Pipers, a totally bizarre question

[Alan H]

I've thought about learning pipes, and because of my friendship with Piper George I'm learning more about them......ask him about his new set of Border Pipes sometime, or beg for photographs....

but I've held off for a number of reasons. One is the time issue. That's a biggie. But the other is more complicated. Now, this might come off sounding really condescending or snippy, and I honestly do not mean it to sound like that. I really do not, so please bear with me. This is an honest question.

I'm a clarinetist. ....and I play whistles and bodhran and saxophones (not so much sax any more). I've played in symphonies for years, have played jazz and Brazilian music mostly on clarinet. In the last couple of years I've been playing a lot of Klezmer. I've added Irish/Scottish stuff on the bodhran and whistles. The draw for me is the variety. The clarinet is a very versatile instrument with a large range and a tremendous variety of styles and tonal colors. From Mozart to Dixieland to Modern Jazz to Klezmer...

Klezmer....on e-flat sopranino (maybe a D, actually. I own an e-flat.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpqVYvPIv1s

Klezmer, again but TOTALLY different feel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IogA4TcHLM

Bit o' dixieland, with Pete Fountain, Jazz Me Blues!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hoaw...eature=related

Big Band Era...."Concerto for Clarinet" by Artie Shaw (I've performed this. BTW, it' s not that hard, it just SOUNDS flashy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN9xU...eature=related

Modern Jazz meets Bang on a Can, Don Byron
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szu8P5a9yyw

Mozart Clarinet Quintet with Sabine Meyer.. (I've performed this 2-3 times)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wKMx6tOJUs

Gerald Finzi clarinet concerto, the slow movement....I've never performed this 20th century English piece, but I would sure love to. It's my favorite concerto for the instrument
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kONmn...eature=related


I could go on and on. I hope you see my point. There's a huge amount of variety in style and range and sound.

Pipers, I'm afraid I would put a whole, whole lot of work into learning the pipes and taking care of thepipes and get bored with it....there are eleven notes, the instrument doesn't have much range. Pipe bands are fun, but the range of music they can play is severely limited, or so it seems to me. There are several hundred tunes to learn, and you can always play in a celtic dance band, or possibly a rock-type band like Tempest. But.........

What say you, ladies and gentlemen? What level of musical satisfaction do you get out of the pipes? What would you say to this clarinet player and whistle player?

[highlander_Daz]

The pipes only have a 9 note range (not counting C natural and F natural) you get immense satisfaction becasue they are so damn loud and in a world where no ones impressed by anything anymore the bagpipes can still amaze people.
there is no instrument like a bagpipe, and people think your a superstar cos you can play them !!

its just so... diferent

[Alan H]

The pipes only have a 9 note range (not counting C natural and F natural) you get immense satisfaction becasue they are so damn loud and in a world where no ones impressed by anything anymore the bagpipes can still amaze people.
there is no instrument like a bagpipe, and people think your a superstar cos you can play them !!

its just so... diferent

You have a point. It IS different and people are intrigued. But how long does that carry your interest? There's the heritage aspect of it, of course and that can last a lifetime.

But "loud", well...hm. Well, OK. If that's what does it for ya!

[auld argonian]

I think that Daz is stating one of my thoughts: it must be a hell of a lot of fun to get together with a bunch of people and just make SO frickin' much noise...the volume level has to be much of the fun.

I play the flute primarily and noodle on the clarinet and such. One thing that has impressed me is when a pipe band manages to play a passage using harmony. Knowing that there are only nine notes and hearing a passage played in harmony blows my mind because I'm aware of the "limitations" involved and the incredible overlaying of sound waves that are taking place at that place and in that time...out of seeming chaos comes a very pleasant order.

Best

AA

[Alan H]

I think that Daz is stating one of my thoughts: it must be a hell of a lot of fun to get together with a bunch of people and just make SO frickin' much noise...the volume level has to be much of the fun.

I play the flute primarily and noodle on the clarinet and such. One thing that has impressed me is when a pipe band manages to play a passage using harmony. Knowing that there are only nine notes and hearing a passage played in harmony blows my mind because I'm aware of the "limitations" involved and the incredible overlaying of sound waves that are taking place at that place and in that time...out of seeming chaos comes a very pleasant order.

Best

AA

But you know, if I just want to make a lot of noise....and I gotta admit, sometimes that's just a bloody lot of fun, I'll pull my tenor saxophone out. That's really loud, when I want it to be. But I can't do that forever. A few hours is more than enough.

When I read what folks have to say about learning pipes....four to nine months JUST ON THE CHANTER, and then you gotta learn how to tie on a bag and maybe how to make reeds and all the care that goes into the instrument, and drop a minimum of a grand on a decent set. Once you have the set, you have to maintain it....

...for the reward of being REALLY LOUD and having people stare at you because you're unique. um... Hey, if that works for someone, if that's how they have fun, if that is a real upper for them, then who am I to say that's bad? It just wouldn't do it for me. There's got to be MUSIC there, something sophisticated, something that catches my ear and keeps it. For me, I can't just listen to reels and jigs and hornpipes, all in the same key, all with the same drones, all played more-or-less exactly the same way, over and over and have that be musically satisfying.

I totally understanding getting into the history and tradition. Entirely and totally get that. But is that *enough*?

So I'm curious what the pipers here have to say about that.

[JS Sanders]

Alan,
I've been piping for a fair number of years and to the level that it's more than an avocation, it has become my livelihood.

It is generally believed amongst pipers that 1 in 10 individuals who purchases a practice chanter ever become fully fledged pipers. My experience is more like 1 in 15.

Simply put, if you don't have a fire-in-the-belly to learn the noble instrument, you won't be able to talk yourself into it. At best you'll waste a hundred bucks, your time, and someone else's. You must want it and want it mighty bad.

I love Klezmer and have several CD's I routinely listen to on road trips. If I could be in a klez band, the Bb clarinet would be my instrument of choice.

Slainte,
steve

[Alan H]

It is generally believed amongst pipers that 1 in 10 individuals who purchases a practice chanter ever become fully fledged pipers. My experience is more like 1 in 15.

Simply put, if you don't have a fire-in-the-belly to learn the noble instrument, you won't be able to talk yourself into it. At best you'll waste a hundred bucks, your time, and someone else's. You must want it and want it mighty bad.
Slainte,
steve

My gut feeling is that you're probably right. It's a blinkin' lot of work, from all accounts, and I learned long ago that most (not all, but most) things worth doing, only get done well if you the THE WANTS, and bad.

But you didn't tell me what musical satisfaction you get out of playing the pipes....what it is that draws you from a musical standpoint.

[Alan H]

Michael Collins, one of my favorite "classical" clarinetists....he's British, playing the first movement of the Poulenc sonata. Poulenc was French. I've performed this, too. It's a great piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcgkh...eature=related

But what REALLY kicks, is this..... (you gotta see these two, and this really IS stuff that gets done to Bulgarian and Turkish music with clarinet. There's a Greek tradition, too)

oh, HUSH...that IS a clarinet solo in the background.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttuzmaqsa4Y

Even better, with a BAND!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZwtS...eature=related

I've played some taverna music, it's really, really hard.

[possingk]

I have only been playing for about two years now, and what draws me to the instrument musically is the emotion the instrument. Whether I am playing for St. Patrick's day and bring out the happiness with a lively tune like Minstrel Boy, or playing on 9/11 and doing a slow air to bring to mind all the people that lost their lives that day. Now mind you that you could play the same songs on any instruments it doesn't seem to bring the same power.

As for musically, when the whole band strikes in just before the chanters kick in it is a sound like no other. When the whole band is in a circle opening for a larger act (Rod Stewart, or Coldstream) and the whole band hits a grip or a D-throw perfectly the sound is amazing something I can't explain, but just amazing. When I practice and I hit that song perfectly it makes me realize all the work I put in was worth it.

Yes there are only nine notes, but there is a reason it takes a lot of time on the chanter to play the pipes well. I don't know if you have ever asked Piper George to see some sheet music for the pipes, but if not I truly recommend it. It will probably interest you with all of your musical background.

As has already been stated if your heart and mind isn't in it no one is going to convince you to start. It is truly an amazing instrument.

[highlander_Daz]

because the instrument has a limited range its a big challange to make it exciting. if you want to see just what an amzing instrument it can be just re watch this clip of Gordon Walker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmJUBiTk6bw

and tell me thats amazing