Practice chanter

[Piper]

Kilted you need to find a teacher, or you can get a good dvd off ebay, dont try and teach yourself -please

I'll second this advice. The bagpipe appears to be simple, only nine notes, etc, but that's deceptive. I suspect that it's because of the primitive nature of the instrument itself (minimal moving parts, unchanged for hundreds of years) that instruction is so important. I know that there are people who have taught themselves to play, but I don't think that's the best, or even easiest method. I'd recommend this forum, www.bobdunsire.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi , as a stepping off point.

[porrick]

As far as the PC goes Id reccomend that you make it a priority to practice your scale once up and down and rest a second, listen for passing notes
this will start to make your lips stronger, then practice G Grace note befor your melody note, practice the whole scale with G grace note then D then E resting in between, each run. Forget AG, practice the scale, grace notes and doublings from every melody note, until you crack this you wont progress, and youll be that busy concentrationg you wont notice your lips!! make sure you have a couple of seconds break before you perform each excercise. PM me if you need more advice

Good advice is always appreciated I do my best practicing the scale and grace notes etc, but I also have a dvd (haven't got it here, but it is the one with "American Piper" as a bonus track. Invermark or something? I'll check), and AG is lesson number 7 - as far as I've got at present.

Yupp, practice, practice, practice - but it is nice to work on a tune to break the potential monotony

[highlander_Daz]

yeh my first tune was "High road to Gairloch" and I thought I was ready to make Pipe Major when I cracked it!!!

seriously work on those grace notes and doublings, nice crisp sharp embelishments are what make a good piper, after the scale and grace notes I think i learned GDE, D throw and Tachums and Leumleurth/Talourth from every melody note. I was lucky to have a very good instructor, a grade 1 Pipe Major with 50 years experience who charged peanuts, hes still playing and hes awesome, we're not worthy!!

[porrick]

I've a practice chanter myself, but nothing to show me how to play it. What are you using to learn to play, a book, a DVD, a mail-away scot tutor?

I have a dvd called "Bagpipe Teacher" (got it from Amazon.com), which I enjoy. There is no music to read, simply follow the instructor. Messing around with the scale before I got the dvd, I had no idea what the chanter should sound like...
A revelation when my playing the scale sounded the same as the dvd

[Kilted KT]

I have a dvd called "Bagpipe Teacher" (got it from Amazon.com), which I enjoy. There is no music to read, simply follow the instructor. Messing around with the scale before I got the dvd, I had no idea what the chanter should sound like...
A revelation when my playing the scale sounded the same as the dvd

looks like I've got a dvd to purchase!

[Nick]

I play the concert flute. I'm getting back into it after a twenty year hiatus (I used to be very good), and I'm suffering from the same thing; after so long, my lips just lose it, and I can't focus the air for that upper range anymore.

After 4 years, I'd hate to think what I'd look like if I picked up my trombone again!

When I first started with my practice chanter it took a week before I figured out the right air amount to not make it sound like a trombone with a bucket mute. My biggest problem is that my little fingers don't bend out far enough to cover the holes, so I have trouble with that. I need to start practicing again, it's been a while.

[beerbecue]

My biggest problem is that my little fingers don't bend out far enough to cover the holes, so I have trouble with that. I need to start practicing again, it's been a while.

Hmmmm.... Bending your fingers on the PC? I was taught to keep my fingers straight, flat, and to raise them from the hand.....

[Nick]

Poor choice of words on my part. I should have said spread. It's difficult to get my fingers down to the last couple holes.

[beerbecue]

Yes, that does take some getting used to.

I just bought a PC from Mark Cushing, and that particular PC has the exact spacing (and tone) of a 'real' chanter.

Took a little work, but the transition to pipes will be that much easier (at least for my hands)

[Iolaus]

Poor choice of words on my part. I should have said spread. It's difficult to get my fingers down to the last couple holes.

Try planting your little finger first and then hold your hand at an angle so that your other fingers are covering the holes with the second section of the digit, instead of the fingertip. By changing the angle, you diminish the distance between the holes.

In the brief stint of BP lessons that I took, that was the hardest thing for me to get used to, as I had always been chided for not using my fingertips on the flute.