Everyone cover your ears

[cessna152towser]

I used to be able to play about ten simple tunes on the bagpipes but never good enough to join a marching band.
Besides buying a small chanter, you might find this a useful learning tool as it plays the notes at the same time as illustrating them on your PC screen.
http://members.aol.com/pipwriter/

[haukehaien]

Good luck! Aside from more kilts, and a couple basket hilts (custom), I am saving up for a set of learner pipes. Does anyone know a good brand to start?

There is, sadly, no such thing. Don't fall for eBay sales pitches like "Great beginner's pipes!" The steps to learning the pipes should be:
1) Find an instructor.
2) Get a practice chanter. The PC is what you will start learning the pipes on; you need to have the notes and gracings down cold in muscle memory before you start trying to deal with breathing, the bag and drones. Seriously, I think there are many people who fail at the pipes because they start with a set of pipes rather than the PC. Often they bought a set of cheap pipes off eBay and became depressed when they sounded like a cat trying to go to the bathroom through a sewn-up bum, not realizing that it's almost impossible to get good sound out of those monstrosities.
3) When your instructor says you're ready, then buy a set of pipes. Saving for them now is a good thing; expect to spend anywhere from $600-1500 for a good set. By that time, hopefully you'll have had the chance to play your instructor's pipes, and will have heard some of the different brands out there and will have some idea of the sound you want. Like Piper, I bought Dunbar P-3s. I wanted the Delrin because of the ease of maintenance, and I wanted Dunbar because I love the big Henderson sound they put out. YMMV.

I bought a set of Pakistani pipes when I was first starting. (Between instructors, no Internet advice ... not a good thing.) They were awful. In fact, the first thing I thought when I got my Dunbars and started playing them was "My gosh, this is SO EASY!"

Oh, and jsut to respond to another them in this thread, I wear earplugs whenever I play, practice or otherwise. It's an excellent idea if you want to be able to hear anything later in life.

[O'Neille]

I've been practicing a lot with my Practice Pipes. They are a synthetic two drone kitchen pipe style that you can detach the chanter and attach the blow pipe to make an excellent PC. I would recommend them heartily as you have a set of pipes and a good full size chanter in one. The price is less than $200 usually. I've been shopping for a set of GH pipes and have narrowed my search down to Wallace or Dunbar. I'm partial to the blackwood and higher end components of the Wallace pipes and have had both recommended by some world class pipers. I have to admit that I stopped playing all together when I was going to school and have just found a new tutor to help me through the rough spots and give me some pointers. It's nice to have someone to practice with even if they are not an accomplished instructor. I prefer to think of it as a top down approach to piping. O'Neille

[PiperGeorge]

I have been playing for 5 years now and just played my first games with the Santa Cruz Pipes and Drums. I second the advice about getting the instructor and practice chanter first. I was on the Chanter for a year before starting on just blowing up the pipes and engaging the drones. When you are ready, there are many great choices for pipes and your instructor will provide the best guidance. You will need to choose a reputable pipe maker, followed by decisions relating to the size and type of bag you want to play, types of drone reeds, the chanter and chanter reeds. I play a set of Afrikan Blackwood Hardy Pipes with a Shepherd chanter and medium zippered elk bag. Drone reeds are Kinnaird carbon fiber and the chanter reed is cane Shepherd. I am not implying that this is in any way the "best" setup. (I have also played a set of wood Naill pipes with Silver ferrules that looked stunning and had beautiful steady tone). I am using this to demonstrate the importance of having a knowledgeable person shape your decisions in choosing a set of pipes. Each decision will have advantages and disadvantages and you will be living with your pipes for years to decades. Enjoy the journey. PiperGeorge