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Drone Reeds
Cane vs Synthetic Reeds?
There are many types of drone reeds out there these days. You can play which ever one you desire. However, I strongly suggest you pick a synthetic reed over a cane drone reed. It will make your life much more simple. A good cane reed set up properly will give you a slightly richer tone, but its not worth the aggravation or time it would take you to achieve this.
Drone Reed Parts
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Tuning screw
A threaded insert at the unseated end of a synthetic drone reed that alters the pitch of the reed when screwed in or out. Invented by Mark Wygent as an alternative to the tuning/end plug. Reed body The largest part of the reed that the air travels down. Air flow aperture The hole in the reed where the air escapes and hits the tongue producing the sound. Tongue The vibrating surface of the reed. Rubber bridle A ring of material used on reeds to control pitch by changing the amount of vibrating surface. Usually either hemp or a rubberband-like like object. Longer vibrating surface is flatter (lower pitch), shorter vibrating surface is sharper (higher pitch). Tongue fixing The rubber band that keeps the tongue in place. Reed seat The section of the reed that fits into the drone seat. |
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Drone reed Adjustments
Making a single drone reed adjustment can alter numerous things. For instance, moving the bridle up to lengthen the tongue will: make the reed flatter, less air efficient, make the reed's sound texture less smooth, make the reed a little louder, make it a little easier to strike in and make the drone tune lower on the pin. Got all that? Don't worry, it's discussed at length below. Point is, changing one thing will probably alter more than one characteristic of your bagpipe setup.
To adjust your drone reeds to optimal playing you will need to:
1) Set the blowing pressure
The Bridle is used to set the blowing pressure of the reed. Moving the bridle up and down has a huge effect on the sound of the reed. So, this is why all adjustments you make to the bridle should be VERY SMALL
It is important to keep in mind, that when you adjust one thing with a drone reed you will have to readjust something else to keep the same tonal quality.
It is very important that your bridle is producing an even level of tension on the tongue and the body of the reed. Hold the reed in your hand and look around the entire body of the reed to make sure the bridle is straight. Make any small adjustments you need to in order to make the bridle straight. If the bridle is not straight it will stitch out the rubber band and this will eventually ruin the reed. This is an easy rule to follow "YOUR BRIDLE SHOULD ALWAYS B STRAIGHT
Recommended Drone Reeds
Every pipers plays a different set of drones, will have their own set of moisture issues and will blow at a different strength, and as a result no one drone reed will work the same in every pipers pipes. Every piper should select the drone reeds that work best for them. There are dozens of drone reeds that all look the same, so which ones should you choose?
I recommended the following drone reeds. I have used both and know many people who have used both. From my experience and the experience of others both of these reeds are dependable, easy to set up and sound great.
EZ Drones are the bread and butter of drone reeds, they are by far the most widely played and for good reason, they are inexpensive, easy to set up and sound good. I recommend these if you are a beginner or novice player. You can purchase them here.
Kinnaird Evolution Drone reeds are in my opinion the best sounding reeds on the market. They are easy to set up and sound amazing. They are a little more expensive then the EZ Drones and subsequently sound a little better. I recommend these if you are a novice to advanced player. You can purchase them here.
*You will more than likely need to purchase a new set of drone reeds every 2-5 years. The tongues kinda wear out after a while and the sound begins to diminish. I buy a new set every 4 years or so. However, I have friends that insist on buying a new set every year, so it depends on how obsessed with drone sound you are and how much money you can spend.
The store I suggest is LOTHIAN BAGPIPE SUPPLIES. These guys have a great selection and very competitive prices. Also, their staff are experienced pipers who know a lot about their inventory. On top of that they offer all my students an additional 5% off.
Enter the Promo Code – BagpipeLessonStudent for a 5% discount on anything at the store.
The store I suggest is LOTHIAN BAGPIPE SUPPLIES. These guys have a great selection and very competitive prices. Also, their staff are experienced pipers who know a lot about their inventory. On top of that they offer all my students an additional 5% off.
Enter the Promo Code – BagpipeLessonStudent for a 5% discount on anything at the store.