Current Highland Piper looking to play Uilleann Pipes

Uilleann Pipes
1

Good afternoon Chiff & Fipple community,

New member here and have been playing the Highland Pipes for many years now and am very interested in learning to play the Uilleann pipes. Quick background: I am from the states and have been playing the Highland Pipes since I was 10 (in my late 30’s now). I played with a local Kiltie band professionally for at least 10 of those years and am now interested in learning the Uilleann Pipes (well I should say that this has been a deep seeded interest just never got the motivation to branch out till now). I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction as to where I may acquire a decent enough practice set that is budget friendly (this may be a tall order but always worth asking). I was also curious if anyone had any insight as to how the transition from Highland Pipes to Uilleann was for them as I know some of the technique is transferrable but is very much still like learning a whole new instrument. I did start by learning the tin whistle and have done pretty well with that and am now looking to further my journey and finally attempt to learn the Uilleann. I greatly appreciate any and all help/advice!

2

Might I suggest an alternative, intermediate, step? I play GHBs and Scottish small pipes. The smalls are an easy transition from the highland pipes and you can get ready to work the bellows side of piping. Same fingers, same tunes, same range, same ornaments… Once you get those down, transition to Uilleanns. The smallpipes are great - I am even allowed to play them in my home! Not so with the GHBs!!!

3

I started on Highland pipes, then within a few years got my first uilleann set.

Over the last 40+ years I’ve set Highland pipers down the uilleann road.

The most important thing is to not try learning the uilleann pipes on your own.

From the very beginning, the moment you get your first uilleann set and BEFORE you try playing it, set up an in-person lesson with an experienced uilleann piper.

It must be in person. Online doesn’t work. No Skype, no Zoom, it must be you and the experienced uilleann piper sitting across. Why? Because beginners often make strange noises on the chanter which can ONLY be diagnosed by the teacher putting your chanter in their pipes and playing it themselves. A squeak you make can have several completely different causes, and the teacher can’t know unless they play your chanter.

I’ve had people blame the reed when it wasn’t. I’ve had them blame the chanter when it wasn’t. I’ve had them blame themselves when it wasn’t.

I had a guy refuse help when he got his uilleann set. He’s a very experienced Highland piper. He ended up injuring his shoulder because he was trying to play a reed that was much much much stronger than any playable uilleann reed would be. Had we got together I could have told him that the moment I tried his chanter. But he had no clue how strong uilleann reeds were supposed to be. How could he know?

Another part of my rant (sorry) is when Highland pipers try to play the uilleann chanter like a Highland chanter. Even if they’ve looked up uilleann fingering online (which are usually wrong anyway) they’re trying to do Highland gracenotes and other ornaments.

EVERYTHING is different with the uilleann pipes: the position of the bag under your arm, the position of the hands, how you use bag-pressure, the way you lift your fingers, all the fingerings, all the gracenotes and ornaments, everything.

One mistake is that Highland pipers generally make is to imagine that the whole low octave is at one even pressure just like Highland pipes, and that the whole 2nd octave is at a second, higher, even pressure. It’s not like that at all. In fact there’s a zone from around the middle of the low octave up a few notes into the 2nd octave that’s pretty much the same pressure. Yes, you go over the octave split at the same pressure if you’re in that zone (at least on all the chanters I’ve played).

Beginners usually blow the low octave too soft and the 2nd octave too hard, in other words.

In a way it’s better if an uilleann beginner has NOT previously played any other sort of bagpipe. Why? Because they don’t have as much to un-learn. For a Highland piper it’s best to approach it as they would learning violin, piano, or any other completely unrelated instrument.

So 1) find a teacher you can see in person. 2) follow their recommendation as to what pipes you should buy. 3) when you get your pipes go in for a lesson before you try to play.

And never mouth-blow or touch the chanter reed. I’ve seen dozens of perfectly good chanter reeds destroyed by Highland pipers trying to do their Highland pipe reed strategies.

Sorry again for the rant! You would rant too if you’ve seen people do the things I’ve seen them do.

4

I would agree that there is nothing that can substitute for in-person lessons right at the start (if possible). Highland pipers often don’t realize how sensitive and easily damaged the uilleann chanter reed is. Try to resist the temptation to take the chanter top on and off a whole bunch or you risk clipping the corner.

5

I’ve seen Highland pipers take the bridle off (“what’s that thing? reeds don’t need that thing”) and/or shave the reed like they would a GHB reed and/or clip the top of the reed.

And the bag! Uilleann bags have longer necks than GHB bags because the position of the chanter and bag are different, and I’ve seen Highland pipers think the neck is too long and chop it shorter.

To me one thing that is analogous between uilleann pipes and Highland pipes is that you want to fall into a natural cycle, which becomes autonomous, of intaking air and blowing air into the bag. Yet I’ve seen good Highland pipers forget this and play the bellows in a jerky way, or try to “play the pipes from the bellows” and forget that they have a bag under their arm.

6

Yup, and I suspect the jerky bellows playing and arm clamp on the bag (too much pressure) of highland pipers is part of what kills chanter reeds.