I have more than a passing interest in picking up a set of pipes but my wife has threatened to divorce me for merely muttering the words “bagpipes”. She is certain it would make the dogs have fits and cause her to grow to hate me. How did you folks broach the subject? Or do all of you have broken homes and angry dogs?
I’ve no dogs, and my wife plays the fiddle, the perfect match 
! Try to convince your wife to play music with you and make sure she doesn’t think you’re talking about GHB, and have her listen to a nice sounding flat set… If she doesn’t change her mind, then it’s a hopeless case…
Is she not a fan out the louder GHB or just bagpipes in general? If it’s a volume problem, the uilleann pipes might be quiet enough for her. Or like oliver said, show her a video of flat pipes. In regards to the animals, neither my dog or cats really seem to care. The cats leave the room, but my dog has sat 3 feet away while I played. That being said, she’s pretty old, and I don’t think her hearing is what it used to be.
Again if it’s a volume problem, I have a reed that is pretty quiet, so a maker might be able to get you a quieter practice reed.
My girlfriend loves music, hopes to start the fiddle, and enjoys the unique sound of the pipes, so I’m in a slightly different boat!
I was very lucky. When my wife to be found out that I could play the Highland pipes and being Irish herself she positively encouraged me to take up the Uilleann pipes
I think its a volume thing and the general prejudice against pipes from exposure to bad GHB playing.
All solid advice. The issue is that to spend even for a practice set, I would need spousal buy-in prior to the purchase. I can get away with sneaking in a whistle but a set of pipes would not pas without notice… I think I’m going to find someone in my area with a nice quiet set and get them to show up at a session that she comes to (rare as those are…). This has to happen slowly, such that she just wakes up one day and realizes bag pipes have somehow become a part of her life.
I’ve tried to get her to start playing something or even just singing. She just is not into it, I’m working on her though. Every now and then I catch her tapping her feet involuntarily when I’m playing. She seems to like hornpipes.
Well, my dogs seem okay, anyway.
What if you offered to practice somewhere else, like at work before or after hours?
When I remarried, my wife already knew I played the Highland and Uilleann pipes. I don’t play the Highland pipes indoors (its a hearing loss thing) and she is neutral as to my playing the Uilleann pipes at home. Her cat use to run and hide under the bed whenever I would play. Now it just stays under the bed all the time. Not sure how to interpret that.
Tell her you’ve got a terminal illness and learning to play the pipes is something you want to do before you kick the bucket.
RORY
Like a reed, maybe it’s time to get another a new one that’s less temperamental and works in most conditions You can always try a few adjustments but sometime they are just too far gone.
Maybe bagpipes should be mentioned in pre-nups.
When I remarried, my wife already knew I played the Highland and Uilleann pipes. I don’t play the Highland pipes indoors (its a hearing loss thing) and she is neutral as to my playing the Uilleann pipes at home. Her cat use to run and hide under the bed whenever I would play. Now it just stays under the bed all the time. Not sure how to interpret that.
Well if it starts to smell you know its dead otherwise you have got yourself the best cat ever. One that doesn’t put its butthole on everything you own.
Maybe bagpipes should be mentioned in pre-nups.
Its too late I’m afraid. I should have insisted on a piping clause.
Like a reed, maybe it’s time to get another a new one that’s less temperamental and works in most conditions >
Shes too pretty I’m afraid. I could never get another like her. She does put up with my eccentricities though and given my proclivity for Irish trad, I think we all know that those are not inconsiderable.
Its like that yeah but without the end part where she wants bagpipes.
My dog loves the pipes. He insists on being my partner when I practice, and it is very often a duet (him howling, me playing), which turns into just me playing after a few minutes. You never know how your dog will react.
Your wife? They’re not too loud, and if you have a room in the house that is at least 1/2 way soundproof (I use the master bath and shut all doors in between), it doesn’t tend to bother the family too much. My husband has just learned to accept it. Yours will be fine.
If all else fails, you can probably close the reed down a bit to quiet the chanter!
Good luck! Hope it works in your favor!
K
Buy yourself a Generation whistle-in F. Start playing that about the house,especially dwelling in the second octave.
I think you’ll be able to broach the pipe question, if you promise to then ditch the whistle.
Just don’t wait to long,for the sake of her sanity. 
My dog loves the pipes. He insists on being my partner when I practice, and it is very often a duet (him howling, me playing), which turns into just me playing after a few minutes. You never know how your dog will react.
Your wife? They’re not too loud, and if you have a room in the house that is at least 1/2 way soundproof (I use the master bath and shut all doors in between), it doesn’t tend to bother the family too much. My husband has just learned to accept it. Yours will be fine.
If all else fails, you can probably close the reed down a bit to quiet the chanter!
Good luck! Hope it works in your favor!
K
I jest a little, I’m sure that when the time comes she will shrug it off. However, she has spoken specifically in opposition of bagpipes. I play whistle all the time and she is ok with that. I think my big bore D is easily as loud as the chanter on a quiet set of pipes and I play that thing a lot because it is so nice. I think that after hearing some nice quiet pipes she will be more ok with it when the time comes. I’ll just have to practice in the basement 
.
Buy yourself a Generation whistle-in F. Start playing that about the house,especially dwelling in the second octave.
I think you’ll be able to broach the pipe question, if you promise to then ditch the whistle.
Just don’t wait to long,for the sake of her sanity.
Don’t forget my sanity…
How have I not seen that already…?
My C# flat set is pretty quiet OP. Could you play in a closet or basement or something of the like?