How to Tune Bagpipe Chanter

The unique sound of the bagpipe is a result of a finely tuned interplay between the melody producing chanter and the steady sustained notes of the bagpipe's treble and bass drones. Tuning a bagpipe requires a little specialized knowledge, but a finely tuned bagpipe is a well worth the effort.

Instructions

1. Use a pitch pipe or electronic tuning device to obtain the proper tuning note. The great highland bagpipes are tuned to an A. Since the bagpipe is more or less a solo instrument, it is not tuned to harmonize with other orchestral instruments. However, the B-flat used to tune many orchestral instruments does come close in pitch to the bagpipe's tuning note.

2. Tune the bagpipe with the understanding that the musical interval between notes differs from the notes of other musical instruments, such as the piano and violin. Tune the bagpipe to play whole without the sharps and flat half tone intervals commonly used when tuning an instrument.

3. Tune the chanter by beginning at the chanter's lowest A which is approximately near 440 Hz to 480 Hz. The lowest A is played by covering all the finger holes except the lowest one. The bagpipe is truly a world unto itself in that the chanter cannot play the same scales as say a clarinet or a flute.

4. Match the tuning note on the chanter to the A of the treble drones. The chanter's A and the treble drones' A should harmonize to the point that the fluctuating discordant tones disappear and a clean harmonizing A remains.

5. Fine tune the chanter by altering the placement of the reed. The reed can be pushed either lower or higher in the chanter to decrease or increase the tuning note. The bagpipe should stay in tune while performing but may require a slight adjustment after vigorous songs.