-
13th March 12, 09:52 PM
#11
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
For many years I've charged $200 for a gig, whether it be a funeral, wedding, or what have you. That includes any gig up to an hour. If the gig runs over a few minutes I don't make a fuss over it.
I usually tack on an another $100 for each additional hour. So your three-hour gig would be a $300 gig for me.
I wouldn't myself do a three-hour gig on the big pipes. I do do a three-hour gig each St Patrick's Day, a laid-back house party where I sit in a corner and play uilleann pipes, Scottish Smallpipes, and various whistles. I even break out the big pipes a couple times.
About kilts on St Patrick's Day, it varies for me from year to year. There are years where I'm only doing uilleann gigs and I wear pants all day. There are years where I'm only doing GHB gigs and it's kilts all day. (I somewhat dislike playing the uilleann pipes in kilts, and playing the GHB in pants.)
Your proposed outfit sounds fine to me.
Last edited by OC Richard; 27th March 12 at 03:08 AM.
Reason: bad math skills
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
-
-
13th March 12, 10:21 PM
#12
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
Quality Matters too. For my wedding I did not want to get the "low bidder".
I had a piper pipe us down the aisle after Mass and I had a wonderful uillean piper with 2 additional musicians at the reception. This was a frugal wedding, but as a day always to be remembered I paid fairly and for quality. If you are a quality piper don't sell your talents short.
-
-
14th March 12, 12:17 AM
#13
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
Thanks for the help,
I don't expect to be playing for 3 hours non stop, I don't even think I could, when I timed myself last I had about 13ish min., of music memorized perfectly and that was at more or less full tempo on all the tunes, and I was beat. So, how as a Piper do I make a few tunes last a long time, I can play a huge number of tunes from sheet music, but that feels like cheating. Is it? Also, how do pipers usually play at gigs, all tunes non stop, or due to the relative informality if the gig would it be tune, socialize, tune and socialize etc.?
-
-
15th March 12, 04:43 AM
#14
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
 Originally Posted by ANP3
I don't expect to be playing for 3 hours non stop, I don't even think I could, when I timed myself last I had about 13ish min., of music memorized perfectly and that was at more or less full tempo on all the tunes, and I was beat. So, how as a Piper do I make a few tunes last a long time, I can play a huge number of tunes from sheet music, but that feels like cheating. Is it? Also, how do pipers usually play at gigs, all tunes non stop, or due to the relative informality if the gig would it be tune, socialize, tune and socialize etc.?
I suppose you'll have to play it by ear and go with the flow, playing when it seems right to play and taking breaks when you need to.
It's funny with the GHB, some clients will by analogy with other instruments hire you to play for multiple hours... but most of the public prefers the pipes in small doses. It's why so many gigs, wisely, use the pipes sparingly, say for a tune to end a service, or a dramatic beginning to some event.
I did, though, many years ago (around 1980) play for three straight hours at a wedding reception. I was placed on a staircase so that my playing could be heard thoughout both floors of the restaurant, but not blasting directly at anybody. I wouldn't have the lip to play that much now! Or probably the repertoire. I played 45min then took a 15min break, typical Musician's Union stuff.
My repertoire was pretty big at that point: I didn't have to repeat any tunes until into the third hour. And no sheet music.
But don't hesitate to use sheet music! If it's cheating, then every professional orchestral musician and studio musician on Earth is a cheater.
Like most "legit" musician, I have my "book". Every time a client asks for a tune I don't know, I write out a pipe arrangement and stick the music in my book. After over 30 years of giggin my book has all sorts of stuff in it: Andrews Sisters songs, Disney songs, anthems from various nations, hymns, Catholic music, Jewish music, plus a vast number of Irish tunes. Many's the gig where I sit and play the uilleann pipes for hours, reading through that book.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
-
-
15th March 12, 05:45 AM
#15
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
 Originally Posted by OC Richard
(I somewhat dislike playing the uilleann pipes in kilts, and playing the GHB in pants.)
Makes complete sense to me, Richard.
Last edited by creagdhubh; 15th March 12 at 05:45 AM.
-
-
15th March 12, 10:02 AM
#16
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
Pipers around here start out at US$150. That gets one piper, dressed and tuned, for one hour. How long that piper plays depends on the gig and what's requested. The fee is negotiated up from there. My piping instructor (with 30 years of experience and countless tunes) I think starts at $250 these days.
One thing I'd be sure the hosts are aware of is how loud the GHB is, especially indoors. Casual conversation within about 20 feet of you will be next to impossible. I recommend YOU wear earplugs.
I'm all for using sheet music, especially if you're not confident in having a wide variety of tunes memorized. It would be quite different if you were in a concert setting or on parade (hard for a piper to carry sheet music).
John
-
-
15th March 12, 10:40 AM
#17
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
If you're of the Grade 4 variety Masonpiper's prices sound about right. In Houston, I'm lucky to get that, although sometimes I can charge more depending on the venue. We have a glut of very good pipers in Houston as there are at least four GHB bands, and the St. Thomas Episcopal School is a piper factory; so, competition for gigs can be dire.
Last edited by Jack Daw; 15th March 12 at 10:41 AM.
-
-
16th March 12, 05:01 AM
#18
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
 Originally Posted by EagleJCS
I'd be sure the hosts are aware of is how loud the GHB is, especially indoors. Casual conversation within about 20 feet of you will be next to impossible. I recommend YOU wear earplugs.
This gets into an issue that I have to deal with quite a bit: churches banning bagpipes altogether because they're too loud.
What these people don't realise is that there is quite a range of volume possible, even sticking with the GHB.
A really good piper, say a piper who plays in a Grade One band, is going to have a band chanter set up to be extremely loud and extremely sharp. Loud and sharp are exactly what you want in G1 band competition but not ideal for playing in a church or restaurant!
I've found over the years that a 466 chanter (that is, a chanter which plays at Concert B Flat) is far better than a 480++ band chanter for indoor gigs of any sort. The volume is much lower, the tone is more mellow, and the pitch agrees with any canned background music or live band in another room or what have you.
This really came to roost when on successive St Patrick's Days I played my 466 chanter at a daylong gig where I travelled between various locations of a restaurant chain the first year, but my 484 band chanter the second year. The reaction was very different, the people finding the 466 chanter pleasing but the 484 chanter annoying. Annoying isn't good for a gigging musician!
I have to explain this stuff all the time to church people who have banned bagpipes. Also I have uilleann pipes which are the same volume as a violin or flute, but these church people have never seen one and think it's the loud Scottish pipes. Oi oi oi.
I had to move heaven and earth to get the church people to allow me to play the uilleann pipes yesterday at my Father-in-law's funeral Mass. They could not wrap their minds around the idea of the uilleann pipes, even though I had played at that same church in the past and everything was fine.
One guy even told me that instruments were banned inside of Catholic churches during Lent. What BS... I had just played uilleann pipes along with a guitar, flute, drum, and keyboard at a different Catholic church last Sunday!
Last edited by OC Richard; 16th March 12 at 05:02 AM.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
-
-
16th March 12, 05:19 AM
#19
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
Yeah - the banning of instruments is an optional observation of Lent that is rarely used any more. As a mid-way point, my churches have no processional or recessional hymns during Lent. Some churches are more rigorous than others on that rule.
Bill+
Rev'd Father Bill White: Mostly retired Parish Priest & former Elementary Headmaster. Lover of God, dogs, most people, joy, tradition, humour & clarity. Legion Padre, theologian, teacher, philosopher, linguist, encourager of hearts & souls & a firm believer in dignity, decency, & duty. A proud Canadian Sinclair with solid Welsh and other heritage.
-
-
16th March 12, 08:18 AM
#20
Re: Piping on St. Patrick's Day
Well, my college is a Jesuit University so I hope pipes during lent is okay!
On to switching chanters, where would I get such a thing? For the future, it's far to late to get one now, but I like the idea. I would like to play at Churches, and school band concerts etc. So a more "musical," chanter may be in order. How much should I expect to spend on a thing like that?
-
Similar Threads
-
By highland mafia in forum General Celtic Music Talk
Replies: 9
Last Post: 24th February 12, 07:20 PM
-
By Slowburn in forum Miscellaneous Forum
Replies: 1
Last Post: 13th October 11, 08:10 AM
-
By EagleJCS in forum Kilts in the Media
Replies: 5
Last Post: 13th May 11, 11:55 AM
-
By Prester John in forum Miscellaneous Forum
Replies: 2
Last Post: 14th October 06, 12:17 PM
-
By GMan in forum Miscellaneous Forum
Replies: 3
Last Post: 7th September 06, 11:57 AM
Tags for this Thread
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules
|
|