How do you tell a bad bagpiper to stop playing?

[davedove]

My thought is to let it go. You were not asked to be a critic, so your input would probably be unwanted. Now, as it said in an earlier post, if you are proficient enough to offer constructive criticism, that wouldn't be so bad, but might still be unwanted.

[Iain Robb]

It could also be that he was practicing. There aren't exactly a lot of places besides the public to practice the pipes. And the only way a bad piper can become a good piper is practice.

Every time my daughter (a good piper) practices outside, even though she's tuning her drones as she warms up and playing scales and stopping and starting, people stop to listen.

[McELT]

I'll echo the sentiments that say, "You don't."

I'd even go as far to say that some encouragement, pointing out the one or two good things you may have picked up on, would go a lot further than being negative by asking the player to stop.

Would you approach a person who was lustily singing off key and ask them to stop?

[Keith A]

Iv been taking lessons from a man who has been playing for the better part of the last 50 + years. He is also the lead instructor, for the NYPD pipe band. He has a rule that he will never tell a piper that they are a bad piper, because it takes time to learn and it is very easy to wreck the confidence of a person. So he will just give advice on how to play better. So it comes down to a simple thing if your not up there doing it you don't have a leg to stand on. And as all of our mothers have taught us if you don't have some thing nice to say don't say anything at all.

[george7]

A bad piper probably won't be able to continue their playing for more than five minutes at a time... survive it. As for the piper: don't play in public until you're ready. Play simple tunes. Bad pipers have a tendency of ruining it for the rest of us.

[isantop]

While I have no experience with the pipes, I do play violin, and I can tell you that many musicians wouldn't mind constructive criticism. As long as you can tell them something that will help.

Good EX:
Person: I noticed you have a tendency to go flat on your fourth finger. Try to angle your arm to keep it stretched.

Violinist: Thanks! I'll try that.

BAD EX:
Person: You stink, could you be quiet?

Violinist: Get a life, I'm better than you!

[SteveB]

I am of the opinion to not say anything, unless I were well enough trained, to point out the better part of the piper's performance. I do not know the circumstance of the "public" nature of this performance. I also do not know the piper's intent. I and many others in this area of the city, know that there is a nice clearing in the Stony Brook Reservation, that is a comfortable place to make noise away from ones neighbours. Many aspiring musicians bring their instruments, or vocal chords to the clearing to make sound. I have brought my practice chanter there on many occasions to get in some time without annoying my spouse or my neighbours. During one of my trips through there last summer, a very talented violinist was playing a very wonderful piece and then played a round of noise that sent the squirrels running. As both of us were walking out together and know each other fairly well, I asked what the piece was that was played. She chuckled and said it was her release, and it was an intentional selection that is intended to sound real bad as part of an upcoming performance. She also gave me a few jabs about the squawks that came from my chanter.

I have also made the mistake of assuming I knew the tune the musician was performing "poorly" only to find that the tune was something else that was really being performed quite well.

I have my GHBs in my bank account. Until the chanter is mastered by the standards of my instructor, the GHBs remain in the bank.
Slainte

[hospitaller]

there's something else I just realized with these kind of posts/questions, is a sort of false sense of superiority.

meaning, someone thinks he/she looks better in a kilt than others so a 'kilt don't' thread is started.

someone thinks they know so much about bagpipes (whether they play them or not) that they actually would consider telling a beginner to stop playing.

I guess im somewhat know for my 'stick my neck for the underdog' attitude, and it is for things like these.

not everyone can afford $1000 worth of hose and sporrans, I know it so if someone wants to proudly wear the cheap ones they made or bought on ebay...good for you

I know enough about bagpipes to know that I enjoy listening to them, and they are hard to learn and master. So if a newbie sounds horrible, I enjoy listening to it just as much as I enjoy watching a baby taking its first scary steps. learn to walk before you can run or so it goes.

it just surprises me someone would actually even consider telling someone to stop doing something because in their minds 'it's horrible or sub-par'.

[Phogfan86]

As a struggling new piper and the father of same, if you say something, you can never be sure that person won't quit because of what you said. Seriously. It's an incredibly difficult instrument to learn and master. We already know we stink. We don't need that confirmed by a total stranger.

And remember: you can always tell a bad piper...but you can't tell him much.

[Southern Breeze]