I am quite confused as to what type of pipes would be most suitable for a complete beginner.
I wonder what forum members would advise a Newbie like myself to buy as a first time set of uilleann Pipes Concert D or Narrow Bore D.
I think one is louder than the other. However if I wanted later to play in say an Irish band, would I be better to go for the Concert D pipes?
Any pipe makers out there or players who could advise me?
Thanks
Mark Fergusson
Both narrow and wide bore chanters have their virtues and shortcomings. BTW, both can be tuned to concert D; search the archives on this subject.
Get out to some tionols as a spectator first and LISTEN to how different styles of pipes sound in person.
Then choose something you like, and don’t worry about joining bands for the time being. If you start with a narrow bore instrument and find that you want wide bore volume some years down the road for band playing, then get a wide bore chanter at the time.
It’s way more important to enjoy playing pipes at this stage of the game then it is to worry about playing in a band.
If you have the bucks, go for a wide bore to play with the band and get a flat chanter to play and practice for enjoyment.
I have a wide bore D (Mark Hillmann 1/2 set) that sounds loud in the apartment but quiet outside.
For stealth practice, I love my C chanter (2 more reeds to make and I will have a 3/4 C set!!!) as someone standing outside the closed door can just barely tell something is playing.
My neighbors want me to play my loud set though… idiots!
I’ll put my 2 cents worth in to this topic.
I totally agree with the first two replies. I think tone and loudness are the most important things to consider, except for the quality/in-tuneness of the chanter (of course!). I lived in a small house where my wide bore chanter was painfully loud. My wife didn’t appreciate it and I avioded playing it when I knew my next-door neighbours were home. I spent hours fiddling with/breaking reeds in an attempt to get them to play both quietly and stay in tune.
I love the tone of the wide bore chanters so I’m glad that I bought it now. Had I known about the difference between wide/narrow bores at the time, I would have definately gone for a narrow one. I am not so worried about volume now that I live in a larger house and can play reasonably well.
Having the two types of chanters is definately an ideal situation, but my suggestion is to go for a narrow D rather than a flat pitch chanter because it’s a better pitch for playing with other folk musicians and allows you to play along with lots of uilleann pipes albums, most tunes of which are played in D (I taught myself to play this way).
Good luck with your quest for the right chanter for you.