Hi. I am new to the pipes and wonder if there is a pipers club or similar in the Staffordshire area who may be able to help me to get to grips with the instrument. I am a proficient whistle/flute player, but I am struggling big time with my set of Chris Bayley pipes. I can be contacted on p.brennan83@ntlworld.com if anyone can help.
if there’s no one around, try contacting Patrick D’Arcy for Skype-Pipe lessons. It’ll be well worth your while!
hi, where about’s in staffordshire. i’m in Leek. there are 3 pipers in this area. it’s a bit of a hotspot.
the NWUP isn’t too far away either.
jonathan.
hi
Connect him direct by email on christopher [DOT] bayley [AT] ntlworld [DOT] com for advice
Did you buy the set direct from him or is it a second hand set - I play a half set of his pipes and they are very easy, well balanced and in tune.
John
[ E-mail munged. - Mod. ]
I have a lot of experience with Chris Bayley’s pipes; if you want someone to give them the once over then send me a PM, I am in Liverpool.
Thus illustrates the frustrations about being a beginner with a new set of uilleann pipes. Is the instrument or the player faulty? (sometimes both!) and being a new player you don’t know how to diagnose an instrument fault when you don’t know how a “good” set should behave.
Many years ago when I got my first 1/2 set of pipes I struggled big time. Already a competent GHB player, I figured things shouldn’t be as hard as they were. An experienced player gave my set the once over and found my bellows to be utterly awful (as they leaked quite badly) and the bag also leaked noticably. With those 2 problems eventually fixed my I could concentrate on actually playing the pipes and not fighting them.
Just recently at our national folk festival I met a very new piper who was struggling. His set was in fine working order with a cracker of a reed but his bellows blowpipe was way too short. We bought him a longer piece of hose and the change was immediately better. Of course he had no idea at the time that was the problem.
I suppose what i’m trying to say is that you’ll benefit immensely from hooking up with an experienced player to rule out any instrument defects and assist you with your playing.
Good luck!
I got to stress that these pipes are a second hand set I was lucky enough to buy from a guy locally…I think they may have been messed around with a little before I bought them and being a total novice, I don’t know what to look for just yet.
Thanks for all you replies
Thanks to everyone who has replied, posted etc. regarding my search for pipe lessons. I will be following allthese up as soon as my work stops getting in the way of enjoyment!
A real big thanks to Chris Bayley, they guy who made my beautiful half set. He went above and beyond, especially as I had bought a second hand set, thanks Chris!! and to Mike Hulme…I have spent approx 4 hrs in Mikes company today as he sorted out my reeds, shaving them and tuning them, trimming them …and then gave me a few good tips on beginging to play. Thanks for your patience…now the rest is up to me and get some sort of technique on the go!!
Thanks
Dec
Congrats on a fresh beginning!