I wanted to ask a question that I think I probably already know the answer to. But I thought it worth throwing out there, as I’m sure others have had this same experience.
I was playing out at a session this week, when another musician (whom I have known for a few years) leaned over to me and told me that a man at the bar wanted to play a tune, wanted to borrow my pipes, and asked would I mind letting him play them. Our session is pretty inclusive, and we often invite people from the crowd to have a tune or a song as the mood strikes.
Anyway my answer was no. Not because I am precious about my set (well I play a Wooff set so it is precious to me, but I think the point is a more general one). I am always happy to trade instruments with other pipers at sessions and tionols, and often do so. But the idea of some guy at the bar wanting to strap into my set - without even introducing himself to me - was not something I was happy with. The musician who asked me seemed surprised that I wouldn’t let someone else play my instrument - especially as fiddlers, banjo players and guitar players at our session often let people play a tune - and I was left feeling like a bit of a spoiled brat as a result.
Given the feeling I was left with from saying no, I’m wondering what other people’s thoughts are.
I must admit that I have come to the conclusion after 15 years of playing that anyone who walks up to you unannounced and asks to play your pipes probably isn’t a piper. Any piper I know would never do that, as they know themselves all the trouble we all go through to maintain them and keep them functioning and in tune, and the personal nature of how every set is set up. As I said, it’s not that I oppose letting people play my pipes. I enjoy it. But I need to know the person in question actually knows how to work the machine.
Was I right or am I just cranky? Thanks for your comments.
I do remember one time, twenty years or so ago, this guy coming up to me asking me could he have a go at my pipes. I said no. That was the first time I met Gay McKeown. But I only realised that an hour later.
I think that you were right not to lend a total stranger your pipes, as there were too many unknowns, and many possible negative outcomes for yourself and your pipes. I am not sure what the stranger had to lose in that situation. I think that proper etiquete would have been for the stranger to introduce himself, strike up a conversation about pipes and piping, and then perhaps wait for you to offer your pipes, based on your conversation and your assessment of him and his ability to handle them. Your etiquette was correct. I am not sure that his was. Sometimes saying no is uncomfortable socially, but again, your buddies at the session did not have anything to lose either, except maybe their weekly piper, should something have happened to your pipes.
Oho, this is a pet peeve of mine, and I agree 100% with your prerogative to decide, whether you agree or refuse, and for whatever reason.
The circumstances don’t matter, session or not, friend or stranger, nor does what anyone else thinks. It’s your instrument, it’s a part of you, and the decision is always yours to make. If others might choose differently, that’s fine. They’re not you, and your instrument is not their responsibility. They have no say whatsoever, and you need not justify your decision to anyone, nor feel guilty. It’s really that simple.
I seldom take my pipes to a session. They are set up to fit and suit me, not some other bloke. I’ll take a whistle or a flute. At a Tionol, mebbe. . .mebbe not!
I learned a bitter lesson a quarter century ago when I trusted the session to watch my set when I went to the jacks. When I returned a block mount on my tenor reg was busted off. . .no a word to be said how in two minutes’ time how. It cost me ten painstaking hours to plane down, glue up, and carve a replacement block. Needless to say I am more than a little guarded and jealous of my pipes.
I once made the mistake of lending my pipes to a piper. He played and played, and didn’t feckin stop playing. I felt my blood pressure rise and rise. When I got the pipes back, the sessiun was over. it was a low class, ego fueled gesture by that gentleman that would’ve earned him a flogging of some sort in my earlier days. Instead, I just made the decision to not put myself in that situation again, if at all possible!
In ma most humble opine ye would have deserved whitever befell thee if’n ye lent the set ( especially a Woof ) to this drunk probably.I mean whit wis he doing at the bar,ordering a milkshake.?Alcohol and etiquette..thats a paradox if ever there was…he wasnae wearing an old hat pulled doon over his eyes perchance?
The only lack of etiquette came from the stranger. Any piper worth his salt shouldn’t put another in that position. Well done for sticking to your instinct.
I agree…best not to lend your pipes to a complete stranger. Pipers generally consider it an honour to be allowed to play another pipers set, and they understand what a sensitive instrument it is, and how damned hard it is to keep them playing sweetly.
At least a hundred people tried my Taylor pipes over the years. Even classes of 10 - 14 year old school kids who used to come to my shop for field trips - every one of them one strapped them on and gave them a go. I didn’t mind at all. The best was Myron Bretholtz, who had never played any “musical” instrument before, and he had them going full tilt from the get-go, regulators and all, (although I think he came dangerously close to having a brain aneurysm.) Also memorable was a determined 12 year old girl with a plaster cast on her arm who was amazingly undaunted. However, I wouldn’t lend my pipes to someone who didn’t personally ask me to try them.
I am honored to be one of the few that you’ve allowed to use your pipes, Michael. You may not remember but we met at your session at the Old Sod when I was vacationing in SoCal three years ago. You let me butcher a tune on your pipes- and that was only after an hour of “proving myself” on whistle and pints that I even asked. Thanks again for the opportunity, and I would not have been offended if you said no. Perhaps you should have… though my playing has improved drastically since then. The pints didn’t help.
I do not let others play my set unless I trust them implicitly, or wish them to “feel my pain” and understand what a bear the pipes are to rein in, let alone make music with!!
Well I think perhapse you may have missed an opprotunity here. what you should have asked this “stranger” is if you might have a go at his wife, sister, or mother, first before you gave it a thought… it would have been about as appropriate. The gall of some people. I have let a few people play my pipes, but they are pipers that I have judged know how to respect the fine craft that is playing the Uilleann pipes, not just “learning” the uilleann pipes.
I recently found a pipers club not far from me, and joined in…being a new piper I was only too eager to let a brand new piper, ( with no pipes yet ) to have a go at my full set. It seemed everyones jaw dropped…I’m not too clear on all the etiquette…my gut feeling is if he wanted to play your pipes the least he could have done was buy the group a few rounds and some whiskey to smooth it over…
You did the right thing in that situation, no need to feel bad. He didn’t even have the manners/decency to ask you himself. Even if he did it’s ok to say no if you don’t feel good about lending your set, a Wooff set no less, to someone you know nothing about. Uilleann pipes are expensive and besides that very personal, set up just so for the owner, you don’t want someone else fiddling about to make the set comfortable for them to play. It’s you who own the pipes who should maybe ask another piper do you want to have a go on my pipes or in the presence of a more experienced piper you might ask him/her to play a tune to see what he thinks of your set. It can be interesting to hear your own set played by someone else, different sound perspective from that you hear when playing yourself.
Peter I met Gay in a session in Copenhagen a couple of years ago, he asked me “who made your set?” and I said “Williams, do you want to try the chanter?” I knew who he was of course. Gay played the chanter and it was nice to hear how it sounded, how others heard it, and also nice to hear it played by a master piper. He offered me his O’Briain chanter, but the thread was too thick on his wind cap to insert into my stock and I couldn’t be bothered to unwind the thread or change yokes.
I’m happy to let people have a go if they obviously know how to play but I wouldn’t let someone who doesn’t play them or a beginner anywhere near them during a session. I made that mistake once. I was in a session with some very well-known musicians, people far higher on the musical food chain than myself, and one of them, a very well regarded border piper who might play in some top bands, asked if he could have a go. I asked if he’d ever played the uilleann pipes before and he was a bit vague on the matter, so I was hesitant to let him try it. His pals were all like, “Ah, come on, let him have a go.” I balked a bit more, but they were all “famous” players and I’m nobody so I caved to peer pressure. At the time, the reed was extremely soft – too soft due to me having to do some surgery on it – and I warned the piper that it was a very light reed. But being extremely pished and used to having the mother of all hard reeds in his border pipes, they thrashed out some reels and he throttled that thing with pressure. He complained that it was out of tune, which it is if you over blow the f*ck out it and use whistle fingering. It was certainly out of tune after he finished with it. I was a bit not impressed.
Another time I was playing in a session on Skye and some guy came up to me saying, “My pal is a piper. Can he have a go at your pipes?” I asked what kind of pipes his pal played and your man said he played Highlands. I told him in that case, he probably wouldn’t be able to play these as it’s a totally different instrument. It didn’t register. All people see is a “bagpipe.” Anyway, his piper pal, who seemed a bit embarrassed by his friend’s antics, came over and sat next to me. He’d never seen anyone play uilleann pipes before and was fascinated and totally put off by how little they seemed like Highland pipes (duh). His mate kept trying to goad him and me into letting him have a go, but he was a bit more sensible and was like, “I couldn’t feckin’ play those things. No way.”
