Where do Hard Ds come from?

[reedman]

No, Hard "D"s they don't come from the land of down under, they come from the land of all over.

I also love vegemite sandwiches & marmite one's too,

[An píobaire fánach]

I looked at the difference between hard and soft D using the TRANSCRIBE software (the very useful "slowing down" and "shifting pitch" software), which can be used to do a spectral analysis of the note. (Very useful by the way for determining exactly the pitch of each note). It shows that a soft D has primarily D harmonics, but the hard D also has a strong A harmonic, as far as I remember. I suppose this would explain why the hard D comes from an A gracenote. (Wish I could remember more of my acoustics!).

[glands]

So....you guys get a hard D by flicking your finger over the A hole and lifting your chanter simultaneously?????

[David Lim]

So....you guys get a hard D by flicking your finger over the A hole and lifting your chanter simultaneously?????

That's the easy way.

We are trying to affect the distribution of energy between vibrational modes by will power alone.

David

[Joseph E. Smith]

So....you guys get a hard D by flicking your finger over the A hole and lifting your chanter simultaneously?????

This sentence is nearly pornographic... that, or my mind hasn't left the gutter it was in since high school.

[ausdag]

So....you guys get a hard D by flicking your finger over the A hole and lifting your chanter simultaneously?????

This sentence is nearly pornographic... that, or my mind hasn't left the gutter it was in since high school.

No. I think your mind is right where it is. I think that was Glands's's's intent

[fel bautista]

So....you guys get a hard D by flicking your finger over the A hole and lifting your chanter simultaneously?????

This sentence is nearly pornographic... that, or my mind hasn't left the gutter it was in since high school.

I had an old tool designer explain it to me <que Walter Brennan's crackly voice>" Son, there are B holes (holes that have a legend B annotated beside it) and C holes on a drawing, but never A holes, only holes, A."

[simonknight]

I had difficulty getting a hard D. I was ashamed to admit it but then I tried sticking something up the end of my chanter. (a wire tie)

[sean an piobaire]

HARD "D" BLUES>>>> I have lost the hard "D" when the tip of the chanter reed is sanded too thin. I believe this fine balancing act, between having an "easy" reed, and losing the hard "D", happens with the interaction of the base of the reed head, just above the collar, and the tip of the reed. Some reed makers (ala Andreas Rogge) do a small gough-out of that area on both reed blades before the staple tie-on. This increases the amount of vibratory area at that locality. This allows for a thinner reed tip, which makes the reed, as a complete vibrating body, easy to sound. Some of the old reeds, by Rowsome, Taylor, Anderson,Coyne, et al, that I took apart to study, had what I called a "window" at this base position. I held each blade up to a light bulb to see the areas that were more or less opaque, the darker areas were the higher density areas (of course). This "lighting up" of the reed is useful even when both blades are tied together, just not as easily observable, but it helps to use a bright, high wattage light bulb.
These old reed blades, had this "window" scraped out, on the OUTSIDE surface of the reed, not internaly, as in the more "modern" technique. I have also noticed the need for this "window"in the reed is more pronouced, when using cultivated Spanish cane, than with reeds made from California cane, from uncultivated, "wild" stands. There is a noticable difference in the distribution of vascular bundles and lignum, in the different layers in a given piece cane, when examined in a cross- section. The Spanish cane has more vascular bundles, in a tighter pattern, with less lignum between these bundles, than a comparable slip of cane from California stock. To make an OBVIOUS UNDERSTATEMENT: These cane variations add to the VARIBLES in making cane reeds....but add to the fun HUH? The predominate harmonic acting on hard "D" is the octave,(middle D) you find this hard "D" in Irish Flute technique, the Co. Clare whistle and flute players just blow this mid "D" octave note, when playing a decending phrase to low "D". I've found hard "D" or some other "hard" keynotes (A, G, F,E, and etc,), on several different continental pipes, with or without "snapping the hole..."A". (oh.... A hole...!)
I think it's good to have the choice of a soft and a hard "D" just get both in tune....that was the reason that the old time makers "Cut-off" the bottom of the chanter, to make the bottom D, slightly sharp. A small "U" shaped tobacco pipe cleaner, used as a rush,can bring the hard (and soft) "D" into tune, but you have to experiment with the length of the "U" and its' position up the bore. There was a move, by 1970s UP makers, to make the bottom of the chanter longer and the "D" in tune, WITHOUT the rush. this introduced other hard "D" tuning problems and other tuning effects on E and F# in both octaves etc.... HAPPY HARD DEE TO YOU...REED MADDENED Sean Folsom

[glands]

I think it's good to have the choice of a soft and a hard "D" just get both in tune

I most definitely agree. Some tunes call for finishing off a long cran on soft D with a hard D punch so to speak. It's a fun technique to employ to give the listener someting a little different. (This post is rated G for general audiences.)

[danny]

i get a hard D when i see kathrine tikell play

[ausdag]

These old reed blades, had this "window" scraped out, on the OUTSIDE surface of the reed,

Thanks Sean, that's something I might experiment with on my next reed. Thansk also for the rest of your input.

DavidG

[ausdag]

I also love vegemite sandwiches & marmite one's too,

Marmite, hey?? Vegemite I can understand, but Marmite??

BTW, for our Amerikan friends, that's Vegemite as in pronounced -

Ve-je-might, not ve-JE-mi-tee,

just like we call your Bug Bunny nemesis (Yosemite Sam) 'Yoh-smight-Sam'

DavidG

[TheSilverSpear]

I had difficulty getting a hard D. I was ashamed to admit it but then I tried sticking something up the end of my chanter. (a wire tie)

Is that a piper's alternative to Viagra?

Sorry... Couldn't stop myself from going there.

[oleorezinator]

puting you soft d underneath your pillow when you go beddy bye and lo and behold in the morning, the hard d fairy has paid you a visit. ain't that how it works?