I have played the tin whistle for two years with my right hand on the top three holes and my left hand on the bottom three. I just ordered a set of uilleann pipes, and I just noticed that most of the pipers I’ve seen play with their left hand on the top of the chanter and the right on the bottom. Will I be able to play with my hands opposite from everybody else? If the top hand must be on the arm that controls the bag, would I be able to play the entire set “backwards” (i.e. bellows under left arm, bag under right arm)? Thanks!
Tell your pipemaker you want a left handed set… then confirm it a few times just to make sure both of you know what you are going to get.
I personally know of a few left handed pipers and the above is the route they chose. I wouldn’t consider it ‘backwards’, just as I wouldn’t call a left handed pitcher, batter or in my case years ago.. Hockey player backwards.
Hi Khomer,
Is your dominant hand/arm your left or your right? I don’t think you actually stated this. The reason I ask is that many right handed people may play the tin whistle with the right hand at top and left at bottom, which is the orientation for left handed people, and are quite successful at doing so because the tin whistle does not require a great deal of muscle coordination to play and so there may not be any impact on your music. I for one, started playing the tin whistle in the same manner as you, so I can speak from experience. A great deal of coordination is necessary to efficiently and smoothly operate the bellows, which impacts how successful the whole instrument is played. When I began playing the UP coming from playing the tin whistle with my right hand at the top (primary school recorder bad habbit), my left arm was certainly not up for this challenge. So be cautious, before you order a left handed set, be sure to confirm which arm is your dominant one, and that one ideally should be the one that operates the bellows.
All the best,
CJ
be cool and play the whistle left handed and the pipes right handed. Chicks dig it.
