Hey all. I’ve been listening (nonstop) to what some would call ITM, or at least IM, for around a year and a half now, and I have to say that for some strange reason I am feeling a compulsion to get involved. However, some things I would like to make known:
Since the beginning of this near-on obsession, I have been learning to play the Great Highland Pipes, and from this I have springboarded deeper into not only STM, but IM as well. I started with bands like The Tannahill Weavers and Capercaillie, then moved almost exclusively to Lúnasa, then Gordon Duncan (The sound of his piping alone could garner intense sexual pleasure), and off to people and bands like Altan, John McSherry, Michael McGoldrick, Eitre, Cillian and Niall Vallely, and most recently Eoin Dillon and I’m happy to say I was finally able to get ahold of some Paddy Keenan.
Now, onto my main question. I don’t want to just listen to McSherry, Cillian, and Paddy anymore, I want to play what they play. Scots music is all well and good, and don’t get me wrong I love my Highland Piping, but at times it’s a bit too regimented and mechanical. It’s at times like those I love to just pull out some Eitre or Eoin Dillon and veg out, and I now am thinking that I want to veg out with a whistle in my hands, or hopefully and ultimately, a bellows and bag under my arms and a chanter in my hands.
However, what would be the best path for me to take to get involved in this? I realize that whistling is the most easily accessible, but to be honest I don’t enjoy the sound of the whistle much, and while I know I could have a lot of fun whistling, I would ultimately get bored doing just them. I love the Uilleann Pipes, the sound, expression, life, everything. But, they are F^&%$% expensive as hell and it would be tough for me to learn them as well as continue to progress how I wish in my Highland Piping.
So, how should I start, and where do you want me to sign? Also, given my Highland Piping music background, are there any difficulties I may encounter, or things that I will or should already be able to do well?
You can get a very decent beginner’s wooden flute for < US$300. You can pay more if you want a slide or, say, a different kind of wood or a different maker, but it will probably still be less than Uilleann pipes of equivalent quality. Plus your Tannahill Weavers recordings will still be useful reference material…
That said, no matter what instrument you pick you may end up spending more on lessons than the actual cost of the instrument. I certainly have. Then there’s all those CDs…
Sorry to be hard-nosed, but I think you should set your priorities first. Running around from style to style and from instrument to instrument is just going to water down your concentration and your practise time. If you want UPs, go for them. There are lots of threads on the UP forum (try a Search) on beginners sets, where to look, what they cost, where to find instruction, etc.
Whistle fits in nicely with UPs because the fingering is so similar. Same with flute. These wouldn’t detract too much from your UP practise, and some find they help.
But you have to make some decisions first, so that you can marshal your time accordingly.
I was merely wondering where or how I should begin getting into Irish music. To be honest, I was considering whistle mostly, as they are not that expensive, not that hard to learn, and would be something portable and enjoyable to play. Plus, later on if I so choose, the low D could serve as a good beginning to Uilleann pipes, given the Pipe grip and similar fingering.
There is a decent group of us on the flute board who have migrated from GHB. It is a very natural transition to make. The hard part isn’t the fingering (Actually easier on a flute in some ways) but the embouchure and breathing techniques. But you will have a big leg up on somebody starting flute from scratch.
But I echo the advice of everybody else here - figure out what you have the most sustainable interest in, and make it happen.
I pursued flute and whistle because the sound of the flute is amazing but also as a diversion from the rigours of competitive piping.
But as for Scottish music, there’s a lot of great, new music out there. Listen to “A Bit of a Blow” hosted by Stuart Cassells. He’s filling in the Pipeline slot while that show takes a break for a few weeks. You’ll find that thanks to folks like Gordon Duncan, the MacDonalds of Glenuig, the RSAMD, and several other projects in Scotland there is a fresh crop of very talented musicians that are playing traditional music with a lot of verve and without drowning it out with electric guitars and drum machines. Groups to look into are Daimh, Dóchas, Cantrip, Back of the Moon, Deaf Shepherd, and lots more.
But to answer your question, whistle is a fine place to start. It’s where many trad musicians start. And as your piping progresses you may want to look into smallpipes or border pipes to explore Scottish music a little further.
Nothing to add, lexxicos, except that you have excellent taste!
… John McSherry, Michael McGoldrick, Eitre, Cillian and Niall Vallely, and most recently Eoin Dillon and I’m happy to say I was finally able to get ahold of some Paddy Keenan.
I second Cathy Wilde’s suggestion of a low whistle if you’re not fond of the standard whistle - same fingering as whistle/pipes/flute, so easy transition there, and you get a somewhat-flute-sound without needing to develop a flute embouchure. Played well a low whistle sounds great.
