I’m thinking about buying a set next year, but am worried about the flute playing. What are your thoughts concerning the Pipes? Does anyone out there play? Are there any philosophies concerning playing multiple instruments?
Any and all responses appreciated.
Thanks,
Matt
I’m working at the pipes (C set, so I won’t exactly be taking them to your average session some day). For me, they’re addictive even though I have very far to go. It’s a real possibility that one’s flute practice can take second seat, so if you’re not playing flute on a regular basis either at gigs or at sessions or ceilis, you might be up against a dilemma unless you apply some self-discipline practicewise. If you’ve been playing flute for several years and preferably more, your fluteplaying shouldn’t suffer so long as you keep at it.
I think it’s true that the best result in most cases is gotten by concentrating on one instrument alone, at least until you’re without question proficient at it. I don’t think utter mastery is a necessary requirement before one takes up additional instruments, though.
That being said, am I a proficient fluteplayer? Well, I can save myself from drowning, but I won’t be swimming in the Olympics soon, if you follow. 
At least others can learn from my mistakes!
When classical musicians double, they say that the biggest issue is in the possible compromise to their embouchure. I think you will be safe from that problem!!
Actually, if you don’t get out of hand with it (and try to play a gazillion instruments), I think that playing more than one instrument can help your overall musicianship. You see a different perspective to the music, and you see what kinds of things carry over from one instrument to another, and what kinds of things are unique to certain instruments. So I say go for it.
Additionally, anything with a double reed has to be good. 
Since many (most?) ornaments in ITM come right off the pipes I think it can only do good to increase your appreciation of them and what they’re supposed to sound like. Go for it!
djm
I used to be a multi-instrumental type, including flute, but it all fell by the way side when I got serious about my piping. I pick up the flute once in a while, but it doesn’t hold my interest very long any more.
See the similar thread in the U.Pipes forum.
Kevin Krell
I’ll play the flute often times when attending a session where I know there won’t be room for the pipes, or when travelling. However, I think its very difficult to maintain one’s embrochure without very regular practice. As a result, I primarily play a Terry McGee instrument that has a very forgiving response, hard not to get a good sound out of it.
Thanks all, I appreciate the comments. The comments concerning the danger of losing embochure seem a real concern for me–it’s easy to let that slip. Yet, I also see the possibility that piping could increase my understanding and ability with the music itself.
Bill, why the entire eschewing of the flute?
Thanks all,
Matt
Pipes, concertina, flute
As Michael mentioned, regular playing is necessary to keep up the embrouchre. I was so driven to play pipes that neglected everything. Now the lip is gone, the bowing arm is shot, and I’ve lost the callous on my fingers. It’s just too hard to put the pipes down long enough to resurrect old skills. Still, I haven’t completely given up the flute, fiddle or guitar. I’ll play them on special occasions when I have enough lead time to get things together, but the days of casually moving from one instrument to another in sessions are pretty much over for me.
I have never been attracted to the pipes for a number of reasons. I guess if I ever wanted to make that sound like that I could buy a kazoo off of ebay. 
I’ve been working on learning the pipes for a year and a half now, more of less. Just got my drones a week ago! I’ve found the biggest danger is not losing the flute embouchure, but rather playing the pipes as if they were a flute. Too open and so forth.
I have a kazoo. They’re not as easy as you might think.
I’ve been dying to learn the pipes. Or maybe the concertina.
(Or maybe I should just shut up and learn the flute, eh?)
BUT. I do know that I generally love the way pipers play flute & whistle when they pick them up … they seem to nail that elusive burbling thing so very nicely.
Cathy -
I suspect that certain “burbly” piper thing you are talking about is the way we (pipers) learn to cran early in our piping. Some say the essence of good piping is in the cran. So when we pick up the flute or whistle - the crans just seem to come out there as well.
…then again, I could just be full of crap – (a cranfull of course) : )
- tw
Thanks, wolvy! I don’t know why, but my crans always sound more like cramps. Anyway, we love the pipes. Can’t get enough of 'em around here!
BTW, does anyone have a theory about why so few women play the pipes? There are more than a few female GHB players in our local pipe band, but no uilleann pipers I know of. All I can figure is that maybe our biceps don’t look nearly so cool with the sleeves rolled up and the bag/bellows strap around them … ?
There are a few women who take up UPs. One of the best tutors for UPs was written by a woman - Heather Clarke. There are a couple of professional lady UPers as well. Why more ladies don’t take to it is a question often asked - too apparently male-dominated? - don’t like the sound? You would be in a better position to answer the whys of it than I. Certainly there is nothing particularly muscular about playing UPs.
djm
I know two woman pipers, and one of them is a very fine piper indeed. (Well, both are very fine pipers. One is just a bit more so. I imagine you’ve heard her name.) But men are more numerous. I think it’s unfortunate.
I’m female. Perhaps not quite a woman yet, but female. There were a couple of other woman pipers at East Durham, but certainly more men. I think I counted a ratio of about three to twenty or something. One thing that attracted me to learning the pipes was how hard everyone says they are, which I took as a challenge. 
But I think that maybe most women wouldn’t, whereas perhaps more men would. I don’t know, that could be unfair stereotyping, if so I apologize. It’s just something I’ve heard, that men take stuff as a challenge more of the time and feel compelled to do whatever it is just to show they can. Of course there would be lots of other factors, but that might be one of them.
Oh rats, there was something else I wanted to say but I forgot what it was! 
If I think of it later I’ll be back.
-Kelly
I definitely think there’s something about certain instruments that attracts certain personality types whether it’s sound quality, degree of difficulty, weird physics, amount of focus/math skill/agility/talent/pain required, etc.
Then again, if we turn it around … maybe lots of pipers really wanted to be flute players but were afraid the flute was too girly.
(If that’s the case, though, here’s to those men for keeping piping alive!)