the chanter to compensate.

[@AppsReeds]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I never go here! I use 320 or finer when sanding reeds.

[@AppsReeds]

@BestPiperonMars You should give it a good blow and let it take on some moisture. Also check to ensure the mouth size is correct. Then adjust if necessary. My 'Complete guide to bagpipe reeds' will help a lot with this. Chris

[@AppsReeds]

@d1v4dPwnz These techniques really work well for molded reeds but not so well for ridge-cut reeds which a Warnock is. Squeezing this type of reed down really helps to weaken them.

[@piperbob2]

Hi PearlExports, I'm not Chris, but I can answer this one: it's not a PRACTICE chanter - it's a PIPE chanter, removed from a set of pipes.

[@gregoryalee2457]

Thank you for this but what number sandpaper do you use?

[@pipertripp]

Hi Chris, interesting video. Thanks for posting. What grit of sand paper did you use there? Something around 220? Finer? Coarser?

[@d1v4d]

I noticed you reply to your comments. Can you tell me how to keep the bagpipe inflated? Like I know about the "strike" and stuff but for some reason the high pitched normal noise goes away when I breathe in for my breath. Help please :(

[@d1v4d]

then how do i soften the warnock reeds? cause mine is rrly TOUGH

[@d1v4d]

does it work for the Warnock reeds? I couldnt understand what you said sorry

[@philliplozano7326]

Hello and Great-day-in the morning to you kind Sir, I would like to know what kind of chanter is that you play?

[@AppsReeds]

Hello Philip. I have a variety of chanters set up but in this video I'm play my old Naill chanter here.

[@d1v4d]

My bagpipes honestly take FOREVER to make the noise. Will this help me? :)

[@steelhead522]

Cool -- it worked.

[@amjada]

Fantastic video... One question though, what is a G3 or molded reed?... I recently purchased a couple of EZEE PC reeds and asked the vendor to make them easy/low... Unfortunately, the reeds were extremely hard to blow... Can I use your method for those reeds?... Thanks and please keep these videos coming...

[@kalfass]

grand merci pour le gratage et du ponçage quel grain utilisez vous lors du ponçage merci trugarez en breton

[@ajaben]

Hey Chris...What's up, Homey?

[@maxbelli]

I think Mr Apps makes good reeds, but I've doubts about the way he softens them

[@ajaben]

PearlExports: because it is a pipe chanter, not a practice chanter.

[@alanmolox2095]

Here's how you REALLY soften a strong reed: Buy an EASY reed.