A smaller chanter hole gives your finger more margin for error, not less sound. It took a chanter maker five years to figure out how to shrink hole size without sacrificing tone, but the payoff is real: a larger contact area between your fingertip and the hole makes every low-hand movement, from birls to D throws, meaningfully easier.
A drone reed and a chanter reed want opposite climates, so your drying system has to treat them differently. The chanter reed is like an orchid that needs hot, steamy air; the drone reed is like a desert flower that wants hot, dry air. That's why a silica-gel tube goes in each drone stock and never in the chanter.
Early in learning any embellishment, think mechanics; once it's solid, think sound. A golfer mid-swing isn't thinking about hips and elbows, and neither should you be thinking about pinky height once your D throw is reliable — shift your attention to rhythm and melody instead.
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