The practice chanter is used throughout your piping career. When you first learn the bagpipe, you begin with the practice chanter so that you can focus on the basic fingerings without having to worry about the bag, drones, blowing, pressure, tuning, etc. Even after you become an accomplished player, you still will use your practice chanter when learning new tunes or to polish up some of your fingerwork.

Consult your teacher when purchasing your first practice chanter. The prices of chanters range from about $40 to $200 depending upon the size and the materials used. There are three basic sizes - Long, Regular, and Child's. The hole spacing on the Long practice chanter is the same as the spacing on the actual pipe chanter, whereas the spacing on the regular chanter is slightly reduced. Practice chanters are usually made out of African Blackwood, Ebony, or a synthetic material called Polypenco. I play a 1980 Long practice chanter made from African Blackwood by David Naill & Co.