Video Transcript: The pipe chanter reed is the single most important component of your bagpipes, affecting both how your pipes sound and how they feel to play. And pipe chanter reeds, because they are hand made from a natural material, cane, take the most adjustment and tuning to get it right.  Chanter reeds can be too hard, especially when they are new. They can also get too easy, usually after you’ve been playing them for a while  causing chirps, squeals, instability, and tuning problems.  And even reeds that are the right strength can be inefficient and lacking that clear, bright, and efficient, projecting sound that pipers love.

That’s why I’m so excited to tell you about my new BagpipeLessons.com Precision Tuning Tool Kit. It includes everything you need to get your bagpipe chanter and reed set up perfectly so you can enjoy a great sound with pipes that are easy to play and stay in tune and so you can focus on your music and performance.  These tools and supplies have been an essential part of my tuning process for years, and I’m excited to offer them to you for the first time in one convenient bundle at a great price.

Let’s take a close look at my new BagpipeLessons.com Precision Tuning Tool Kit and how you can use it to get your pipes in tune quickly and easily.

Typically when you get a new pipe chanter reed, you want it to be slightly harder than your final desired strength because the reed will ease up a bit once it’s been played. The reed gets a little easier, more responsive, and efficient. But what do you do with a reed that is too hard – sometimes so hard that you can’t even play it to start that break-in process?

First, make sure to store in a Tone Protector so it’s not too dry. Use the Tone Protector chanter cap on your chanter and store your other reeds in the Tone Protector™ Reed Case. These are my award-winning and popular products that I invented, used by pipers around the world. To learn more about how reeds are affected by moisture, Check out my video on my channel called “How to Protect Your Sound: What Every Piper Needs to Know About Moisture, Humidity and Bagpipe Reeds.”  Links to the video and the Tone Protector Chanter Cap and Reed Case are in the description below.

When selecting a reed, try to find one that has the right strength and responsiveness. A reed that’s just slightly harder than your desired playing strength is usually a good place to start.

But what do you do with a reed that’s too hard for you to even break in?

You need to make the reed easier to play without damaging or permanently altering it. I used to lick, pinch, or scrape my reeds, but I’ve stopped that entirely since I started using the Tone Protector and these Professional Grade Elastic Chanter Reed Bridles.

I like to put the bridle low on the reed and double or triple it so it’s nice and tight.

I never go higher than about 1/3 of the way up the reed.  By keeping it low and tight it pushes the blades closer together which makes the reed easier to play.  It also will raise the pitch of the reed, too.  I’ve had reeds where I put the bridle on and it just stays there.  I’ve also had reeds where after some playing time the reed gets a little too easy and then I just slide the bridle down which makes the reed a little less easy.  You can even slide it all the way down onto the wrapping, where it doesn’t have any effect anymore but it’s there in case you need it.

These elastic reed bridles are adjustable and non-permanent. Unlike other methods like scraping, sanding, or pinching, these bridles allow you to make adjustments without causing any harm to the reed.   Since every reed is made from a unique piece of cane, the adjustable bridles allow you to make fine-tune adjustments to get the strength of your reed perfect for you. This flexibility is crucial in ensuring your reed always performs at its best, adapting your reed to your desired playing strength.

This is a much better solution than scraping the reed or cutting the cane, which can’t be undone. Those methods can also make the reed unstable and shorten its life. Pinching the reed isn’t good either because it can damage the reed and make it very unstable. For years, I used to lick and pinch my reed before playing. But since I started using the Tone Protector, I don’t need to lick my reeds anymore. And with the elastic bridle, I don’t have to pinch or scrape them either. I haven’t licked or pinched a reed in years, and the reed life and stability have been amazing.

I’ve experimented with many types over the years, trying different diameters, thicknesses, materials, and colors. These elastic bridles included with my Precision Tuning Tool Kit are the best for bagpipe chanter reeds in terms of size, strength, and tightness. Smaller ones are too tight and difficult to get on, while larger ones can be too loose. The material matters too; some of the colored or clear elastics don’t hold their shape, get overstretched, and stop working effectively. I selected these elastic bridles since they maintain their shape, are easily adjustable,  and provide the perfect amount of tension to make your reed the perfect strength for you.

What about a reed that is too easy?

If you have a reed that is too easy, it often becomes sharp, meaning it’s too high-pitched, or thin, meaning it is quiet and doesn’t project well, especially on the top hand. You might hear chirping sounds on gracenotes or certain note combinations, especially when moving from higher to lower notes, or even get squealing sounds. This can happen with a brand new reed that is just too easy, or more commonly, with a reed you’ve been playing for a while that starts to get too easy. It might serve you well for a long time, but one day you notice a chirp, squeal, or it starts to go sharp. That’s a sign that the reed is getting too easy. So, what do you do now?