Do other people get this? Some days I feel really good and my playing sounds much better than it usually does, you can enjoy it so much you feel borderline euphoric. But there are some days where I just don’t play well, and you wonder what happened.
I hope I’m not alone here, do you have days where your playing/piping just isn’t what it is cut out to be?
Absolutely… I think it’s also quite often due to the pipes being so “alive”. Sometimes, the reed has its days and I find it safer to give it a rest rather than to tinker with it too much…
Bad days? Bad months. Where I live, uilleann pipes are happiest for one of our two seasons.
That would be the Road Repair season.
I for sure am on the up and down road. Some days it’s me (usually) or other days its fighting the reed and the rare days when it all is better. IMO the obstacles to piping are pretty high. For example I am about 3 years in and just recently figured out that much of my problems are reed related. So working hard on my reed making. Still, I love the journey and there ain’t nothing as rewarding as those days when you do make progress. I am in your camp
Moving to Japan in 1996 has affected my piping so much.
When I first came there was only a couple of other pipers in Japan, so it went from regular uilleann sessions at Morpeth Bagpipe Museum to nothing. Also the Japanese weather has been pretty hard on the reeds. I have lost faith quite a few times.
Recently piping has been taking off over here, I think a lot of it due to Makoto Nakatsui making great pipes up there in Hokkaido.
From late last year I was having a 3/4 B set made by Makoto, but I last month I had an infection turn bad and it ended up having a big wound in my stomach. I have been in hospital for the past month. Japan has a national health system, but you still have to pay a certain amount every month. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be in, so I had to cancel my order with Makoto. I feel really bad about doing that, but I couldn’t justify the money. Luckily I was moved to a top specialist hospital and the wound has healed very quickly. I am getting out today. I still have some healing to do and unfortunately the wound is exactly where my bellows belt goes, so I won’t be able to play for a while.
Cancelling the pipes from Makoto is pretty much a last straw for my piping, so 22 years after getting my first lignum Peter Hunter chanter(which Makoto actually owns now) I have decided to sell my current pipes and stick with the flute and whistle.
I still love the pipes, but I will just be satisfied with listening.
However, if you are in the market for a new set of pipes, Makoto is worth a look.
He is a great guy and his pipes are beautifully made.
I will be selling a half set of B pipes, a few chanters and some D drones once I get settled back at home, so look out for that.
It may sound like I am negative, but that’s not the case. I just know when enough is enough.
As for Ennischanter - keep the faith. Reed problems and off days are part of playing the pipes.
That shouldn’t knock your confidence. The bad days are when you are getting better.
I can’t find it but there is a priceless quote from Robbie Hannan about how much he looks forward to the few days a year when his pipes are playing perfectly. Variation from day to day seems to be a necessary part of the Uilleann experience. You just gotta make the best of what your pipes and your fingers are able to at a particular moment.
Thanks, I will.
Sorry to hear about your problems 
. Get well soon!
And to learnthegrip: I too saw that Robbie Hannan quote, good to know the best of us pipers have problems too! We all struggle together! 
I remember watching a Geoff Wooff reed-making video where he mentions Séamus Ennis saying, something like when you get your pipes all in tune, you know your problems have just begun. Something along the lines of that.
Abit OT: but I saw a beautiful saying here about how one of the many magical idiosyncrasies of uilleann pipering is to make virtue out of imperfection. Or Wabi-Sabi. When my chanter does an occasional squeak or squawk, it puts a wee smile on my face…
Hm, I’ve read that as well. It’s a pity that Séamus Ennis did not get into problems more often.
Mukade,
You post is both uplifting and sad at the same time. I hope you heal up soon and you are able to go wherever your musical muse takes you.
On the up side,
A bit of progress today after couple hours tweaking me “good” reed I managed to fix the gurgling back d problem and still keep fairly in tune. Put a 2 inch rush up the staple (guitar b string) and pulled the staple out about 1.5mm. New wrap and new bridle. Now hard D is weaker but worth it to get rid of the gurgling back d. Hopefully the hard D will come back after playing a while, or I may shorten the rush. High a and b about 30 cents sharp still but rest within about 10 or less.
I have been at the pipes since1970. During that time, especially in the early 1970s
I gave up on the pipes several times. In 1975 I got so frustrated the I put the pipes in a case and shoved them under the bed where the lay for two years. Gradually I worked my way back in by concentrating on reed making? I finally i had a breakthrough and was able to outfit the pipes so that they played well for a few years.
Let me say this, the pipes are a son of a bitch. If you are tough you will do well; but if you are a whiner, pissing and moaning, then you don’t have a chance. If you want to play the pipes do anything to get them to play.
I hope that isn’t passive-aggressive towards me. But I am doing what I can, to play. A few tuning problems aren’t stopping me.
Pat - thanks for the frank advice. I agree they are a true SOB, and I am a persistent cuss, so not planning on putting them down. Glad you mentioned the reedmaking was the path to success with pipes. Just this morning I mentioned to my wife that all the hard work at reedmaking was finally starting to pay off cause now it seems I can actually figure out better what I should do to fix problems, not just open or close the reed. Feeling better about the whole she-bang here lately. Sure that will change. : )
Ennischanter,
I think Pat was just stating “how it is”. Not directed at you or me IMO.
Best,
Deisman
I have found, after have been told by several people who have instructed me on other wind instruments, that your greatest gains in technique, and musicality, are gained on days when nothing seems to work. Whether it is reed issues, or fingers that feel like sausages, if you stick it out, you will gain more than on days when playing is euphoric. On winter days when reed will barely speak, work on bag pressure and fingerings to get the best sound with what you have, and you will find on good days your control of the intonation and colour of the note is improved. On the days when it feels like you couldn’t batter your way through Fainne Geal an Lae, work through the nasty bits slowly, and days later, the passages will seem to fall naturally under your fingers.
Works for me.
dave boling
PLAY the pipes?? interesting concept. No-one does, really.
WE dont play them:
THEY play us 
I wouldn’t be surprised! 