How do you tell a bad bagpiper to stop playing?

[Ayin McFye]

Someone's comment in another thread sparked this thought in my mind, because I have been witness to it before.

There have been a few times that I've been around someone who was playing the bagpipes in public, and not only did the pipes sounds out of tune, but he just really didn't seem to know what he was doing in general.

I could listen to a talented bagpipers for hours or even days, but a bad bagpiper can raise the hair on the back of your neck.

Do you just approach the individual and say "I'm sorry, but I noticed that your playing is a bit off, and doesn't quite sound right. Do you think you could stop?" or something to that effect, or do you say "Holy cow, you really stink. Please don't leave your house with that instrument until you've gotten better"

Would it make a situation worse if the "bagpiper" was horribly dressed like something you'd find in the KILT DON'T thread?

[MacAngus]

I'm a piper and have heard some really awful pipers in my day.
A couple of things could be at fault for sounding awful
1. They are self taught almost everyone that says they are self taught are bad
2. The reeds in his/her pipe have been played past their prime which causes nasty eye shattering squeals and squeaks.
3. They're pipebag needs to be seasoned. If you don't season the bag the air leaks out and you can harly play at all.
I think every piper has some sort of dilemma every once in a while that they can't control.
I.E. I played for a funeral today it was about 19 degrees and the wind was blowing like crazy while i was playing I had a choke on the chanter .
I don't know what non pipers think but some might say tats awful most pipers if they heard it would know it was because of the cold.

[piperdown]

Nothing worse than a chanter and drones that arent in sync...add to the mix a sub-par performance and...well...lets just say I'd rather be serenaded by a dozen hungry cats...LOLOL

[unaspenser]

I don't know if there's any courteous way to tell a musician with a lack of talent to knock off the racket. My solution is usually to just get away from the noise.

[The Celtic Gypsy]

My two cents as a non-piper, just listening:

I have a friend who is a top notch piper with credentials up the wazoo, many prizes and awards for her talents. We will be somewhere and she will say,"That is a really bad piper." My response is usually "Really?" At this point, my pipe music ear can't tell the difference. I am learning tho and am beginning to pick up and some of the really major errors. Still and all, I have a hard time knowing what is good playing and what is bad overall. I guess it is something you need to be around for some time to begin to know what is good or bad. On the other hand, we were at a German Fest and i commented on the band that was playing saying it was a really bad ompah-pah band - her response was "Really?" I guess it's all in ones background.

[Jack Daw]

I'm a piper and have heard some really awful pipers in my day.
A couple of things could be at fault for sounding awful
1. They are self taught almost everyone that says they are self taught are bad
2. The reeds in his/her pipe have been played past their prime which causes nasty eye shattering squeals and squeaks.
3. They're pipebag needs to be seasoned. If you don't season the bag the air leaks out and you can harly play at all.
I think every piper has some sort of dilemma every once in a while that they can't control.
I.E. I played for a funeral today it was about 19 degrees and the wind was blowing like crazy while i was playing I had a choke on the chanter .
I don't know what non pipers think but some might say tats awful most pipers if they heard it would know it was because of the cold.

Yeah, in competitions you get marked down for choking, but I've heard some of the best pipers choke - Ed Neigh, Mike Cusack, E. J. Jones, etc. - and, on a climate-controlled stage. If choking were the only problem, I can forgive that easily enough. But, I agree with you: Most self-taught pipers think they know what they are doing, but unfortunately don't. Although, I've also know one self-taught who is not bad.

[Jack Daw]

I don't know if there's any courteous way to tell a musician with a lack of talent to knock off the racket. My solution is usually to just get away from the noise.

I mentioned in another thread that I wanted to tell one atrocious piper to stop, but I didn't have the heart. Now, if I had had a water hose...naw.

[JS Sanders]

Nothing good will come from pointing out his deficiencies.

As written previously, putting distance between you is the best remedy.

I live in Memphis - you wanna take a guess how many sub-standard blues wannabe- musicians come here? And I won't even bother comtemplating the number of Elvis impersonators. I could spend my entire weekends telling everyone how offensive they sound.

Also, could spend a lotta time sitting in an oral surgeon's chair getting things back into place because of my efforts.

Slan yall,
steve

[macwilkin]

My two cents as a non-piper, just listening:

I have a friend who is a top notch piper with credentials up the wazoo, many prizes and awards for her talents. We will be somewhere and she will say,"That is a really bad piper." My response is usually "Really?" At this point, my pipe music ear can't tell the difference. I am learning tho and am beginning to pick up and some of the really major errors. Still and all, I have a hard time knowing what is good playing and what is bad overall. I guess it is something you need to be around for some time to begin to know what is good or bad. On the other hand, we were at a German Fest and i commented on the band that was playing saying it was a really bad ompah-pah band - her response was "Really?" I guess it's all in ones background.

Reminds me of the oft-told story of a Russian general who was invited to the officer's mess of a Highland regiment during the Second World War. As the pipers began to play and march around the table, as is custom in the mess, the general began drumming his fingers on the table, and then excitedly turned to his host and said: "They're playing a tune!"

T.

[cessna152towser]

As others have said, best to distance yourself. If you criticise the piper he may feel insulted as he probably thinks he is quite good. There was a quintet of young kiwis playing pipes at Glenfinnan last year, and to a Scot who hears a lot of good pipe bands they sounded absolutely awful. They made the bagpipes sound like cats in distress and although I felt embarrassed for them I knew it just was not my place to tell them how awful they sounded. Meanwhile the American and Japanese tourists stood transfixed listening to the sound of their pipes, believing this is what Scottish bagpipes should sound like.