Practice chanter advice......

[Blu (Ontario)]

I bought mine from The British Shop.

http://britishshop.com/index.php?cPath=5_8_38

Which one did you purchase??

[Shane]

I have the Dunbar chanter recommended on hotpipes. It is a great practice chanter with a much nicer tone than most. I ordered mine from the Dunbar website www.dunbarbagpipes.com

They are located in St. Catherines, Ontario so you might save a bit on shipping.


Shane

[Riverkilt]

Blu, hope you do better than I did with chanters...

Got one for Christmas a couple years ago. Ladyfriend ordered it out of a Scottish stuff catalog. I could only make it squeak occasionally. Took it down to Flagstaff to Thompson's bagpipe place there. Was gonna buy a "better" one. He tried it and made it sing.

Like you say, seems to have more to do with the huffer and puffer than anything else. Hope you get a great one and play it with joy.

Ron

[Blu (Ontario)]

Blu, hope you do better than I did with chanters...

I have a rough idea of what to expect... I'll give it my best blow and wee what happens.!

[Blu (Ontario)]

I have the Dunbar chanter recommended on hotpipes.... They are located in St. Catherines, Ontario so you might save a bit on shipping.

Interesting that you should mention that... I was just looking at their website! Some of those pipes they sell are works of art!

[Macman]

Blu, I got a full-size poly McCallum one from a local vendor for C$60. I don't know how it compares for sound with the blackwood ones, but it works for me. I carry it around a lot in the car and gym bag, so it takes a bit of a beating. I'm saving up for the real thing!

[Hamish]

I have a practice chanter (somewhere!). It is a relic from the days, back in the early 1970s, when I took private lessons with a very Scottish, just-retired, Pipe Major. He bought the chanter on my behalf, in Scotland, but I have no idea who made it, and he himself fashioned the reed - something he was apparently noted for and of which he was quite proud.

Although I am musical, or so I have been told, I have never been able to play an instrument properly. Had piano lessons for years as a child, but cannot play a note now! Sang solos in the church choir before my voice broke, but cannot hit a true note now! As for the piping: I persevered (so did the Pipe Major!) for just over a year but then we agreed to give it up as a bad job - I was getting nowhere. The trouble is that I have never been able to get to grips with reading music!!! I desperately wanted to be able to play the pipes too as I was giving a lot of Highland Dance displays at that time, and the two would complimented each other.

[cavscout]

I don't remember which one but I paid about $70 for it. It's not one that resembles a pipe chanter.

[Blu (Ontario)]

... Although I am musical, or so I have been told, I have never been able to play an instrument properly. Had piano lessons for years as a child, but cannot play a note now!...

I too had piano lessons as a child. However from a very early age I was only interested in ancient music (Byrde, Frescobaldi, Dowland, Monteverdi...etc.) rather than the "classics" that formed the basis for instruction at the time. Over the years I've also played around with flute, guitar, 5 string banjo, harpsichord, and a Roland D50 synth which (for shame) I haven't touched in 3 years. I'm a sort of "jack of many instruments and master of none".

As far as the pipes are concerned, I have no particular aspirations to compete or play in a band (I'm a bit too old for that), but it would be nice to play a few tunes for people from time to time. That, of course, could all change after I get into it. I enjoy a challenge.