Hello everyone! Last night I got a set of pracitce pipes for Christmas. I’m very excited! I have been playing whistle for quite some time, so I’m not too terribly intimidated by this whole thing…
I happen to be a music teacher and a bassoonist, which helps me in teaching myself how to play AND working with very strange fingerings.
I guess I don’t really know where to start. I’m willing to go find a tutor, but I’d also like to be able to find a book that is going to give me the tips I need to know. Something geared toward experienced musicians, but new pipers.
Last year I played in an orchestra that toured parts of Ireland with Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Irish composer and head of the University of Limerick Irish World Music Centre and a few of his friends. We then did a concert in New York City to open the Irish House at New York University. There were some wonderful pipers there, and if any of them were you - you’re my heros.
I’m looking forward to getting lots of advice from all of you!
I’m looking forward to getting lots of advice from all of you!
Remember, this is a dry reed instrument! Never moisten the reed! I once saw an oboe player ruin his first reed by sticking it in his mouth. The uilleann pipes are different than other double reed instruments.
Take it slow. Never attempt to fix things without asking another experienced piper first. Never rely on the advice of other newbies, even here. Wait and see if other pipers agree. This will save you tons of grief.
There’s a very active CCE branch in the Detroit area (home to the Al Purcell Tionól), so be sure to hook-up with some of the local pipers http://www.speedlink.net/~cara/cce/index.html
Thanks for the welcome! As for the make… hmmm… I wish I knew. It came in a make-shift box, and I think I’m missing some sort of bell that screws onto the bottom of the chanter. It’s this one though
You’re gonna want to get something much, much better. No offense, but these sets are useless, and will really create some bad headaches for you. Sorry for the bad news.
Welcome…One positive to playing the pipes as opposed to the basoon is just how long your reeds will (should) last. I had a friend who was principle oboeist in one of the state orchestras here and she nearly had a heart attack when I told her that my reed had been in service for about 8 years. After she picked her jaw up from the floor she told me that she would be lucky if her reed lasted, I forget now, someting like 3 or 4 months?? Anyway, she was mighty impressed.
I have a set of these that I purchased from a garage sale, they barely play the first octave, and not in tune. The second octave is practically non existent. Stacey, I would look into a practice set made out of wood, leather and set up with a real reed… you will be doing yourself a favor.
…I’m a (relatively) new piper too. Got a Ray Sloan practice set and recently discovered Thursday nights at the Irish Centre Hammersmith which is bringing me on leaps and bounds too. Just wanted to stop lurking and say ‘hi’
Well, thhis is the set that was given to me as a gift. Does anybody have suggestions on how to make the most of what I have? Will getting a real reed help me out?
