Forsythia Drone Reeds for Uilleann Pipes скачать в хорошем качестве

Forsythia Drone Reeds for Uilleann Pipes

(This works for elder twigs too--see related video on this channel) Forsythia bushes grow about 5-7 ft. tall (yellow blossoms in Spring). Cut dry hollow stalks about 1/4" (+/-), and make sure they are recent dead material, and straight, and twigs can't be compressed by squeezing between fingers. Notice forsythia bark has pimples all over it. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be knocking reeds out about every 5 minutes. Some older wood may be too hard in which case you'll have to scrape the tongue thinner near the base. Scraping near the base seems to raise the tip of the tongue to the right level (voicing) but also lowers the pitch. Don't scrape too thin or reed will lose its steadiness. Leave the joints alone at the top...they usually don't need plugged with wax with anything. The core should have no pith to drill out or remove. These guills work best if they're straight. Use 1/8" rat tail file to make sure core is clear, use butt end to measure up to the joint so you know how far down to come for cutting the tongue. Keep edges of tongue parallel. The whole process can be done, as shown, with only a razor blade. Bridle is not necessary but can be used for tuning the reed. If tongue closes down a bit overnight, carefully open it up and spring it back until it works right. Beware, this wood does break easy. Forsythia is woody, not stringy like cane and elderberry, but not as vulnerable to changes in humidity either. The tone is not quite as bright as elder or cane, but is very sweet and especially useful with flat sets of pipes IMO. Of all the types of bushes I've tried--syringa, snowberry, lilac, and elderberry, (even water hemlock--my personal favorite--dead and dry of course so toxins are no longer present), I'm convinced forsythia is a winner. It's readily available and easy to work with.