New pipes!!!

**haukehaien** · 7th May 07, 11:09 AM

Bagpipes all work basically the same way - there's a bag to hold air and one or more pipes coming off it to produce sound. For many types of pipe, the sound-producing pipes consist of a chanter, which has holes that may be opend and closed to produce a melody, and one or more drone pipes, which play a constant note to provide background. The Great Highland Bagpipe, for example, has a chanter and three drones, a bass and two tenors. The chanter is capable of nine notes from G to the A above the octave G. The drones play an A to provide background. (This is all somewhat simplified.)

One of the main divisions of pipes is the way in which air gets into the bag, whether mouth-blown or bellows-blown. The GHB are mouth-blown pipes; there's a tube into which the player blows to fill the bag and to keep it full as he plays. The uillean pipes are bellows-blown - the player wears a bellows attached to a belt and to his arm, so that by moving his arm he can pump air into the bag. This also allows uillean players to sing along while they play, which may or may not be a good thing.

Going from one type to the other therefore requires some adjustment of playing style. In the GHB, I blow the bag up until just before the drones start to sound, strike in (strike the bag with my right hand so that all the drones start at once at the correct pressure) and then bring in the chanter. As I play, I adjust the pressure of my arm on the bag, lessening the pressure when I'm blowing into the bag and decreasing it when I'm inhaling. The uillean pipes require the same sort of thing, but the increse and decrease in pressure from your arm is directed by the action of your bellows arm. (That part is more theoretical to me; I've never played a bellows-blown set of pipes.)

**wgority** · 7th May 07, 01:23 PM

I've asked around about uilleann pipe instructors in Galway and have only come up with on name: Tommy Keane. He's a grand fellow and has lived in Galway since the late 1980s. He's also made some great recordings. I don't have any contact info for him, but I'm sure you can find it.

**wgority** · 7th May 07, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by beloitpiper

I haven't, but I will! Thanks!

You'd be better served to enquire on Chiff and Fipple's Uilleann Pipes Forum than on Dunsire.

**Rampant Lion** · 7th May 07, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by haukehaien

Bagpipes all work basically the same way

Thanks! I don't think I've ever seen a bellows-type bagpipes.

**wgority** · 7th May 07, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Rampant Lion

Thanks! I don't think I've ever seen a bellows-type bagpipes.

If you've ever seen The Chieftains, Lunasa, The Bothy Band, Planxty, or Solas, you've seen bellows blown pipes. (uilleann pipes)

If you've seen the movie Rob Roy, you've seen bellow's blown pipes. (Border Pipes)

**wgority** · 7th May 07, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by haukehaien

The uillean pipes are bellows-blown - the player wears a bellows attached to a belt and to his arm, so that by moving his arm he can pump air into the bag. This also allows uillean players to sing along while they play, which may or may not be a good thing.

Going from one type to the other therefore requires some adjustment of playing style. ................The uillean pipes require the same sort of thing, but the increse and decrease in pressure from your arm is directed by the action of your bellows arm. (That part is more theoretical to me; I've never played a bellows-blown set of pipes.)

I've never seen (or heard) an uilleann piper sing while playing. The instrument is a bit too demanding to really allow that sort of thing.

The playing pressure in the uilleann pipe chanter is governed by bag pressure. This shifting bag pressure and carefully-crafted reeds are what allow the jump in octaves. Uilleann pipes are usually capable of playing 2 mostly chromatic octaves (my reeds allow me to go a bit into the third octave - an occassional, but do-able thing). The bellows only fill the bag. As in the GHB, uilleann pipes rely on the bag. Highland pipers don't (or shouldn't) use their lungs and diaphragm to do anything but fill. Pressure control should come from the arm on the bag.

**beloitpiper** · 8th May 07, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by wgority

I've asked around about uilleann pipe instructors in Galway and have only come up with on name: Tommy Keane. He's a grand fellow and has lived in Galway since the late 1980s. He's also made some great recordings. I don't have any contact info for him, but I'm sure you can find it.

Hey, cool! He played pipes with the Pogues! I think it was the tracks "Dirty Old Town" and "The Body of an American". I'll have to look him up.

**Warhoover** · 22nd May 07, 08:58 AM

Congrats on the new uilleans!!! I hope you have wonderful time with them. I have always love the sound and would love to give them a go someday as well.

**Peter C.** · 21st June 07, 12:44 PM

I recently bought a set of smallpipes and the bellows were hard work. I found there was a resistance to the bellows even when they weren't connected to the pipes due to a too narrow connecter, so I was doing a lot of work for nothing. This might be worth checking.

Peter

**drobin** · 28th June 07, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by wgority

If you've ever seen The Chieftains, Lunasa, The Bothy Band, Planxty, or Solas, you've seen bellows blown pipes. (uilleann pipes)

If you've seen the movie Rob Roy, you've seen bellow's blown pipes. (Border Pipes)

Also if you've seen 'River Dance" I do belive the solo piece for the pipes is being played by the uillean pipes & on the 1st cut of Stings album 'Soul Cages' has an uilleann player featured.