Sharp high G, flat high A

[ToddS]

Any advice how to bring these notes in line? Seems that all the ways to flatter high G will also flatten high A. I am needing to flatten high G (a lot - super high pitch when all notes below are in tune naturally and with tape) and sharpen high A. I already have almost half the high G hole taped and the pitch remains very high. G1 platinum reed. Thanks!

[el gaitero]

The reed is too weak for you. ??.... Does it gurgle on LG or LA with a tich overpressure?

[Hot_Rod]

Hi Todd,

It could be that the G1 Platinum reed might not be the optimal choice for your chanter. You could email the manufacturer to see if they have specific reed recommendations for that chanter.
I’d outline the issue I’m having and what reed I was using. Maybe they can help you out.


Rod

[ToddS]

Low g does have a slight gurgle at times. Low A is ok. I should mention the chanter is the Infinity chanter, poly.

[Lochie]

Dry reeds tend to have sharp high Gs....in my experience.
I'm in Canada where winter is like being in the desert....very little humidity.
For fun, just remove your moisture control system, or dip the reed in water to see what effect that has.
if it improves at all....at least you know where the issue lies.
If it does not improve, no harm done...

[Patrick McLaurin]

That’s just a very easy reed for you if it gurgles at all. Part of the reason high G is so sharp. I don’t really think that’ll be fixable. You might be able to open the staple to make it harder but only if it’s a folded staple (tubes are near impossible to bend from the inside). And then, may not correct sharp high G.

[acadianpiper]

Dry reeds tend to have sharp high Gs....in my experience.
I'm in Canada where winter is like being in the desert....very little humidity.
For fun, just remove your moisture control system, or dip the reed in water to see what effect that has.
if it improves at all....at least you know where the issue lies.
If it does not improve, no harm done...

In dealing with many older and some very young learners, I have found this to be particularly true of weak G1 reeds. A dry, very easy G1 reed tends to be unstable and very sharp on the high G, even when played in a G1 chanter. Usually, this can be remedied temporarily by soaking the reed. The problem will reappear, however, as the reed dries out again.

[pancelticpiper]

Dry reeds tend to have sharp high Gs....in my experience.
I'm in Canada where winter is like being in the desert...

Ditto here in the US southwest, at Games in Las Vegas and Phoenix for example, in actual deserts.

When we travel from the relatively moist Coastal Plain to the inland deserts High G and D both go sharp.

Well the whole thing goes sharp, but those two win the race to 490.

We have found that sheep with no MCS handles the desert dry quite well. Just a bit more tape on HG and D and we're good to go.

Our overall pitch is up, but so are all the other bands.

That being said, I've found that some reeds in my McCallum chanters give a good scale except for a very flat High A.

On both of those chanters I've carved out High A and now the reeds are happy.

(Oddly my McCallum 466 B-flat chanter was the opposite: no matter what reed I tried, High G was flat. I carved that out with super results ever since.)