Howdy from the state of Arizona! I have decided to take up the Uilleann pipes after messing around with the Highland pipes for a few years. I have a half set of pipes from David Daye on order, and expect them sometime after Christmas! I also just ordered the 1st NPU dvd so I can begin practicing before they arrive. I am using a whistle to practice with for now.
Now, to the main subject of my post. I live in northern Arizona. The altitude here is about 5,000 feet above sea level, and as you might guess, it is quite dry. I was wondering if there are any important points I might need to be aware of in light of the climate here?
Thanks in advance for any advise you may be able to offer! I am really glad I found this forum! There is so much experience here, I have already been able to glean a tremendous amount of info, and I thank you all!
welcome welcome welcome to the insane zany world of the UP’s, i got the art of uilleann piping vol1 on dvd recently & its an excellent learning aid, prior to the dvd i used the NEW APPROACH TO UILLEANN PIPING by H.J.CLARKE & still use it, these where the 2 most recomended learning aids by those who have gone before & they where right, you will find plenty of help on here & as was said to me on a number of occasions there is a FAQ section wich you will find very helpfull & will answer most of yer questions.
Howdy JetDoode/PipertoBe.
Since I know everything there is to know, let me offer my advice.
I live in Maine, where we have swings of humidity & dryness like it’s menopause or something!
So, one cheap solution is to aquire(via ebay or otherwise) one of those nifty humidifier devices for an acoustic guitar. Such as: http://www.guitargal.com/gifs/PWhumid.jpg
Along with that, a hygrometer to keep an eye on the level OF humidity.
All it takes is perhaps, a shot of distilled water every now & then with a syringe that comes with it to keep the moisture at an acceptable level.
I’m sure there’s alot of other suggestion out there, but this one can be had for cheap, if you know your way around the web.
I bought a digital hygrometer for $30.00 or so.
Well, cheers & here’s to relative humidiy!
Rich
ps. whatever you do, just be sure not to OVER humidify things, as metal parts, etc will wear prematurely.
Hey Jetpiper,
Welcome to the weird and wild (and at times surly ) world of uilleann piping from another dry climate newbie. (I live in the Mojave Desert, at about 5,000 feet above sea level.) I also have a chanter and bag on the way from David Daye. It is comforting to know I’m not the only one who practices what I’m learning on the NPU videos using a whistle. (My family and friends all think I’ve lost my marbles.) Well, if there is one thing that I read more about in this crazy quest of finding out about the uilleann pipes, it would be humidity. (Reeds would come in as a close second, but since most reed problems are related in some way to humidity, I’d have to say humidity is discussed more.) I just read a very interesting interview with Erec Reigler from the Cumann na Piobairi website, and in it Eric tell his secret for playing in so many different climates. The article is at http://www.irishpipersclub.org/newsletteraticleericrigler.htm. This is a trick I’m going to have to try. If you try it, be sure to give us all an update. Good luck with your new pipes.
Slainte,
Hi Jetpiper, I bet you had real problems with the GHBs in those conditions. If you’re still playing GHBs try seasoning the bag with wool fat (Anhydrous lanolin); just warm it up till it’s liquid and pour into the bag. Basically it completely seals the bag so no moisture escapes through the leather (a disaster in a humid climate but for you a definite advantage).
Well Arizona is a special place for pipes. Most pipers would go crazy if they bring their pipes out here. Though our climate is not all doom and gloom as many pipers will say, just more finicky. You do get a little more moisture than me in Phoenix, but it is still bone dry.
I am not one for humidifiers and such, though my Preshaw chanter has the amazing ability to stay in tune. Really in my opinion the best solution for a dry climate is to make a reed for the dry climate. In my opinion superior reeds for our climate are made from soft cane. My best reeds are made from nice soft CA cane or soft cane I sort out. Soft cane makes a reed that is nice and thick and less prone to shifts. Many reeds out here are overly scraped to get them to play and that just gets you a weak back D/hard D and are more prone reed to climate shifting. For drones I harvest rock hard cane from Bartlett Lake down here. The stuff cooks in our generally 100+ degree weather all year and is great. I find hard cane works good from drones. I first split it and then heat bend it very slightly to get the tongue to bow out. I then shave the tongue down and add wax to weight it as needed. These reeds then play very well and take little air. On your David Daye set you should have synthetic reeds that play no matter what. I started on a David Daye chanter and found my reed soon closed up and the cane very hard.
Now the above will make no sense just starting the pipes. I recommend learning to make reeds, (there are many good books on this subject, visit NPU’s site for information and tools) and jumping into how to adjust your pipes. Uilleann pipes are a very hands on instrument and are more temperamental than most instruments. Being an isolated piper as we all really are here in AZ you have to pull up your sleeves and jump in. We have our little club out here in AZ and we should have a meeting in January or February in Phoenix and one in Tucson this upcoming December 3. I highly recommend making it out. I will PM you with some info. I am happy to help if you have any problems or need advice.
Best of luck with your pipes, nice to see more pipers in AZ.
I’ve been piping in a dry climate for five years and have struggled with it. The humid days make things a bit easier so a humidifier might save you the frustrations.
David Daye is big on making reeds for specific types of climates so make sure he is aware of your climate before he makes the reed.
If you learn to make your own reeds, you’ll need to find a balance between scraping the base area enough to lessen bottom D troubles without adversly affecting the back D note. A fix that I’ve usually used is to scrape the reed rediculously until bottom D plays well, then shove the reed deep into the reed seat and put a length of fine wire up the bore of the chanter, stopping short of the back D hole. This generally cancels out the flat back D.
Or you can always just learn to make perfectly ordinary reeds that play well for you in your climate because they were made in your climate for your pipes and style of play. You don’t need any special treatemnts or gadgets to make a reed work. You just have to understand a little about what you want it to do, and have realistic expectations of what it can do. Anyone trying to sell you more is well…selling something. Reedmaking isn’t as black an art as some may allude. Dive in, and reap the rewards!
Wow! Thanks for all the good words of welcome and advice! It sounds like making reeds is something that almost comes with playing the Uilleann pipes. I have used synthetic reeds on my GHB’s, and that took all the finicky behavior out of the equation for good. I was hoping that synthetic reeds would be available for the Uilleann pipes as well, but it sounds as though they’re not. Actually, I look forward to learning how to make reeds. It seems to be an important part of learning and playing this instrument.
I did tell David about my climate conditions, and so he’ll be making the two reeds I ordered accordingly. Hopefully, those will last long enough for me to figure out how to make reeds that will work here. I enjoy a good challenge!
Reedmaking isn’t as black an art as some may allude. Dive in, and reap the rewards!
Best of luck to ya’. 