Just question that i can’t get over - how long to practise?
I suppose i do about 1 hour to an hour and half - but if i do too much my
mum says i’ll get RSI!
So lets get it outta the way- how long did you practise for when you started? (i’ve been playing for a week now).
All comments greatly received,
Cheers,
Sam
P.s what piping Cd’s do you recommend me listening to? (after all seamus ennis said 7 years of listening, 7 years of playing and
7 years of practicing - though i suppose you all know that)!
If you are just starting out, I wouldn’t practice beyond a 1/2 hour to an hopur at a time. As your body gets more accustomed to playing, increase the length of your practice time. Don’t forget to stretch before/during/and after practicing.
Hey, Sam. I just read the advice you gave me on my questions. I think it sounds good to let the muscles just gradually develop and not worry. I do worry about RSI like your mom because I did have trouble with that on the whistle, and that really messes you up.
I also am starting my seven years of listening . I’ll mention two CD’s: for a piper of older times, The King of the Pipers by Leo Rowsome, and for a piper of the present time, The Piper’s Dream by Brian McNamara are two I have been enjoying. When I bought a lot of CD’s my husband said he thought it would take seven years to listen to all of them . Other people will have lots of others to recommend. It is really interesting to see how the different pipers sound.
Some more experienced people might recommend more important CD’s to get first, so we’ll see what they have to say.
Good luck and thanks for your input on my muscle question!
Sam PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop right now doing anything like an hour or an hour and a half per night.
Wait and see Alan to see if ye are getting the right posture and that ye are not jerking the bellows which ye will almost certainly be doing.I say this most seriously as when I was with the London Pipers Club 2 members who where jerking the bellows in a most violent fashion gave themselves serious shoulder injuries and had to stop playing altogether.Now I don’t want to frighten ye and it is early enough for ye to stop doing any damage,and ye are going to see Alan in a few days and he will give ye the correct techniques. Listen to Mum she knows what she is talking about.
I would say that 10 to 20 mins PER DAY at the beginning is about right and will allow ye time to adjust all the muscles that are coming into play for the first time.
If your fingers get tired then stop.Ye are not doing anything wrong,they all get tired when we first start.
Doing a long stretch of practice badly doesn’t make ye a better player as ye will have to unlearn a lot more,so be patient and it will all come together naturally. Finally please do not listen to other newbies no matter how well intentioned they are. Ye won’t know what is good and what is bad cos they are in the same position as yourself!! Get your advice from Alan and stick with it.!!
Now take it easy and enjoy.
Slán Go Foill
uilliam
give it 20 mins to half an hour a day i reckon for the first few months. the sooner you can get into a session the better. it’s much more fun than sitting on your own practicing and you’ll get used to playing with other musicians.
this’ll depend on whether you play other instruments or not i suppose.
but definitely getting the basics right is fundamental as bad habits will be very hard to shake.
Sam forget about sessions for a good while yet.Ye will be concentrating on developing your pipering style and this will not be helped by trying to play along at sessions.I remember Joe Doyle saying to some youngsters when they started ye will be ready for sessions in about 3 years.I make him right.Ye will need to concentrate on your technique,at sessions they wouldn’t know the meaning of the word and usually belt along the tune often without any regard to simple wee things like is it a reel, jig or hornpipe, but play furiously away regardless.Tom Clarke in Belfast goes further and says that sessions actually can ruin your pipering, and he has a good point,if ye were to judge your musicality by sessions alone.
Anyways this is all rather academic to ye Sam as ye are only 12 years old at the moment (I wish I was ) and ye won’t be allowed into them smelly old smoke ridden bars anyway.
If ye want to learn the music see if there is a branch of comhaltas near ye.Ask Alan he might know,ye will enjoy that far more than hanging out with boozy old men and women and ye will learn plenty o tunes.
happy Pipering
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
I’ll have to agree with Uilliam on this matter. It is surely a bad thing to be getting into sessions too early. I speak from experience.
It is more fun playing with others. And the way to do this is at Alan’s place, in the guise of a lesson. Or even just “having some tunes” with him and one or two other pipers. You will learn more with one on one attention, and you won’t pick up bad habits. You will definitely sound like crap if all your learning is done at a session, or you start playing there too early on. (Listening is a different thing, though. By all means, if you can, go and listen)
. I’ll mention two CD’s: for a piper of older times, The King of the Pipers by Leo Rowsome, and for a piper of the present time, The Piper’s Dream by Brian McNamara are two I have been enjoying. When I bought a lot of CD’s my husband said he thought it would take seven years to listen to all of them 
. Other people will have lots of others to recommend. It is really interesting to see how the different pipers sound.
) and ye won’t be allowed into them smelly old smoke ridden bars anyway.