Got my first Uilleann set

Uilleann Pipes
1

Two months ago I ordered a practise set from Ray Sloan and got it today. I’m new to piping but have been playing the whistle and guitar (both acoustic and electric) for some years and I can already tell that this thing is definately going to be the most difficult instrument I’ve ever played :slight_smile:

The set looks good, and I hope that it’ll Sound ok too, after some years of practising. First thing I noticed about playing it, was that I probably need to develop my muscles more to handle the bag and bellows well :wink: (I’m a skinny youngster)Second thing was the two new holes in the chanter (which are not found on the whistle). The third thing was that the chanter is a bit louder than I thought it would be. Heard many people saying the uilleanns are as quiet as an acoustic guitar or fiddle. Might be because of the climate?

I was wondering if anyone can suggest me any good books to learn from? I was thinking about buying something from Hobgoblin Music since I’ve already gotten two packages from them, prizes from their contests. Nice people.

There are only few pipers here in my country so I don’t think that I’ll be able to find a teacher near me.


Samppa Saarinen

2

i thought that heather clarke’s ‘new approach to uilleann piping’ was handy although i think that books never seem to give precise enough instructions - there’s always something that’s taken for granted or not spelt out fully

i’ve seen davy spillane’s book & i think that’s definately one to avoid - as far as i can tell it tells you nothing at all about how to play like he does & is just him cashing in on his name

the NPU art of piping videos crop up a lot on ebay & must be the closest thing to having a real live teacher although i’ve never seen them myself

you might want to have a look at scoiltrad’s site where you can buy a virtual lesson over the internet

regards