Your best chance of purchasing a high quality chanter is
to deal with a high quality bagpipe supplier. Expect to spend at
$50 - $80 on your practice chanter if you choose to go with plastic.
Basic African Blackwood chanters (without silver, ivory, engraving, etc)
generally cost $80-$150. Some say African Blackwood chanters feel
better under the fingers. Plastic chanters are much more durable and
less likely to crack.
Our local bagpipe supplier is
Aberdeen Bagpipe Supply.
Other companies with whom we've dealt happily include
British Shop,
J. Higgins, Ltd.,
The Piper's Hut, and
Universe of Bagpipes.
Some quality practice chanter brands are the same as those
of quality bagpipe makers: Naill, Dunbar, Walsh, Kron, Dunfion, and others.
This is not an exhaustive list.
Practice chanters come in three sizes.
-
Standard
-
Long
-
Short (Child's)
For most people, the standard size practice chanter is fine.
If you have large hands and/or large (wide) fingers, you may do better on a
long chanter. Long chanters also more closely match the hole
separation distances as on a PIPE Chanter (the chanter used on the
bagpipes). Short chanters are for very young players - usually ages 7
and below. Short chanters often are pitched significantly higher than
the other two lengths and may be unsuitable for group lessons. Of the
two short chanters with which I've personally dealt, the Walsh "Child's"
practice chanter is pitched properly for group lessons. The Dunfion short
chanter is not properly pitched for playing with other brands of chanters.
Dunfion Standard Blackwood Practice Chanter
Dunfion Standard Plastic Practice Chanter
Dunfion Long Plastic Practice Chanter
Gibson Long Blackwood Practice Chanter
trimmed with engraved silver ($$$)
Other assorted quality practice chanters
REEDS
You will also need to purchase a high quality practice
chanter reed. These are usually made of plastic blades.
Most people in our band use Walsh practice chanter reeds.
Other standard reeds include Watson and Gibson. If you play another
wind instrument (clarinet, trumpet, trombone, etc.), you may want to look
into purchasing an Abbott reed. They are larger, and less likely to
shut off for heavy blowers. Reeds with LONG blades (such as Warnock)
are sometimes difficult to blow for new learners. Often times doubling
an orthodontic rubber band around the blade near the 1/2 way point can make
a reed easier to play (and quieter).
Walsh Practice Chanter Reed
The majority of players in our band use Walsh reeds in their practice
chanters.
Abbott Practice Chanter Reed
Summary
The fact of the matter is this, you will spend MANY more
hours playing your practice chanter than you will playing your bagpipes.
Be sure that you have a quality instrument so that your playing is enjoyable
and not hindered by shoddy workmanship.
The
practice chanter is essentially a long, slender piece of wood or plastic in
two parts with a small diameter hole bored lengthwise through the center.
Air is directed through this bore hole and passes over a reed which vibrates
to create sound. Holes are bored on the lower section of the chanter.
These holes are covered or uncovered by the piper's fingers to produce the
melody.
