Hi all,
I’m looking for CDs of pipers playing in B. I already have the Seán Potts and Jimmy O’Brien Moran CDs.
Would anyone be able to recommend other CDs of B sets,
regards,
Mark.
Mark,
Ronan Browne’s duet albums with Peader O’Loughlin, Robbie Hannan (solo and duets with Paddy Glackin), I think Mick O’Brien and Brian MacNamara play some stuff in B (may be wrong). There are also some older examples such as Tommy Reck and Willie Clancy, although Willie’s re-issued stuff on Claddagh will offer more in B than the Topic or Gael Linn recordings. Paddy MacMathuna’s record features some flat playing but it might be B flat.
I wouldn’t get too hung up about flat piping in a particular key, the feel of flat piping is common whatever the pitch.
Incidentally did any look at the stuff from 1900 in the last An Piobaire. The concensus there was that B was the ideal pitch, and they used some nice terminology for degrees of flatness (one note, two notes etc). Obviously I’m biased as to the relative merits of this key but I’m not alone in that thought.
Regards
Ken
Todd Denman
Aniar.com is for sale | HugeDomains
I’ve been told Todd Denman’s playing a B set but I listened to “Looking back” and it’s in Bb, not B. Here’s a sample:
[ This Message was edited by: Tony on 2003-02-11 07:33 ]
Thanks Ken and Tony,
the Robbie Hannan solo CD slipped my mind earlier, I have that one aswell. I wasn’t sure about the Ronan Browne CDs, thanks for that. I have the Brian McNamara CD, however he plays pipes in D, C# and C on that album (most tracks are C).
The reason I ask is not out of any hangups I have regarding B sets, I’m partial to all flat piping. Its just when I do go to order a flat set, I’ve decided that B is what I’m going to go for.
In fact B is what I would initially have gone for, only I don’t know who would give me lessons in B. I only bought concert pitch so I would have easy access to lessons at NPU,
regards,
Mark.
Mark,
I don’t know who does the classes regularly at NPU but in my early piping days I used to go to Willie week and it was pretty much hit and miss who you got and what key they played in. My first lessons were from Jimmy O’Brien-Moran and he played his B chanter and the rest of us played in D (not at the same time!). Jimmy did try to help the concert pitch pipers by playing on a D whistle. It got a lot easier for me after a couple of years when I went back with a chanter in B and got some more lessons from Jimmy.
Later on I opted into Ronan Browne’s class and he very kindly pulled his old Harrington out of the case to play the tunes flat for my benefit.
So the moral of the story is make friends with the teachers wherever you are and I’m sure if they can they’ll play in your pitch to give you the benefit of those tricks that work so much better on a flat chanter.
Best of luck,
Ken
Leo Rickard plays his B set on his CD. There is some lovely playing by Tommy Reck in B on “From Galway To Dublin”… also some great tracks of Leo Rowsome playing on this CD but he’s only farting about in D/Eb 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000002SQ/uilleannpipesobs
The Pipering of Willie Clancy Vol. 1 has a decent bit of B stuff http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000001LQL/uilleannpipesobs/103-6515913-3245448
Mick O’Brien’s May Morning Dew has some B bits and also his recordings with Boys of the Lough “West of Ireland” some fabulous playing on there on his B set. He also has a new CD out “Tunes of the Munster Pipers” which he’s bound to play a few sets on the B.
I think Neillidh Mulligan does the odd tune on a B set… not 100% though.
Flynner does some B stuff now too on his Froment set http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I53O/uilleannpipesobs
Patrick.
[ This Message was edited by: Patrick D’Arcy on 2003-02-11 15:25 ]
Padraic MacMathuna’s “Blas na Meala–Hives of Honeyed Sound”. Lovely.
…
Hi Kevin,
It was featured two weeks running in January on The Late Session… unfortunately for people without access to my site there is no way of ever hearing them…
Patrick.
Don’t forget the most masterful of them all!!! Neil Mulligan…
Thanks all,
theres plenty of info in here to keep me going,
regards,
Mark.
Just wondering why have you guys left out Liam O’Flynn. Mark, Liam plays a couple of tunes with his B natural set in the album ‘The Piper’s Call’ and most of his albums. You’ve got to check it out cos there aren’t a lot pipers out there playing B natural flat sets.
Regards,
Cowan
B or Bb?
http://www.taramusic.com/sleevenotes/cd3034.htm
O’Farrell’s Welcome to Limerick off “The Given Note” CD is in Bb. Yes?
Cowan wrote:
“there aren’t a lot pipers out there playing B natural flat sets”
I’m afraid there are Cowan. The vast majority are B natural sets. Infact I can only think of one person that plays a Bb set but I hasten to add that he tends to play his B natural set more often in public and on recording, maybe it’s a new aquisition, that piper is Mick O’Brien.
Cowan also wrote:
“Just wondering why have you guys left out Liam O’Flynn”
I mentioned him above… Flynner in good humour 
Patrick.
[ This Message was edited by: Patrick D’Arcy on 2003-02-13 15:12 ]
Wow…It’s been a long time since i’ve last logged on to this site. Thank you for correcting Paddy, I seriously didn’t know that there are more B natural sets out there.
I’m considering acquiring a flat set and was wondering if anyone out there who can lend an advice when choosing between a Bb and B natural set. And by the way, what is the pitch of the set which Liam O’Flynn acquired from Seamus Ennis? Is it a Coyne Set?
Happy Piping!
Cowan
…
Whey Hey! Don’t hold back now Kevin
Patrick.
Hi Cowan,
The confusion arrises from the term “Flat Sets”. There are a few of us trying to get the term “Union Pipes” used again which better describes these sets.
The confusion arrising from a set being either a “B, flat set” or a “Bb, set”. B is the pitch you are after although Geoff Wooff does make Bb sets too, I’m sure Koehler & Quinn do too. OH! I just remembered Kevin Rietman plays a Brad Angus Bb set… how could I have forgotten!!!
The Ennis set that’s now being played by O’Flynn is a C# set.
Good luck,
Patrick.
Thanks for the info again Paddy. I really like the sound of Liam O’Flynn’s pipes (B natural) in the album ‘The Piper’s Call’. I’ve always gotten confused that Bb sets are more common. Well, i’m more or less aware of what i would want for my flat set in the near future.
God Bless,
Cowan
Does anybody know where you can get a cheap B whistle? I’m trying to learn tunes off the Ronan Browne & Peter O’Loughlin album ‘the South West Wind’ and I’m using a C whistle de-tuned, but the intonation is not very good. Can you make a Bb whistle into a B whistle by sawing a bit off the end that goes into the mouthpiece, and if so, how much?