Lately some friends and I have been getting together and playing a bit. Last night, our piper let me strap on his practice set. Although, I did manage to get a few notes out, most of the time I just played BWAAANK. (I had a hard time keeping my pinky down) I had always known that Uilleann were some of the hardest pipes to play, but this enlightenment has caused me to have a greater respect for all you UP pipers.(and makes me want to get a set) Loads of fun…(although my playing was torture on everyone else)
BANG!!! WHAMO!!! Another bites the dust! 
Celtic, there’s no turning back from the Dark Side. 
I’m not convinced that the uilleann pipes are hard to play. Hard to play well, yes, and there are all sorts of things that can go wrong with them, and there’s so much that can be done with them. I’m progressing gently at my own pace (just getting to grips with rolls). I’m no great musician, but I wouldn’t say that I found the UPs more difficult than the harp , or even the whistle. Plenty of ways to trip up and make awful sounds on the whistle.
Andrew
But the first time you try it, it seems impossible. It gets much easier pretty fast, but that first time can be mind-boggling.
I’d have to agree with that. (So far at any rate. 
) I play harp and whistle as well, and yes, it is totally possible to make all sorts of nasty noises on a whistle. 
I think that most instruments are fairly simple to play, but difficult to play well. UPs may have a few extra weird quirks (the reeds and all the hell they can put one through, and of course just the mechanics of pumping, squeezing, fingering, etc., etc.), but its not that much worse thatn driving a car. But a car can’t sound like a UP. (A UP is quite capable of sounding like a car, but thats another topic. 
(Which of course must lead to the old standby jokes. Whats the difference between a bagpipe and a car? You can tune a car. )
One thing I did notice, correct posture is essential. When i had the correct posture the cordination went easier…and i just sounded bad…when i didn’t I got all tangled up and sounded horrible. Most instruaments, i can get a passable tone…and ussually a tune…Uilleanns take more cordination than i have to just start playing…i could pump the bellows, and squeeze the bag..unfortunately not at the same time. Then there is the fingering on the chanter, which is not easy to remember on the first time. I am sure that with lots of practice I could play them. =Just not in 15 min The saying about 7 years to practice 7 years to play 7 years to master (or somthing like that) is really true.