My set is about to arrive and I can’t wait! I’m sure it’ll be a little frustrating at first, but I’ll have fun learning. Has anyone here made the transition form GHB to the UP? Is learning the different fingerings pretty difficult, or does it come to be intuitive with a little practice?
God Rest,
IMHO, it’s completely different! Not least the hole spacings and basic fingering. You may have better luck, but I could not do both. I just do the UP now, and am very happy.
Basically, for a long time I told my head to play the UP fingering, but the muscle memory played the GHP version. That phase has passed, but still there are problems playing the bottom two notes, exagerated at speed.
Also, it took me a while to work out how to get the sound of rolls correct. They are tightish, but looser than the equivalent GHP gracing. The upper 8ve took a while to get in my head too when wanting to reach it; my GHP brain had no notes up there and I had to think, hard, about them and what fingers to lift.
If you haven’t used a bellows before, that will cause some interesting things to happen. When you first need air after pumping up the bag, you will be sounding like a whale, into a non existant blow pipe, and may well pass out through lack of oxygen.
It comes in time - and is well worth the journey. Definitely join a group of other addicts or take some tuition. I guess the NPU Vol 1 tutor would be useful as a start (it wasn’t available when I started the transition). And there other things mentioned on this and other sites.
Good luck,
Pipewort
The change was easier for me than I expected. I play Uilleann,Highland, and Swedish pipes and don’t have a problem switching from one to the other. Good Luck
Well folks I got my pipes! I ordered Dixon half set and am well pleased. I’m still squeeking and sqwawking a bit, but the pitch is dead on. I had a more experienced friend play them so I could get the full effect. He made them sing with no adjustment whatever. If anyone is thinking about Dixon pipes feel free to PM me. Until then, I’ll be practicing!
-Leech-
Pictures man, we need pictures! 
I agree you have had 3 days now. Where’s the pictures man… 
sorry guys. I don’t have a didgital camera and even if I did, I’m pretty foggy on how to post pics on here. I’ll get it worked out eventually though.
Get yourself a good a tutor,or the good self-tutor products, and you’ll do just fine.
Like alot of these guys, I played ghb and other pipes before starting
irish pipes.Nothing is really going to prepare you.
Continue playing both(not at the same time) and you’ll get the hang of them
in time.
War.