Chanter
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- This article is on the bagpipe part; for the musical office, see Cantor
The chanter is the part of the bagpipe upon which the player creates the melody. It consists of a number of finger-holes, and in its simpler forms looks similar to a recorder. On more elaborate bagpipes, such as the Northumbrian bagpipes or the Uilleann pipes, it also may have a number of keys, to increase the instrument's range and/or the number of keys (in the modal sense) it can play in. Like the rest of the bagpipe, they are often decorated with a variety of substances, including metal (silver/nickel/gold/brass), bone, ivory, or plastic mountings.
Chanters come in two main divisions, parallel and non-parallel bored (although there is no clear dividing line between the two). This refers to the shape of the internal bore of the chanter. On the Great Highland Bagpipe, the internal bore is conical: it is this that gives the Highland pipes their exceptional volume. The Northumbrian pipes, on the other hand, have a parallel bore, giving them a much sweeter and quieter tone.
The practice chanter, which is somewhat similar in appearance (though slightly smaller than the bagpipe chanter), except that it has a top piece so it can be blown directly from the mouth is used as a practice instrument for the Great Highland Bagpipe. It is also used as a first instrument so that learners do not intially have to master the mechanics of controlling the bag. It is typically made of a hard wood or plastic, plastic being the more common choice nowadays, mainly due to the cheaper price.