You’ve gone to the trouble of breaking in your #1 reed and it’s a beauty! You just did a parade in the rain. You noticed a drop in pitch and now you see that there’s moisture standing on your reed. What are you going to do?
Conversely you were away on vacation and left your bagpipe at home. Upon your return, you experience a too-dry reed that sounds like a tin whistle.
Don’t despair and don’t panic. Whatever you do, do it slowly. Rapid changes from wet-to-dry or from dry-to-wet will knock the hell out of your reed. Knowing what to do will save you angst and money! First of all, I am a firm believer in using the humidity control devices currently on the market. When your chanter isn’t in your bagpipe, you should have it in one of these devices. Some are in the form of a chanter cap and others are a sizable tube. Both have a hygrometer to let you know the relative humidity inside. These devices work and they work well.
I recently spend four years in the southwest. It is a brutal climate for the GHB. Daytime temperatures from March through November regularly range from 90 to 110°F and humidity runs in the single digits. During the monsoon season, it briefly spikes around 60% but more generally runs around 20% relative humidity. I moved everyone over to goatskin bags and a humidity control chanter cap. The results were immediate and they were profound.
I’ve recently moved back to Wisconsin and I’d surrounded by lakes. Humidity levels are running pretty high. Again, I introduced everyone to a humidity regulator chanter cap. Again, the results were impressive. I strongly recommend that everyone invest in one. I try to keep mine running at about 75% relative humidity. It seems to work for me and my goatskin bag.
I’ve already mentioned the pill bottle for extra reeds. The main point here is to find out what works best for you and to visit the reeds frequently. If you notice a change in how the reeds are keeping, make a change in what you’re doing. At one time I was managing reeds for about 50 bagpipes. This was when I was teaching at the school. I managed the reeds closely and we always had a good sound. I made adjustments as needed. The boys simply picked up their instruments and blew. The way it should be!
Now sometimes, in spite of your best efforts and intentions, things will get away from you. Again, don’t panic. It is possible to bring a reed back from the dead, although perhaps not 100% of the time. Where a reed has collapsed because the moisture level dropped too quickly, it’s possible to shore up the reed and return a smile to it.
