Pitching Your Bagpipe Chanter
Pitching the chanter means setting the reed at the correct depth inside the chanter so that the instrument plays in tune. This is a fundamental tuning adjustment that every piper must understand.
How Pitch Is Controlled
The chanter reed sits in a reed seat at the top of the chanter. Pushing the reed deeper into the seat (seating it lower) raises the pitch of the entire chanter. Pulling the reed slightly out of the seat lowers the pitch. This is how you match the chanter to the drones and to other pipers when playing in a band.
Standard Pitch
Competition standard for the Great Highland Bagpipe is approximately A=470–480 Hz, which is higher than concert pitch (A=440 Hz). The exact pitch standard has risen over time and varies somewhat between bands and regions.
Checking Your Pitch
Use a chromatic tuner to check the pitch of Low A on your chanter. Adjust the reed depth until Low A reads correctly on the tuner. Then check High A — it should be roughly the same. If High A is significantly sharper or flatter than Low A, the reed may need replacement or the chanter may need the holes adjusted (a job for an instrument maker).
Chanter and Drone Tuning
Once the chanter is pitched correctly, tune the drones to match. The tenor drones tune to Low A of the chanter. Do not adjust the chanter to match the drones — always go the other way around. The chanter is the reference.