I hope my question is a fairly basic one. I am an “old” highland piper and I would like to take up the Uilleanns. I have ordered and been advised that the practice or half set I intend to purchase comes from a mfg. with an 18 month lead time. This is no problem. I have already spent some time with an excellent instructor and even a weekend tional. I had a practice set but have since sold it in order to purchase a new one. My question is this. During the 18 month wait for my new set, how should I spend the time preparing? I have been told to purchase a “cheap” practice set by one source and to take up the penny whistle by another. I kinda lean in the direction of the penny whistle, but I intend that whatever I do will ultimately lead to the Uilleanns. Is the penny whistle a good background for Uilleanns?
Thanks for any guidance…
Tom308
During your wait, pennywhistle is probably the best choice for training yourself to play irish pipe tunes in an irish style. The scale is not identical, but it’s close enough that your transition will be aided by your experience on the whistle.
“Cheap” uilleann pipes usually end up being an expensive mistake, although the Daye pennychanter can work well.
I agree with Pat.
A “cheap” practice set can lead to some poor habits and unending frustration.
Now, he’s correct in that checking out a David Daye setup is worth it.
I’ve had the opportunity to play one of his setups, and it had me wishing that they’d been available when I first started - AND - you can always sell it to another beginner once your 1/2 set arrives.
If laying out several hundred dollars doesn’t fit your budget, then the tin whistle is the way to go in order to prepare.
There’s my $0.02.
i agree with the advice to spend you time on whistle. what you may want to do is to order the npu video (there are 3) and learn to play all those tunes on the whistle. they are mostly traditional tunes. if you know them well when you pipes come, then the music is part of you and you can concentrate on technique, playing by ear.
i would further suggest that if you can, go with a low whistle. reasons:
a. tone is beautiful and not as shrill as a high D whistle
b. the lower a whistle you go, the more finger stretch it will demand, and this is good practice for the uilleann pipe chanter. a low D whistle will stretch your fingers a bit more than a uilleann pipe chanter. this has to be good practice.
ask others or look at old posts regarding the most cost effective low whistles. if memory serves, there are several recommended instruments in the under $100 range. i just am new myself and don’t know enough to advise you.
enjoy
meir
Hi Tom,
I’m somewhat in the same boat as yourself-I’m a U.P. wannabe, currently waiting for my practice set (hopefully not as long as 18 months!).
I think that there has been a lot of good advice given so far on this thread-I think that it’s a good idea to stick with the whistle for now,by all means get a low whistle too,for the reasons given(you can always double on low whistle,plus whistle is handy for learning new tunes on).
I have the NPU video vol 1,which I would definately recommend-it teaches the basics right from scratch,and there is some decent material to learn from it in the meantime.
As far as ‘cheap’ pipes are concerned,like everything else,I’ve found that you normally get ‘what you’ve paid for’!
Good luck! 
Thanks for all the advice. Most of the Uilleann STUDENTS I know started from the Highland pipes. But, most of the Uilleann PLAYERS I know started on the penny whistle. That seemed to be a “red flag” kinda coincidence. I also must admit that I really like the sound from a Low D whistle.
I’ll have one on its way today. I already have the NPU video #1 and am quite familiar with it.
For now I’ll move over to the Whistle forum and hopefully be back in a few months.
Thanks
Tom W.
Most players I know [except Robbie Hannan] started out on the whistle for at least a few years. You can the learn the music and get the “feel” for the whole Irish music idiom on a simple instrument [and portable too] even when you have a set of uilleann pipes. The first year of piping is not necessarily a very musical time…frustrating, climate-sensitive beasts they are, especially when you have all the technique still to learn.
But knowing the correct rhythms and a few of the tunes on the whistle gives your brain a couple of things less to concentrate on when the time comes!
Boyd
Good luck, TOM. 
Hmmm…same fella?
Author
Topic: Uilleann Half Set for Sale…
Tom308
Forum Member - Shy or
Quiet (<30 posts)
Member # 2925
posted May 09, 2003 01:06 PM
Complete half set with extras. The Chanter, Bellows and connections were made by DuVe in Spiedel (east of Galway). There is a complete second (practice) bag without the fittings for the drones. The practice bag is slightly smaller than the main drone bag for easier practicing. Both bags are less than 6 months old and have been seasoned. The tie in for the fittings has been done by a special procedure that gives a much tighter and neater joint. The fittings on both bags are sized to be exact fits for the chanter and bellows connections. The drones were also made in the Galway area. But, there is no proof that they were also made by DuVe. The family remembered the drones cost well over $1000 by themselves. The Chanter is 30 plus years old. No date on the drones. Some of the additional features include a pearl dot inlayed on the top of the inlet pipe to indicate that the inlet valve is oriented properly. There is a small tin with spare chanter reeds. The original green cover for the old bag is also included. A good piper tried the pipes. He said there was no problem with both octaves. The drones sounded good but will have to be adjusted slightly for an individual players’ style, pressure and local temperature and humidity conditions. The drone stock has the holes drilled and plugged for the regulators if they are added in the future. The case is lined and has a storgae compartment for accessories. This set comes with Two excellent Uilleann tutorials, one on VHS cassette, “The Art of Uilleann Piping” vol.1, Beginners Guide, and one on computer CD, “Uilleann Pipes Tutorial” by Sean Potts. Also, an excellent videotape by Allan Moller that takes you step by step through the process of reed making and tuning and Dave Hegarty’s “Uilleann Pipe Reedmaker’s Guidance Manual”.
Asking $1750.00 U.S.
email bren308@msn.com for pics…
Posts: 5 | From: Tennessee | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged |
same fella…
It seemed that buying a halfset and “jumping in” wasn’t the best way to start, PLUS after seeing the reeding process on the chanter, I wanted a set with a manufacturer solidly standing behind me for support. So, after the set was properly reeded and checked out by more accomplished pipers than myself (including Benedict Koehler), I sold it and have ordered a new set for the future.
While waiting I wanted to know the “best” direction to start learning the music and thus, the question here.
Tom W.
I don’t mean to pick on TOM308, but only in recient years have I seen the pipes refered to as “the uilleanns”, without pipes being added. Uilleann is an adjective to the noun, pipes. I understand many play both GHB and UP, and the usual reference to the pipes may be confusing. Before Flood, uilleann was unknown as union was the usual adjective. Perhaps someone can give me historical references otherwise. This may belong as a new thread. Do GHB players refer to their pipes as the “highlands”?
Ted 
I don’t mean to pick on TOM308, but only in recient years have I seen the pipes refered to as “the uilleanns”, without pipes being added. Uilleann is an adjective to the noun, pipes. I understand many play both GHB and UP, and the usual reference to the pipes may be confusing. Before Flood, uilleann was unknown as union was the usual adjective. Perhaps someone can give me historical references otherwise. This may belong as a new thread. Do GHB players refer to their pipes as the “highlands”?
Ted
in recient years have I seen the pipes refered to as “the uilleanns”, without pipes being added.
– Ted
…
Heh heh - then they’re playing “the elbows”.
Just my point, brianc. Scottish smallpipers then would then play “the smalls”, etc. etc.. Such invented terms have a habit of becomming “accepted” as proper with enough use over time. I may be accused of being anal, well so be it. Does anyone else feel as I do, or is this just a tempest in a teapot on my part? It’s just that in the last couple of years that “uilleanns” has shown up, mostly by beginners and GHB players, and the unchallenged use of the term seems to be spreading on this list and a few other places, as well as GHB lists.
Ted
It’s down to the amorphous nature of the English language, which doesn’t distinguish between verbs and nouns in particular (almost any noun can be converted to a verb; try it), and confuses adjectives as well in many cases.
It’s a common irritation when people use language in a way you don’t. I can’t tell you how irritating I find the ‘Estuary whine’, and doubtless Londoners would find my guid Scots speech just as disturbing. There’s absolutely no rationale for this (well, there’s a reason, but it’s not particularly impressive). Accent is one thing, but when people alter their grammer, it’s even worse. In Somerset, “to be” is conjugated I be, you be, he be, we be, etc. Makes a hell of a lot more sense than the received Anglo-Saxon train-wreck that confuses three different words, but I couldn’t stand to listen to it for long, and neither could most folk.
The question is: Why does it annoy you so? Is it because people might confuse them with something else? I don’t know anyone that plays the elbows, myself. Is it because it’s not the traditional usage? Well, by that argument, I’m not called Calum, I’m yclept [1] Calum. And I insist that I be addressed in good honest Anglo-Saxon, none of your Norman innovations.
I notice that you’re not getting het up about how everyone calls them the pipes, not the bagpipes. If you have the time on your hands, you can read frenzied letters in the Piping Times from thirty years ago about how the young were corrupting our noble speech with the hideous notion of playing ‘pipes’. Many were well-written and interesting to read. And nobody is complaining about your use of the word pipes. BUt it’s a usage that’s changed, and changed recently.
Really, lets calm down here. What’s wrong with Uilleanns? It’s not the full name; neither is Uilleann pipes. Carry on using what sounds right to you, and try not to wince when you hear someone saying something you’re not used to.
Cheers,
Calum
[1]Yclept was last seen some time in the fifteenth century, but it’s more traditional. Until 1700 or so, someone could reasonably and correctly be teached something. If I do it now, I’m wrong. Hmm.
When I started on my practice set, I was never comfortable calling them uilleann PIPES. I mean, there’s just the chanter, right? So why the plural? Now that I have a half set, it feels right to refer to the four cylinders as pipes. My wife prefers to call them “peeps”.
For shizzle my schnizzle! It aint nuttin but a tempo in a teabag. Ya’ll anit gotta git all up in dey kool-aid wid out knowin’ what flava it iz. Dayhum! Dats Uilleann… uh, I mean Illin’ 
:roll:
Cheers!
Scott McCallister
Oh, when you said uilleanns, I thought you meant elbow macaroni.
Come on, guys, give it a rest. It seems in the nature of some people to quibble. But then again, it was probably in the same nature to be attracted to UPs, so who am I to criticize (much). :roll:
djm
A piper acquaintance of mine usually refers to the UPs as “The Irish Bagpipes” when curious punters make inquiries.