So You Want To Play The Bagpipes

[ThinBlueLine]

ohiopiper,

Thank you. I was considering the long Dunbar chanter made out of Delrin and wanted to make sure it was not a drastic compromise in quality for the sake of price.

[OC Richard]

My instructor wouldn't let us advance to the pipes until we had memorized 5 songs.

Isn't it interesting that all bagpipe teachers are in agreement about how doublings should sound and what steady blowing should sound like, but are all over the map on the issue of when the beginner should start on the actual pipes.

The various notions seem to boil down to these:

1) calendar-based delay: Some teachers say the beginner should start on the pipes after six months on the PC. Some say nine months. Some say a year. I've heard every imaginable timetable.

2) performance-based delay: Some teachers say you shouldn't start on the pipes until six tunes are "mastered" (whatever that means) on the PC. Some say ten tunes. Some say fifteen tunes. I've heard all sorts of numbers.

3) no delay: Some teachers think the beginner should start playing the pipes right away. Different things however are worked on on the PC and on the pipes: while the beginner is working on learning the fingerings on the PC he is working on blowing a single tenor drone on the pipes for example.

What does this complete lack of consensus amongst good, successful teachers tell us? That it makes no difference when the beginner starts on the pipes. The critical thing is what the beginner does on the pipes.

[JimB]

ohiopiper,

Thank you. I was considering the long Dunbar chanter made out of Delrin and wanted to make sure it was not a drastic compromise in quality for the sake of price.

All I know is that I started on a Dunbar plastic chanter. It was horrible. I couldn't get the thing to sound right at all.

Funny though, it has gotten a lot better with age
Hmmmm.

[English Bloke]

I have a delrin (plastic) chanter and have been practicing that for 10 months. I've also bought a set of McCallum P1's (poly pipes with a bit of extra nickle trim) and beautiful though they are, I do find it tough. For an instrument that can only play nine notes it's certainly complicated.



I'm thoroughly enjoying it though.

[crash]

Well tonight I go for my first bagpipe lesson. Not sure what I've gotten myself into.

[ohiopiper]

Welcome to the madness!

You probably know there is an initial hurdle to learning the pipes. You'll struggle for a bit, then everything will begin to click.

Then, of course, you'll hit a plateau at some point. Gut it out and you'll begin to improve again.

Just remember that even in the initial "gee, this is cool" phase, temper your practice time. When you begin making mistakes, stop for a while. If you keep on going, you'll begin to make a habit of those same mistakes. You'll find that when you stop and correct a mistake immediately, your practice sessions will go longer and longer and be more enjoyable because they'll be productive. work dilligently, but work smart, not just hard.

Speaking of which, I've got a gig on the 24th. Time to go to the barn and wake up some mice.

[crash]

Thanks for the encouragement and the advice. Now if my fingers would just listen and do as they're told.

[Neil Clark]

Glad this thread came up. I teach pipes over Skype if anyone's interested. 1st Lesson is free too.

[crash]

I have been using a borrowed (from my instructor) Dunbar regular p/c and have decided to purchase a Dunbar long p/c. includeing the "Green Book". My Grandmother would be so proud. So far it's been fun.

[Kilted Cole]

wish i would have read this 3 yrs agoe....