highland pipers

[system]

hi guys,
a bit of advice needed really, met a guy at college n he practices once a week with about 10 highland pipers, they are all at various levels,i have been invited to come along n practice if i like, really friendly bunch, am i likely to learn much thats relevent to the uilleann pipes or more likley to pick up bad habits.

voices of wisdom n experience required ta albert

:roll:

[Joseph_E_Smith]

You may pick up bad habits. Though they are similar, GHB and UP piping are different from each other. I am not saying that it will not do you any good to attend this practice, but be careful to keep both playing styles separate until you have a good working knowledge of the UPs… it may save you a lot of ‘un-learning’ in the future.

[PJ1]

But think of all the GHB pipers who’ll see the error of their ways when they hear your UPs. You’ll be doing yourself a favour by recruiting more UPipers to practice with. I say go for it.

[benwalker]

Run away Albert, as fast as you can and find some like minded UP players.
Seriously I doubt you will learn anything that will help your UP playing from GHP players.
Check out SWUP and Alan Burton. Top reed maker and top UP player and all round good egg!
You need to develop sound playing habits which will be a firm basis to build your UP playing upon

[phcook]

Go and enjoy!

GHB is for outdoor playing, and is very pleasant! The fingering won’t be difficult for you, and the exercises will help you getting tight triplets for instance.

It’s another world, and I think that GHB helps a lot for UP.

[Joseph_E_Smith]

@benwalker

Check out SWUP and Alan Burton. Top reed maker and top UP player and all round good egg!
You need to develop sound playing habits which will be a firm basis to build your UP playing upon

Alan is the man indeed, and reasonably close at hand.

[system]

@Joseph E. Smith

@benwalker

Check out SWUP and Alan Burton. Top reed maker and top UP player and all round good egg!
You need to develop sound playing habits which will be a firm basis to build your UP playing upon

Alan is the man indeed, and reasonably close at hand.

thanks jes

[system]

@PJ

But think of all the GHB pipers who’ll see the error of their ways when they hear your UPs. You’ll be doing yourself a favour by recruiting more UPipers to practice with. I say go for it.

im afraid i am going to have to insist that some experienced up players relocate to plymouth— problem solved ha ha

[system]

@benwalker

Run away Albert, as fast as you can and find some like minded UP players.
Seriously I doubt you will learn anything that will help your UP playing from GHP players.
Check out SWUP and Alan Burton. Top reed maker and top UP player and all round good egg!
You need to develop sound playing habits which will be a firm basis to build your UP playing upon

hi ben how u diddlin

[djones]

I have been playing GHB for over 10 years and am fairly skilled at it. I took up highland smallpipes about 4 years ago. I loved UPs but stayed away for fear it would interfere with my GHB piping!

I have been at the UPs for about 4 months now, so I’m a beginner and it shows. Here’s a recording of me playing about a month ago (http://loweradirondack.net/mp3/beginner.mp3). There are three things to illustrate in this recording (you’ll need to turn your sound way up to hear it): 1) the GHB style embellishments in several places that I just couldn’t help throwing in (and did not notice until someone pointed them out to me); 2) the obvious lack of skill in handling the variable bag pressure required to bring different notes into tune on UPs; 3) failure to have a really well-tuned the second octave.

I believe you have nothing to fear about losing by playing both instruments and there are some things that playing both will improve in your playing for both.

I make the following observations:

• UP embellishments are more simple.
• GHB chanter tuning is MUCH easier… balancing my UP chanter is proving to be very difficult for me.
• Playing both instruments regularly keeps my fingers strong and under control.
• GHB fingers are more rigid
• Sometimes I spread my fingers too far on the GHB chanter (the holes are much closer together), especially if I play GHB right after a long practice with UPs. However, once I notice it, it’s instantly corrected.
• I do not accidentally mix the fingering and stopped doing so after about 2 weeks (save for the position error note above)
• GHB bag pressure is constant and this is easier than trying to change pressure for different notes as must be done to varing degrees sometimes on UPs
• GHB embellishments and fingerings are very rigid, formalized, and standardized. Even the music is so. None of this exploring the chanter to see what kinds of notes you can make as an instructor on the NPU video vol 2 says when he introduces a slow air. GHB fingerings have only 2 variatiosn I know of: 2 ways to play C and 2 ways to play high A … there is this piobaireachd G fingering as well, but you won;t miss out if you skip piobaireachd all together… It’s not readlly music.

All the best-
Dave Jones

[Pat_Cannady]

“Na Caber Feidh” (apologies for spelling) is NOT MUSIC? The Lament for Donal Dougal Mackay is NOT MUSIC?

You like living dangerously or something? Sheesh.

[phcook]

Very well said Dave!

[system]

@djones

I have been playing GHB for over 10 years and am fairly skilled at it. I took up highland smallpipes about 4 years ago. I loved UPs but stayed away for fear it would interfere with my GHB piping!

I have been at the UPs for about 4 months now, so I’m a beginner and it shows. Here’s a recording of me playing about a month ago (http://loweradirondack.net/mp3/beginner.mp3). There are three things to illustrate in this recording (you’ll need to turn your sound way up to hear it): 1) the GHB style embellishments in several places that I just couldn’t help throwing in (and did not notice until someone pointed them out to me); 2) the obvious lack of skill in handling the variable bag pressure required to bring different notes into tune on UPs; 3) failure to have a really well-tuned the second octave.

I believe you have nothing to fear about losing by playing both instruments and there are some things that playing both will improve in your playing for both.

I make the following observations:

• UP embellishments are more simple.
• GHB chanter tuning is MUCH easier… balancing my UP chanter is proving to be very difficult for me.
• Playing both instruments regularly keeps my fingers strong and under control.
• GHB fingers are more rigid
• Sometimes I spread my fingers too far on the GHB chanter (the holes are much closer together), especially if I play GHB right after a long practice with UPs. However, once I notice it, it’s instantly corrected.
• I do not accidentally mix the fingering and stopped doing so after about 2 weeks (save for the position error note above)
• GHB bag pressure is constant and this is easier than trying to change pressure for different notes as must be done to varing degrees sometimes on UPs
• GHB embellishments and fingerings are very rigid, formalized, and standardized. Even the music is so. None of this exploring the chanter to see what kinds of notes you can make as an instructor on the NPU video vol 2 says when he introduces a slow air. GHB fingerings have only 2 variatiosn I know of: 2 ways to play C and 2 ways to play high A … there is this piobaireachd G fingering as well, but you won;t miss out if you skip piobaireachd all together… It’s not readlly music.

All the best-
Dave Jones

thanks dave loads of help god bless albert

[djm]

I get confused by threads like this. One minute someone is talking about Highland Pipes, the next minute someone is talking about GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate). I have never played Highland Pipes, but I … er … never mind.

djm

[djones]

You like living dangerously or something? Sheesh.

That crack about piobaireachd was a joke, but truth be told I do not like piobaireachd and stopped playing it. I’ve even taken a few medals in it (although only at the Grade IV level full piobaireachd), but just don’t like it.

[PJ1]

djones - Only 4 months on the UPs? Your recording shows you’re certainly on the right track!! Keep it up.

BTW, on the recording, there were occasional beats, were these your fingers on the chanter?

[djones]

No, not fingers … I was tapping my foot on this pad thing and it got too loud…

[Baglady]

Hanging out with Great Pipers will help to widen your musical horizons and lets face it, the music is a social thing, so if that is as close as you can get to the whole pipeing culture, go for it.

Cross-cultural pipeing is a good thing. Tolerance and diversity among pipers can only lead to a better environment for all. We already have most of the world against us.

And Seamus Enis played the Piob Mhor before he started the elbowy things. In case you need an authority.

[oleorezinator]

@Albert McGuinness

@djones

I have been playing GHB for over 10 years and am fairly skilled at it. I took up highland smallpipes about 4 years ago. I loved UPs but stayed away for fear it would interfere with my GHB piping!

I have been at the UPs for about 4 months now, so I’m a beginner and it shows. Here’s a recording of me playing about a month ago (http://loweradirondack.net/mp3/beginner.mp3). There are three things to illustrate in this recording (you’ll need to turn your sound way up to hear it): 1) the GHB style embellishments in several places that I just couldn’t help throwing in (and did not notice until someone pointed them out to me); 2) the obvious lack of skill in handling the variable bag pressure required to bring different notes into tune on UPs; 3) failure to have a really well-tuned the second octave.

I believe you have nothing to fear about losing by playing both instruments and there are some things that playing both will improve in your playing for both.

I make the following observations:

• UP embellishments are more simple.
• GHB chanter tuning is MUCH easier… balancing my UP chanter is proving to be very difficult for me.
• Playing both instruments regularly keeps my fingers strong and under control.
• GHB fingers are more rigid
• Sometimes I spread my fingers too far on the GHB chanter (the holes are much closer together), especially if I play GHB right after a long practice with UPs. However, once I notice it, it’s instantly corrected.
• I do not accidentally mix the fingering and stopped doing so after about 2 weeks (save for the position error note above)
• GHB bag pressure is constant and this is easier than trying to change pressure for different notes as must be done to varing degrees sometimes on UPs
• GHB embellishments and fingerings are very rigid, formalized, and standardized. Even the music is so. None of this exploring the chanter to see what kinds of notes you can make as an instructor on the NPU video vol 2 says when he introduces a slow air. GHB fingerings have only 2 variatiosn I know of: 2 ways to play C and 2 ways to play high A … there is this piobaireachd G fingering as well, but you won;t miss out if you skip piobaireachd all together… It’s not readlly music.

All the best-
Dave Jones

thanks dave loads of help god bless albert

mr. jones have you heard patsy touhy? and have you seen the book of his transcriptions if you think up embelishments are simpler ?

[djones]

No, I haven’t seen the work you speak of and I’d love to.

As I mentioned, I am a beginner and I can only reflect what I have seen so far. GHB taorluaths and crunluaths don’t seem to have a UP equivalent, for example.

Morer simple doesn’t necessarily mean easier: just means less complex; having fewer parts.

An expert on UPs I am not: just sharing what I’ve seen so far.

Thanks for the tip-
Dave Jones