This was the first Northumbrian smallpipe, but it was found to be so limiting that keys were quickly added. Some players reckon that it is a good starting point for children, but other teachers think it is a bad starting point. This chanter plays in the keys of G, D, Am and Em, and a scale close to the highland scale. The range corresponds to first position on the top three strings of the fiddle. The positions of the 7 basic keys should be almost identical on all chanters, irrespective of the total number of keys, so changing between chanters with different numbers of keys is comparatively straighforward.
All combinations are possible.
Chanters with less than seven keys can be made, but these are generally built to play a particular selection of the traditional repertoire. Although the 17 key chanter is chromatic, in practice it plays best in the major keys of G, D, A and C. and then the minor keys appropriate to these. As well as the questions of temperament, we must also consider the availability of appropriate drones. Drones 3 Drones are only appropriate to the simple chanter. Tuned G, d, g for a nominal G chanter 4 drones with 1 tuning bead is a common arrangement on economical sets with 7-key chanters.