I know this will probably sound like heresy to Uilleann Pipers, but has anyone tried the Gibson small pipes with Irish music. The Cieledh (sp?) pipes even look like UPs, with the drones coming out of a single stock. The chief advantage of the Gibsons would be availability, no 2 year waiting lists for an instrument that I may or may not want to continue with.
Also, it sounds like the Gibsons are more standardized than UPs. I have an old UP practice set (chanter, bag, and bellows) that is horribly out of tune for low D, high E, and I can’t get above high G. I’ve been told this is a problem with the reed. This leads to the prospect of learning how to make reeds or sending the whole chanter off to a reed maker.
The Gibson pipes sound like they would be a one-off purchase, readily available, won’t need upgrades. While they don’t sound the same, they can add the distinctive pipe sound to a piece.
Anybody try these things? They are available in D, though I don’t know what the differences are from whistle (or UP) fingerings. I don’t even know if these things have a two octave range.
Well, you’ll get a chanter with a one octave Highland bagpipe scale. So, if it’s a D chanter, you’ll have a D mixolydian scale plus a C below the D.
You will have problems playing an Irish repertoire with only 9 notes. In my opinion Irish tunes become horribly mangled on chanters based on the GHP configuration. There are some exceptions to this as always as some Irish tunes can fit that type of chanter. If you’re keen on Irish music I would give them a pass and aim for the real deal.
9 notes? Oh Well. I guess I’d best start carving canes. This will be fun (not). I’d best look around Chicago for some instruction, I know there are some really great pipers around here. I understand most are pretty friendly.
I owned a set of D Fireside pipes: then sold them as soon as I heard a set of Uilleanns…
I have to say though, that if I had $600.00 burnin’ a hole in me pocket, I’d scoop up another set.
They were a lot of fun, & being in D , made them potential jamming material!
Not to mention, Jerry Gibson was quite obliging throughout the buying/tweaking process.
I play small pipes in A and D and they work fine since I like Donegal style more than that tutty flutey fiddly southern stuff. People keep pushing me toward the UP but there are so many of those and the second octave is so over rated. The problem with Firesides is they are too quiet. The minute another instrument comes in you are lost. Play your small pipes and enjoy them.
These are actually a smaller (and thus quieter) version of the uilleann bagpipe, but mouth-blown. The can be fitted with regulators, but only tenor and baritone. They are played exactly the same way as a D chanter. I highly recommend them (but have adapted mine to my Evans-built bellows). They may offer a bass regulator in the future (let’s keep our fingers crossed:party:!)
Gibson Ceilidh Pipes are noething more than a set of mouthblown or bellow blown scottish smallpipes… Fireside pipes are just a set of smallpipes made to look more like the standard GHB… I’ve played both and they are very nice..
NOTE:
Gibson does not make regulators for these pipes, and their is no place on the stock to add regulators, they are just scottish smallpipes …
I am still a bit befuddled about what I want to do here. Ideally, I should get the practice set I have playable, learn on that while I get on someone’s waiting list for a more formidable set. The Gibson pipes sound easier to learn, but only one octave would drive me crazy. The quieter sound doesn’t bother me too much, can’t be much worse than a tinwhistle on the first octave. If I’m playing in front of people, me and the whistle needs to be miked anyhow. Thanks for all the input(s).
Do you already play Scottish pipes? If you don’t, then don’t bother with the fireside pipes. It is set up with highland fingerings and will not help in any way with the developement of uilleann pipe skills. The gracenotes are way different than crans and cuts. Take the money you would spend on those and get a practice set or get someone to reed your set for you. I’m just afraid the highland pipe set up would be more frustration and dissappointment to you than the wait for a good uilleann chanter would be.
Don’t get me wrong. I love playing my old big pipes and the sets of smallpipes I’ve built, but when uilleann pipes are needed there is simply no substitute.
Marc
Are you saying that Donegal music doesn’t play in the second octave? Reading an article on Donegal fiddle style, it said one of it’s characteristics was often playing in the upper positions - I take this to mean 2nd and 3rd position of the fingerboard and thus in 2nd octave.
I once met a guy who performed songs whilst playing a similar type of smallpipe. I think he had a serious case of octave jealousy as he was extremely critical of the Uilleann pipes and their ability to play 2nd octave. By the way he was talking you’d think we were being cruel to the reeds or something.
OK folks, I’ll save my money, find someone to teach me how to carve reeds. It shouldn’t be too difficult in Chicago. The 2 octave thing is the deciding factor. Thanks for the comments.
Mike M.
Donegal style stays in one octave? I couldn’t tell Donegal style from Sligo at this point in my ITM career.
This thread is a perfect example of what Patrick was echoing a few posts back.Absolute rubbish is being stated as fact .God help us if this is the way we are going
Slan Agát
Uilliam
ps.Fireside,parlour ceilidhe pipes call em what ye like are just wee heelan pipes.
“ps.Fireside,parlour ceilidhe pipes call em what ye like are just wee heelan pipes.”
Now who’s talking nonsense Liam?
These instruments might appear to be small versions of the GHB they are not; the fact that they have a narrow bore cylindrical chanter makes them musically quite different.
They are not just quieter but have a different gracing style when played properly. In the GHB conical chanter the notes get quieter as you move up the scale, in the smallpipe chanter the opposite is true. This means that a generally sparser upper gracenote technique is used. If you just play the same as you would on GHB the effect is unbalanced with your Grips and Burls being muddy.
Also because they are in the octave below GHB the effect of 2 octave down Drone harmonics are missing.
This is not to say that these instruments don’t have a place in trad music just that there own particular qualities should be used to honour the tunes.
"quote Highland small pipe or Parlour pipes - mouth-blown in the key of Bb with a cylindrical bore chanter, and one bass and two tenor drones tuned to the chanter’s key note. "…
Up here they are generally known as Highland Small Pipes (nb.not Scottish Smallpipes which we all know is a different instrument again,don’t we?..)hence wee heelan pipes…I hope that is clarification enough for ye.I didnae mention bores conical or human,that was your own wee presumption afor reaching for the keyboard and blasting me for nae guid reason :roll: so apologise now for your inexcusable outburst and attack on my name “Now who’s talking nonsense Liam?”… just for the record I didnae accuse any of ye of talking nonesense on this thread,although I am sure some o ye must be thinking that…I said ye were talking Absolute Rubbish and I see nothing here to make me change my mind…
David
quote..“These are actually a smaller (and thus quieter) version of the uilleann bagpipe”
is what I was “actually” referring to,I thought that much was obvious…obviously not
I’ve played both and they are very nice..
just for the record I didnae accuse any of ye of talking nonesense on this thread,although I am sure some o ye must be thinking that…I said ye were talking Absolute Rubbish and I see nothing here to make me change my mind…