Wrong Handed Piper?

**Jack Daw** · 10th January 12, 01:53 PM

I'm a southpaw, but I preferred to learn to play wrong-handedly (as you righties do). I know a pipe major/instructor in Houston that plays in the sinister manner, and more power to him!

Frankly for me, I didn't see the need to learn the pipes "left-handed". I would have had to train my left hand to do the A-birl probably as diligently as I did with my right. And, I get to use my stronger left arm to squeeze the bag.

**Chas** · 11th January 12, 03:52 AM

Thanks everyone, for your answers. I was not aware of this, but it is something that is more prominent than I would have imagined. I often close my eyes when pipes are playing, so I can listen to the music and not get distracted - I shall make a point of keeping them open now!

Regards

Chas

**Blupiper** · 14th January 12, 04:25 PM

It's my understanding that around the area of Skye, it's fairly common. In 2007, we were visiting the castle on Aileen Donan and a piper was busking in the parking lot (car park to you over there.) He was playing well, but something about his play was bothering me. Then I realized--his bag was under the right arm. I figured he was just the Hendrix of piping. Sorry, no pictures.

JMB

**Neil Clark** · 20th January 12, 02:05 AM

There are lots of left handed pipers that play on the "wrong" side, and a rather disproportionate number are extremely good.

There is a story, that ALL pipers used to play on the right, until a Macrimmon, Patrick Og, I think, decided that he wanted his sword arm free to fight, so changed. His pupils followed suit, as the master was the guy to imitate.

Thats probably guff. But interesting..

**piperdbh** · 20th January 12, 05:55 AM

Originally Posted by Neil Clark

There is a story, that ALL pipers used to play on the right, until a Macrimmon, Patrick Og, I think, decided that he wanted his sword arm free to fight, so changed. His pupils followed suit, as the master was the guy to imitate.

Blade in one hand, birl in the other. Now THAT was a 'piper!

**OC Richard** · 20th January 12, 06:23 AM

Go see the World Pipe Band Championships, there's one Grade One band- Neill would know which... is it Strathclyde Police? Shotts? which has three or four lefthanded players.

Our band has one.

Back around 1980, at piping school, the head instructor was Pipe Major Evan MacRae, ex Cameron Highlanders. He told us that one of the islands which formed part of the recruitment area for the Camerons produced many lefthanded pipers (I can't remember which island) and that it was not unusual to see lefthanded players in the Camerons. Indeed if you look in the front of the Queens Own Highlanders Collection you'll see a 1959 photo of the Pipes and Drums of the Cameron Highlanders showing a lefthanded piper in the front rank.

BTW the Gaelic word is ciotach, which means not only left-handed but can imply awkward or defective (a parallel with sinister).

An interesting sidelight in all this is Pipe Major Donald MacLean of Lewis, who played with the bag under the left arm but with his right hand on top. This can be seen from time to time, perhaps a piper who started out lefthanded on the chanter but ended up with the bag under the usual arm.

**piperdbh** · 20th January 12, 06:39 AM

If a band had an equal number of left- and right-handed 'pipers, the DM could arrange them so that all the lefties were on the audience's left, and the righties were on the audience's right, with the drummers in the middle, and it would make a symmetrical look.* The drones would be on the outside of the form, at least as the band was marching on. In the circle, the 'pipers would be arranged sort of Kingussie-style, with the drones in one half of the circle pointing clockwisde, and the other half counter-clockwise. Has this been done before?

*I work around a high school marching band for half of each year. I've started thinking in terms of field placement.

**Neil Clark** · 20th January 12, 01:30 PM

Richard, it WAS Strathclyde, but loads of us are now in Shotts, including 4 "lefties" so you're right twice!

**OC Richard** · 22nd January 12, 06:53 AM

Originally Posted by Neil Clark

Richard, it WAS Strathclyde, but loads of us are now in Shotts, including 4 "lefties" so you're right twice!

Wow, being correct twice in one post must be some sort of record for me! (Just ask Jock Scot.)

Anyhow here are some of us warming up for a gig last Thursday, the NAMM Show. Kyle MacNaughton plays lefthanded:

And here's Donald MacLean of Lewis, hands like a lefthanded piper but bag under the usual shoulder: