Bagpipes

[Jimmy the Celt]

Thank you for your comments gentlemen.

I also play a lot of Irish traditional music and Scottish folk. Once I hear a tune, I can jump in with little to no trouble. Perhaps taking up a new instrument will put a different face on things, allowing me to get some degree of reading proficiency while training my ear. I am blessed with a pretty sharp ear already, so I imagine if a blind person can become a piper, there is some hope for me yet!

The North Texas Caledonian Pipes and Drums offers lessons with the view of making performing members. Practices are held about 40 minutes away from me, so that might be a doable option as well.

[OC Richard]

As pointed out above, most pipers are really picking up the timing and feel of the melody by ear, and using the sheet music for the fingering and the ornamentation.

So you don't need to be able to sightread in the normal sense in order to learn tunes as most pipers do, you just have be able to associate certain dots with certain fingers.

As you might well already know, how pipe bands tend to learn tunes is to have all the pipers sit around a big table with their Practice Chanters. The Pipe Major hands out the sheet music to everyone, then models how the tune sounds. You can watch his fingers and listen and figure out the tune very easily without looking at the music, that's what I do.

Once in a blue moon I might have to reference the music for a particular gracenote- usually not because I can't copy what the Pipe Major is playing, but because the other pipers are playing an ornament that's different from what he's playing. This is usually because the Pipe Major is previously familiar with the tune and is playing the version he already knows, which differs from the version he handed out to everybody.

This sort of thing happens all the time because pipers usually aren't actually sightreading the sheet music in front of them, as an ordinary musician would do.

By the way, lower-level pipe bands, say non-competition bands and Grade 5 and 4 bands, are usually playing music with far more ornamentation than the band is capable of cleanly playing. My philosophy is that any ornament that the entire band can't play cleanly and together should be cut out of the music.

[KD Burke]

By the way, lower-level pipe bands, say non-competition bands and Grade 5 and 4 bands, are usually playing music with far more ornamentation than the band is capable of cleanly playing. My philosophy is that any ornament that the entire band can't play cleanly and together should be cut out of the music.

Speaking from personal experience in just such a band (and having contributed my fair share of blundered taorluaths!) I would absolutely concur with this!

And speaking of bandsmen, there are all manner of well-meaning, but perhaps not so knowledgeable, pipers in bands who are happy to offer advice to aspiring pipers. I'd suggest listening politely, nodding at the appropriate points, then running any suggestions they offer past your instructor before trying them out!!

[GrainReaper]

This thread has gleaned more light on pipe playing than any other thing I've read, I've been toying with the idea of learning the pipes but have a hard time pulling the trigger on so spendy an instrument. I'm blessed with a perfect ear and the ability to play anything I hear on any instrument I've learned to play a scale on. So far that's been a collection of brass instruments, a sax, and the penny whistle. Once I can play a scale easily I can reproduce what I hear. Reading sheet music for me ended about 32 years ago, but I'm sure it will come to me if I take the time

[EagleJCS]

This thread has gleaned more light on pipe playing than any other thing I've read, I've been toying with the idea of learning the pipes but have a hard time pulling the trigger on so spendy an instrument. I'm blessed with a perfect ear and the ability to play anything I hear on any instrument I've learned to play a scale on. So far that's been a collection of brass instruments, a sax, and the penny whistle. Once I can play a scale easily I can reproduce what I hear. Reading sheet music for me ended about 32 years ago, but I'm sure it will come to me if I take the time

Well, you don't have to buy the full set of pipes right off. Most tunes are learned on the practice chanter at first (more experienced pipers will go directly to the pipes, but beginners are wise to get the tune 'under their fingers' before adding in the other elements of piping) and a practice chanter is MUCH less expensive (a decent Delrin/polypenco - i.e., plastic - practice chanter with a reed runs about US$80 to $100). Most beginners spend 5-8 months learning the basics on a practice chanter.

The Louisville Pipe Band offers 8 weeks of free 1 hour lessons (usually in a group setting). The only cost is the practice chanter and tutor book. From our experience, most people decide if they really want to stick with it after about two months. We then suggest they continue with private instruction from one of the band members or, depending on their playing level, joining in at the table with the other pipers. We don't expect them to keep up with everything right away, but do their best, listen and absorb what's being presented. (Students are almost always welcome to hang out & listen at any time).

My instructor didn't start suggesting I start shopping for a set of pipes until I had about 4 months of weekly lessons in. I didn't start working on playing just the drones until I had about 6 months of lessons, and I was given a 'loaner' set to use until the pipes I ordered were delivered (about 8 months after I started lessons).

[OC Richard]

I'm blessed with a perfect ear and the ability to play anything I hear on any instrument I've learned to play a scale on.

That's a great place to be, and it puts you miles ahead of the majority of pipers, who can't pick up tunes by ear, but need to see the dots. The Highland pipe's love-fest with sheet music and publishing has always struck me as a bit odd, considering that traditionally pipers and pipe bands don't perform with music in front of them. It's used only for aiding the learning of tunes. In my opinion reliance on sheet music retards learning more than it aids it.

If you came to me for pipe lessons I wouldn't spend one minute worrying about sheet music. We would work on everything by ear.

...the pipes...so spendy an instrument.

...a collection of brass instruments, a sax...

Pipes, I think, are less spendy than brass instruments and saxes.

I just bought a fantastic set of bespoke pipes from Dunbar Bagpipes in Canada, cocobolo wood turned to my (slightly odd) specs and mounted in hand-engraved alloy. This set was less than $1,500. I think a bespoke professional-level brass instrument or sax would be much more.

For under $1,000 you can get a cocobolo Dunbar that's as good as any pipe made anywhere on the planet, with the possible exception of Atherton MacDougall copies.

Here's a gorgeous new Dunbar cocobolo bagpipe for $830US. It sounds as good as any pipes old or new, pretty much, and is definitely a professional instrument.

http://www.dunbarbagpipes.com/cart.c...&&cisocode=USD

Here's what around the same money gets you in the sax world, from Woodwind and Brasswind: a cheap Chinese-made instrument

http://www.wwbw.com/Allora-Vienna-Se...-i1534384.wwbw

For a sax equivalent to that Dunbar you have to pay these prices

http://www.wwbw.com/Professional-Alt...axophones.wwbw

Here you can see the beautiful wood and workmanship of my new Dunbars. The hand-engraved alloy mounts were made by David Davidse. (I antiqued them myself.)



They came uber-bright like this, not my cup of tea

[Jimmy the Celt]

As pointed out above, most pipers are really picking up the timing and feel of the melody by ear, and using the sheet music for the fingering and the ornamentation.

So you don't need to be able to sightread in the normal sense in order to learn tunes as most pipers do, you just have be able to associate certain dots with certain fingers.

That makes a lot of sense actually. A few years ago I learned to chant the Divine Office and I found that the square-note Gregorian notation made complete sense when I heard it demonstrated. Not exactly reading music, but similar to what you said, associating the square notes with certain vocal tones.

I really like the concept of Piper's Dojo/Dojo University, and that might work well for me. I just wish I could find some real reviews of how it works. But I also find the idea of Bagpipe Solutions intriguing. According to one vendor:

Master piper and teacher John Cairns of Canada has created a highly acclaimed tutorial series of books (each with audio CD) called "Bagpipe Solutions" that carry a student all the way from not knowing a single thing about bagpipes or music to becoming a competent piper, without the necessity of outside instruction. We have accumulated extensive experience in providing this unique system to students all over the world, and can sum up the results in two words: It works!

Could it be true?

[jumary]

I really like the concept of Piper's Dojo/Dojo University, and that might work well for me. I just wish I could find some real reviews of how it works. But I also find the idea of Bagpipe Solutions intriguing.


I subscribed to Piper's Dojo for several month and found it excellent. The have a good staff and a large number of videos you can access to see instructions on tunes and techniques. I believe they also have options to take individual lessons online. This costs a bit more, but I do not know how much.
I recommend you check them out.

[Pegasys]

I was just viewing a FB video posted on our clan group page entitled 'Now please take note. THAT'S how to play the bagpipes!' needless to say it wasn't what I expected and comes way too close to violating the spirit at least of Rule #3 so I wont even post the link here , although if one would search for Jazz in Bayern you might see why I was thinking 'If that person can play that I should be able to play a traditional ? sort of bagpipe ??? . That being said , the type of bagpipe being 'played' ... their term not mine seemed to be whats called a modern version of a 'medieval one drone - one chanter' bagpipe . I guess what struck me was why anyone would use the any bagpipes in that setting or play modern jazz with it . This all came about as I am musing over if I should violate my lifelong rule of 'not having a musical bone in my body' and attempt to get a practice chanter ... I am doing things the last few years that even 5 years ago I would have said was not only impossible but totally out of character for me ... what advice yae or nae say the rabble ???

[jumary]

I was just viewing a FB video posted on our clan group page entitled 'Now please take note. THAT'S how to play the bagpipes!' needless to say it wasn't what I expected and comes way too close to violating the spirit at least of Rule #3 so I wont even post the link here , although if one would search for Jazz in Bayern you might see why I was thinking 'If that person can play that I should be able to play a traditional ? sort of bagpipe ??? . That being said , the type of bagpipe being 'played' ... their term not mine seemed to be whats called a modern version of a 'medieval one drone - one chanter' bagpipe . I guess what struck me was why anyone would use the any bagpipes in that setting or play modern jazz with it . This all came about as I am musing over if I should violate my lifelong rule of 'not having a musical bone in my body' and attempt to get a practice chanter ... I am doing things the last few years that even 5 years ago I would have said was not only impossible but totally out of character for me ... what advice yae or nae say the rabble ???

I started about five years ago, with zero musical experience. I will not attempt to anything about my profiency now, except that I have improved and that I still love it. More than any hobby I have tried, the bagpipes have become my favorite thing to do on my own. It is very easy to get started as you do generally start with a practice chanter. As has been stated before, most will recommend you get an instructor. There are also many great YouTube videos of the best pipers. Listen to them to hear the variety of tunes that are available. Best of luck!