The use of tape to adjust the pitch on a pipe chanter is vital. We play our chanter reed not in our mouth, but in a chanter stock. Oboists and bassoonists also play double reeds, but they play reeds that are wet and can be manipulated with the player’s embouchure.
We play our reeds in a stock attached to a bag that has a micro-climate of its own. This climate fluctuates with the weather and heat/moisture conditions. The changes affect the chanter reed pitch and can change the pitch of individual notes. Tape allows for adjustment solely on one errant note.