I have just paid for a second hand Patrick Sky Practice set from a gentleman in Eastern Tennessee and I am now dizzy with anticipation. It’s Sky’s full practice set in ebony with a c nat key and a spare reed. The set is about a year old and the current owner is upgrading to a Kennedy half set I believe. I would like to have ordered a practice set from Patrick or Dave Boisvert, but this option was able to balance my desire for a quality set against my DW’s budget requirements. I could blab on and on like my teenage sister would do after a Rick Springfield concert, but I will try to maintain a modest sense of decorum about myself and spare y’all therefrom.
So, if’n I already know how to read music, what tutors are the best?
Masters Touch - Seamus Ennis (best for beginners and intermediate players in my humble opinion)
Heather Clarke’s New Approach to Uilleann Piping (a very close second - also with the benefit of a cassette)
Apart from that, there are DVDs and videos from NPU which I’ve not tried but have heard are good.
Avoid Davy Spillane’s tutor. It’s just plain bad. For some curious reason, it is referred to as Volume I, but there are no other volumes - always a bad sign.
Good luck with the Sky set. Try to hook up with other pipers in your area. The best way to learn is to watch other players and ask them questions.
Actually Springfield is still touring. The wife and I went to a Second Chance Prom sponsored by a Raleigh NC radio station a few years ago and the artist they booked was none other than Rick himself.
I wonder how “Don’t Talk to Strangers” would sound on the UP’s… hmmm… nevermind and perish the thought…
if you can afford it, suggest you use BOTH the npu videos and either one of the 2 good book tutors mentions. the npu video obviously gives you a demo and a talking person, and emphasizes playing by ear, which is very important. the book tutors break things down a little more and give you some sightreading- also important.
as you probably know about irish music, notation falls short. notation is great for reminding us how a tune goes and suggesting variations.
however, if you had a choice of learning tunes by ear and example (not even knowing how to read music) or learning from notated music (not having heard the tune) the hands down preference is to do it by ear. there are great players today who hardly read music. there are none who got where they are just by reading music.
