Learning to play without an instructor

[Mr. Woolery]

Seriously, look into online piping tutors. There are several people who do give online lessons.

The Green Book is a standard for starting out, but not at all a self-teaching method. Be warned, it is meant to remind you of what your instructor is teaching you, not provide an alternate method of learning. For a ground-up manual, check into William Robertson's excellent tutor. He sells it on CD and it really is good. It still won't teach you to play the pipes without a teacher, but it might help a lot.

There are a very few people who have done it well without a teacher. Every one of them will probably tell you to try your best to get a teacher. There are a lot of subtleties in piping that can very easily be got wrong without a teacher to correct your bad technique before it becomes permanent.

Good luck!

-Patrick

[Ozark Ridge Rider]

I'm finding out the same thing. A fine gentleman was gracious enough to loan me his old pipes. I got a McCallum practice chanter and a book and got started. I'm already having to correct fingerings because I didn't read the blinkin' book right.

Got to connect with someone knowledgeable this fall.

[SteveB]

As one who is learning the pipes, there is nothing like an experienced piper to keep you from ingraining very bad habits. After which fingers go over which holes on the chanter, the technique becomes very important, including which part of which finger "hits" the hole on the chanter. I am using the Dunbar Long practice chanter in African Blackwood. With the Abbott reed, it becomes an instrument with some serious presence. The long practice chanter is very beneficial as the hole spacing is the same as on the Highland Bagpipe chanter.
The complexity of fingering the bagpipes makes it real easy to learn methods that will hinder your playing of pipes. It has taken my tutor over a month to straighten out my "Throw on D" to the point that it is acceptable in a very slow tune.
Nothing compares to the human element that a tutor provides.
Slainte

[mouse 1]

What a wonderful thought, standing in that green area next to godafaus (sorry if the spelling is wrong) playing the pipes! That was one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have seen. Good luck in you're quest. I started with the Gibson set from henderson group a few months ago. That company has very good service.

[Gunnar]

What a wonderful thought, standing in that green area next to godafaus (sorry if the spelling is wrong) playing the pipes! That was one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have seen. Good luck in you're quest. I started with the Gibson set from henderson group a few months ago. That company has very good service.

Yes that would indeed be a beautiful sight!
Now all I have to do is try to locate an instructor here.
Oh- and BTW its spelled Goðafoss

[DesertCeltic]

I can tell you from experience that any type of instruction, in-person or over the internet with a webcam, will improve and expedite learning to play the GHB. I had a practice chanter for almost a year and messed around with it trying to teach myself and learn to play amazing grace.

My buddy KiltedFirePiper plays and he recommended getting an instructor before I got a bunch of bad habits. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten. I learned more in one 45 minute lesson than I had in the entire time before the lesson. In less than four weeks I am steadily progressing. I am doing doublings and learned my first tune with all the embellishments. Couldn't have done it without an instructor.