Great Highland Bagpipe into the Scottish Wild… Why?
Author
Mark Perrier
Know you, yourself…
‘Know you, yourself’, Socrates. That’s with these words, and questions they raise, that you must start any learning. Ask yourself these questions into your heart before joining a Pipe Band to be Honest and Loyal to your Sergeant Pipe Major about your real musical sight. That’s also a quest for musical harmony and a quest to get a pretty “magic circle” useful to the Pipe Band and also to the Community… Once questions answered to yourself, that’s allow you to undertake your long, long, long and true initiatory journey, far in the land of the bagpipe, rich of many step and gathering… At Highland Watchers fellowship, we pay tribute to Scottish Bagpipe loyal to the Crown of United Kingdom, specially to Former soldiers and Veterans from United States of America, British, Commonwealth and their Allies.
Choose your McCallum blackwood Pipe chanters
Author
McCallum’s Bagpipe
Understand the pitch of your reeds and drones
Setting up the good pitch of your reeds and drones with the good Pipe chanter choice are the fundamemtals for quality of your solo/group’s sound. Let’s us listening the words of McCallum Bagpipe about this…
Difference between the various McCallum blackwood chanters – McCallum’s advice for choose your better Pipe Chanter pitch :
MK2 = slightly larger oval holes, pitched at approx. 476 Hz – 478 Hz. The MK2 is McCallum´s second generation chanter and a very successful bagpipe chanter at that. Still the most popular pipe band chanter on the market today. The holes are slightly larger (oval shaped) than the MK1 and MK3 allowing for greater sound projection. This chanter is not only popular with pipe bands, it is also preferred by solo pipers.
MK3 = round holes, pitched at approx. 482 Hz – 484 Hz. In line with the rise in overall pitch in piping today (in particular with pipe bands), the new generation McCallum MK3 chanter offers a slightly higher pitch than the other models. This modern chanter has round holes and sits very nicely in the hand.
SOLO McC2 = round holes, pitched at approx. 472 Hz – 474 Hz. The McCallum solo chanter is quieter and slightly lower pitched than the other chanters. Stability of the piobaireachd high G was a major development, a great plus for solo competitors. The McC2 solo chanter also has standard round holes allowing for a very comfortable grip.
Bflat = round holes, pitched at approx. 466 Hz (440 Hz concert pitch). The McCallum Bflat chanter is ideal for playing with other instruments (brass band, folk group, orchestra etc.) in the key of Bb. Like most of McCallum´s chanters, the Bflat chanter also has standard round holes allowing for a comfortable grip.
BRETON = This model of Chanter (or levriad) was designed specifically for bagadoù by McCallum Bagpipes.
Highland Watchers Pipes & Drums 