How to Use a Bagpipe Practice Chanter

The bagpipe is the distinctive instrument for Celtic music. Bagpipe players learn to play the bagpipes using a practice chanter. The chanter provides a more portable, and quieter, way to practice the bagpipe and learn the proper fingering. Start learning to play the bagpipes by first mastering the practice chanter.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Buy a good quality practice chanter. While it is not necessary to buy a wooden chanter, wooden chanters do produce a fuller tone which closely approximates that of the bagpipe.

2. Select a fine reed for the chanter. The reed should fit firmly into the chanter and not slide around.

3. Position the fingers of the left and right hand to cover the holes bored into the practice chanter's shaft. The holes are covered and uncovered to produce the various notes, in the same manner as playing the bagpipe.

4. Blow evenly through the borehole at the top of the chanter. Practice blowing evenly and smoothly. Too much force will produce no sound at all; this is called over-blowing. The air pressure must be more like that used to play the flute, a consistent, but not too powerful sustained breath.

5. Tighten the lips slightly and alter the force of the breath to raise the notes to the next highest octave. The technique is very similar to that used by other woodwinds such as the clarinet, recorder or saxophone. Although the bagpipe practice chanter requires more breath control and finesse than other woodwinds.