Smallpipes

[highlander_Daz]

I learned the practice chanter when I was a boy, i spent maybe a year on the PC before I went onto a set of pipes with no drones full size not a goose. (the stocks had corks in them) I praciticed everthing I learned on the PC on the droneless pipes and one day I just put the drones in and played them with drones and it was a fairly easy transition, I was lucky to have a good teacher, and to be able to hang out with some good pipers, and nick ideas off them. I learned the scale, all the gracenotes and doublings and birl before I started any tunes, then the first tune I learned was "high road to Gairloch" the I think "the rowen tree" then i was taught more advanced movements that meant more complicated tunes etc. If one takes a systematic approach then the instrument is a challange rather than impossible, having observed at first hand very advanced grade one/open grade pipers its obvious to me that the key to good pipeing is an accurate scale/gracenotes and doublings, watching the giants of pipeing warm up and practice its all they do, up and down the scale, doublings and Birls.

Ive never really had much time for smallpipes etc becasue they dont have they same visual/ sonic impact as the GHB, however a few weeks ago I was at Colins and he was playing "crossing the minch" on his smallpipes and i was enchanted by the tone. so I asked colin to make some for me. any piper can play them within minutes, the fingering is exacly the same
you have to resist the temptation to overblow as this makes the chanter cut out, as the bag is smalller you blow more often but with less force, good practice for blowing steady.

Id urge anyone who loves the pipes to get out there and get a PC, your never to old to learn , and im so entheustic about the smallpipes id reccomend anyone of advancing years put off by the effort of the GHB to consider the smallpipes as an option, they are such a beautiful instrument.
YES I play the GHB as well hers a pic from a recent show

[beloitpiper]

My biggest problem (the same as with most pipers) is getting embellishments down. I can pick up a tune very quickly, but embellishments keep me from competing.

Daz, your smallpipes look unique in that all of the stocks (mouthpiece, drone, and chanter) look like they are from GHB. I like it!

[Streetcar]

...If one takes a systematic approach then the instrument is a challange rather than impossible...

Very sage advice. I don't play the pipes, but I try to have that attitude with any "difficult" endeavor.

[pipesndrumsnun]

YES I play the GHB as well hers a pic from a recent show

VERY cool!