Bagpipes

[TartanCladPB]

Been thinking of trying to learn to play them. Suggestions, comments, etc?

[davidlpope]

Been thinking of trying to learn to play them. Suggestions, comments, etc?

Yes! The Search Feature is your friend!

See this thread to get started:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...agpipes-41561/

[Woot22]

Where do you live, generally speaking that is? It would be most helpful to some of the pipers on this forum to direct you to a certain pipe band or instructor if we new around what state and at the very least what country you live in.

[RussellSm]

TartanCladPB,

I do not know where to start. first off congratulatos on considering starting on an adventure. I will lists below my suggestions:
1) Find a good instructor.
2) Once you find one, patience, patience, patience. Learning to play the pipes is a long term commitment. Plan to be on the practice chanter from 6 months to a year before picking up the pipes.
3) Don't rush things.It will all come in time. Practice, practice, practice.
4) Word of warning. If you do decide to do this, once you master the pc and move to the pipes, it is a huge leap. It will seem like you starting all over. So many things to think about. Blowing, squeezing, music, timing and what the hell is thing under my arm.
5) Congratulations you're now a piper.

My advice is not intended to discourage you but only to be honest. Of all the instruments that I have played over the years, the bagpipe has required the most time. After nearly forty years I would not change a thing, I love it.

[ohiopiper]

Look online for local pipe bands. They will either be able to offer instruction (sometimes at a reduced rate or freee if you make the comitment to doing grunt work for the band) or point you to people who can.

Ask your new tutor what PC (practice chanter) he/she prefers you buy. I happen to prefer Dunbar, but bands will want everyone playing the same chanter with the same reeds, even for PCs.

Take them at their word that they're not sandbagging your training. The beginning may seem very slow and you'll want to go faster. Piping is HIGHLY technical and unless you have mastered the fundamentals, you'll soon be unable to progress.

Be prepared to drool all over your first fwe weeks (about two). Normal result of learning on a PC.

It is far better to practice ten minutes a day rather than an hour once a week. If you can swing a half hour a day, you'll do well. The further along you get, the easier it os to practice longer because the exercises get more interesting and more resemble tunes.

Expect a six month to one year session on the PC before you geton the pipes. When you do make the transition, it will, indeed, be almost like starting over. Once you get the breathing down, the things you learned on the PC will transition with you to the pipes.

Good luck and stick with it! The dropout rate is enormous for pipes, but once you get past the first month or two, it becomes a habit like anything else and easy to keep it up. Well, not easy, but routine.

[Cowher]

Take a look at the bob dunsire forums also. Once you start don't quit. That's the biggest obstacle.

[Atlanta Kiltie]

TartanCladPB,

I do not know where to start. first off congratulatos on considering starting on an adventure. I will lists below my suggestions:
1) Find a good instructor.
2) Once you find one, patience, patience, patience. Learning to play the pipes is a long term commitment. Plan to be on the practice chanter from 6 months to a year before picking up the pipes.
3) Don't rush things.It will all come in time. Practice, practice, practice.
4) Word of warning. If you do decide to do this, once you master the pc and move to the pipes, it is a huge leap. It will seem like you starting all over. So many things to think about. Blowing, squeezing, music, timing and what the hell is thing under my arm.
5) Congratulations you're now a piper.

My advice is not intended to discourage you but only to be honest. Of all the instruments that I have played over the years, the bagpipe has required the most time. After nearly forty years I would not change a thing, I love it.

I am an intermediate piper and agree with everything above with the addition to number 4. You have to learn to do all of that, march and watch the drum major and pipe major if you belong to a pipe band. It is a lot a fun and one of the most rewarding things I have done for myself in a long time. Good luck.

[robbiethepiper]

Been thinking of trying to learn to play them. Suggestions, comments, etc?

2 essentials:- Practice chanter first, you won't be ready to even start the full pipes for some months. Instruction is essential, even if you've played other instruments and can read music. Pipe bands often offer teaching free/cheaply. Good luck!...Robbie

[OC Richard]

Been thinking of trying to learn to play them. Suggestions, comments, etc?

Now... you don't mention what sort of bagpipes.

Scotland has three main varieties: the Great Highland Bagpipes (GHB), the old Lowland Pipes (now undergoing a huge revival under the misnomer of Border Pipes), and Scottish Smallpipes.

The Irish Uilleann Pipes, as it happens, aren't as "Irish" as the general public now believes, and Edinburgh and Aberdeen were centres of Uilleann pipemaking and playing in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Then there are the bagpipes of England, dozens of varieties in France, several types in Spain, and bagpipes in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Belgium, Italy, etc etc etc.

Now assuming for a moment that you mean the GHB, perhaps the safest way to find a GOOD teacher is to find out what your local Pipe Band Association is. There's the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association, the British Columbia Piper's Association, etc etc.

Then look at their list of piping judges. These are the most-respected pipers in your locality, and many of them teach, and the ones who don't teach know who the best teachers in the area are.

The other route is to see what the highest-ranked Pipe Band in your area is.

Grade One is the top. Grade Five is the bottom. Beware that many Grade Five and Grade Four bands have no competent players or teachers whatsoever, though some lower-grade bands have good players who teach.

If you come across a local band which is NOT a member of your local Pipe Band Association, and therefore does not compete but only marches in parades etc, be cautious. Many such bands have no competent instruction.

Contact your best local Pipe Band Association member band, and ask what teacher they recommend.

Now, I'm assuming that you're planning to take regular lessons from a good teacher. That's by far the best way to learn. Yes some people have become decent players by being self-taught using books, recordings, online resources etc but your progress will be much faster and more sure with good personal instruction.

[Pyper]

Yes some people have become decent players by being self-taught using books, recordings, online resources etc but your progress will be much faster and more sure with good personal instruction.

When he says "some" I think it means literally a handful. By far the most common outcomes for people who try to go it alone are either a) giving up, or, b) learning to sound really bad. Neither is a good outcome.

If you're in the eastern half of the USA (including, oddly, Texas), you can go to the EUSPBA.org website, click on the "competitions" menu, and "results". From there, fill in the year and venue drop downs to look at the next highland games you'll attend, from last year. Find out which band compete there, and look at the results from the piping judges. The bands in grade 4 or higher who are finishing in the top four will have good instruction. Find out which are reasonably close to you, and then go talk to their members.

Our band has members that draw from about a 50 mile radius. Piping is a fairly small community, and people know each other. If you're not close to your closest band's home town, the pipers in the band are likely to know someone who can work out for you.

If all else fails, there are world class pipers who offer instruction via skype. Personally, I think it would probably be best for a beginner to have in person instruction, but anything would be better than going it alone.