I’ve ofen wondered why somebody doesn’t attach an electric blower to the Uilleann Pipe bag. It could replace the bellows and give the player one thing less to worry about. I think the air volume requirements could be met without excessive blower noise. We’re not talking about a vacuum cleaner here. If noise is a problem, the blower could be off to one side, and the air supplied by a fairly narrow tube to the bag. There might be some musical reason why it wouldn’t work…any comments?
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If they wanted, they could play a completely synthesized version of the UP and not have to worry about air, either.
Honestly, it’s about tradition. Plus once you’ve practiced more than a few months (or even a few weeks depending on the person) on a regular basis, the bellows pumping completely becomes a non-issue.
Besides.. Have you ever heard a compressor and/or air-supply machine running? Not exactly silent.
Dionys
Yeah, I guess so.
BTW:
About “Tir gan teanga”. Ireland today doesn’t really have a useful language other than English, which puts it into the same category as the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others. Each of those countries has it’s own unique culture and “soul”. The loss of the Irish language has proven that Irish culture and soul is strong enough to remain vibrant in any language.
When I was in Galway last, about 50% of the conversations I heard were in Irish. A good deal of those were younger people, rather than an older, dying culture. I think quite a few people would disagree with you about Irish not being a ‘useful’ language.
As for the quote, it’s less of a declaritive statement than it is a hopeful rallying cry. Yes, the Irish language suffered some bad times, but I think it’s preposterous to call it a ‘lost’ language when it has been in constant use since its early beginnings.
Dionys
Of course, if you could get an electric pump that when operates, emits a “D” tone, then you’d have your drones handled as well.
Couldn’t resist…
Michael
Hi “E = Fb”,
Something tells me you like guns.
Patrick.
Just had to mention that while E and Fb are enharmonic tones, E only equals Fb (in terms of frequency) in an equal temperment tuning system. Uilleann Pipes are, of course, typically Just Temperment. Not that I want to argue music theory on this page.
Dionys
On 2002-08-30 09:54, E = Fb wrote:
I’ve ofen wondered why somebody doesn’t attach an electric blower to the Uilleann Pipe bag. It could replace the bellows and give the player one thing less to worry about. I think the air volume requirements could be met without excessive blower noise. We’re not talking about a vacuum cleaner here. If noise is a problem, the blower could be off to one side, and the air supplied by a fairly narrow tube to the bag. There might be some musical reason why it wouldn’t work…any comments?
Why stop there? howabout a massive air compressor for a GHB tattoo? The pipes would be easily heard over the generator, but the pipers would have to be careful not to trip over the air hoses. You could even set the timing on the engine to substitute for the drums. 
E = Fb, the electric pump idea has been brought up before. I think the guy who tried it had a problem regulating the pump pressure and the bag exploded.
Dionys is right, the bellows pumping is a non-issue. It’s the BAG pressure that feeds the pipes. The bellows merely fills the bag. It’s confusing at first, but it becomes second nature in a relatively short time.
I’m not sure that the uilleann pipes have really seen the last of their evolution, much like the Irish music itself. but It would scare me a tad bit if for instance I happen to see…umm, let’s say Dionys, with a new set of pipes that had two bags, one for the regular bellows and chanter, the other one for the drones and regs…attached to a supplemental surgical tube that came from a hi-tech battery operated air-pump which had a muffler attached to it (and hydrometer). This might be as startling to us as when the rest of the world first saw the union pipes!
After all, player pianos had their day and they have all kinds of bellows, fellows.
Lorenzo, let’s take that one step further. Seperate drone bag powered by a foot operated bellow that’s part of the folding chair!
Paul’s comment for highland pipes has some merit. Not really for blowing the pipes, but replacing the drummers - Now there’s and idea!
Marc
Playing a instrument like uilleannpipes also keep your ( some of them) muscles in good training and it is a peaceful instrument, which it not will if you are going to use a electric airpump. Maybe the bag is exploding.
Then you can start playing from beginning again using your legs and your toes to handle the chanter.
This HAS to be one of the silliest threads I’ve seen in some time, I mean, face it, instead of wasting your time trying to find ways to make the bag-bellows thing easier to master, why not just practice until it’s not an issue? You’ll master the bag and bellows before you can engineer a successful non-bellows method (apart from converting to a mouthblown techique).
This, my friends, is a classic “troll”.
Anyone who would suggest that we use electric pumps is the sort of person who will never master these pipes. In order to play them well, you have to WANT to learn the various skills. While ornamentation is the stuff that makes one great, it is bellows and bag technique that makes you good. And you can’t be great until you are first good. If you are serious about the topic of this thread (and I don’t believe you are), quit looking for shortcuts and practice.
The Irish language is a classic troll. I won’t bother to address that.
The Irish language recently told me and some other people:
“The reports of my demise are a bit premature.”
I have to admit, though, it is very American to scoff at a language older in history and stronger in beauty. For that matter, it seems very American to me to scoff at languages other than English.
It always strikes me as funny when I hear someone in America complain about the French not speaking English to American tourists even when they know the language. My next question is invariably “and what languages do you speak?”
Dionys
E=Fb not very GREEN are we!!!
I once heard and well remember A LITTLE IRISH IS BETTER THAN PERFECT ENGLISH.
Slan go foill
Liam
This topic is clearly intended, at best, for those who speak a little inglaise…please note sub-title: “not entirely tongue-in-cheek” -which I would interpret only as some sort of progressive code to give room to seperate these neoleprechauns pipers from their wannabees.
E.G., no joking aside, you should have heard all the bellowing that took place the first time the chanter ever evolved from the mouth to the tube. Believe me, I wouldn’t have balked. And now I’m a mid-term traditionalist…I’ll keep the “stick in the mud” so to speak! Wouldn’t that be “big picture” thinking?
I’m not a piper, but it seems to me that pipes just wouldn’t be pipes without bellows.
Nate