Buying a bagpipe

[druid]

When I taught, I had a few students that began as "self taught"...that made it to a few years playing on the pipes. The one thing I observed from those few was their "lack of feeling" when they played. Technically, they were more than average...I'd put them around Winner of Grade IV, perhaps "rookie" Grade III contenders when I received them but the problem was not in their technical prowess...they lacked....well for the lack of a word.......personality.

For those that decide to self teach I make the following suggestion...LISTEN to HOW other players play. To make the notes, gracenotes and play at the correct time signature is just - NOT enough. You need to inflect some of YOU into that tune as well. Give it life, give it soul...make people WANT to hear you play more. I'm not saying that you need to compete as some of us have (for me, EUSPBA Grade II) but you don't want them chasing you down with pitchforks and torches either...lol.

[MadBagpiper]

Alright so there's obviously a lot of talk on hear about what you should buy.
Dunbars are good pipes most of the time. I have a set of P1's and they sound pretty nice. Buy them from www.hotpipes.com, that's where I got mine.
Now the chanter on the other hand is a different matter. The one I have now is not very good. The sound is weak and watery and not very stable on the top hand, especially on F. But mine was also made 4 years ago, I think that they've come out with a new design since then though but I'm not entirely sure.

You've also heard a lot about MacCallums and Naills and this and that and some of the other. Those are pretty good sets but we all have our own opinions. MacLellans are fantastic. I just got a new set from Roddy and so far they've surpassed any set of pipes that I've ever played or heard. If you want quality from the very start and you aren't afraid to put down a little bit more then get a set from this guy and don't think twice, you won't be disappointed!

[MadBagpiper]

For those that decide to self teach I make the following suggestion...LISTEN to HOW other players play. To make the notes, gracenotes and play at the correct time signature is just - NOT enough. You need to inflect some of YOU into that tune as well. Give it life, give it soul...make people WANT to hear you play more. I'm not saying that you need to compete as some of us have (for me, EUSPBA Grade II) but you don't want them chasing you down with pitchforks and torches either...lol.

Solid advice. I'm self taught! nothin' wrong with being self taught

[ohiopiper]

I had informal instruction as a kid from a piping family friend. Maybe a couple times a month for a few years. From then on, it was reading and talking to other pipers (not being in a band made them few and far between).

Recently a friend of mine expressed an interest in learning to play, so I set about finding something suitable for curriculum, a bit more self explanatory than the Green Book, since I'm not the best conveyor of information I've ever met. I stumbled across the Bagpipe Solutions series by John Cairns. They are entirely self explanatory and thorough, at least up to volume III, which is as far as I've gotten with Bob. The disadvantage to being self taught or having too infrequent instruction is that it's too easy to get things almost right and they sound O.K. to you, but not to someone well versed in piping.

So, if going it alone, I'd suggest the books from Mr. Cairns, as well as the CDs. Then, if at all possible, set up the occasional sit in with a band or pony up the bucks for a review by a competent piper every once in a while.

Piping can be learned on ones own, it's been done in the past and will be done in the future, sometimes resulting in superb pipers. They, however, are usually the first ones to tell you it's easier to learn from someone else. I had the advantage of some instruction and still have to slow down and clean up my playing once in a while.