Pipers, a totally bizarre question

[cajuncelt]

I agree w/ practically everything previously posted. I am a piper, but also play the guitar and 5-string banjo. The pipes were by far the most difficult. It has to be part of you (in your soul if you will) or you frankly will probably give up. Honestly, it is not just the music. It is the whole package. If you're looking for a hobby or think they're "kinda cool", you probably won't last long in trying to learn them.

[Jack Daw]

In grade school, I played the trumpet, which has its nice range and complexity. When I began learning the pipes, it sure helped to already read music. The biggest difficulty with the pipes isn't the coordination of blowing, squeezing, fingering, and marching - it's the grace notes. My first tendancy was to strangle the chanter, which is never good when your fingers MUST be light to the touch. After many years, I'm still having to practice with regularity my crunluaths, D throws, grips, tuarluaths, etc..

[haukehaien]

The biggest difficulty with the pipes isn't the coordination of blowing, squeezing, fingering, and marching - it's the grace notes. My first tendancy was to strangle the chanter, which is never good when your fingers MUST be light to the touch. After many years, I'm still having to practice with regularity my crunluaths, D throws, grips, tuarluaths, etc..

I STILL have to tell myself to hold the chanter lightly - I usually don't notice that I'm not until my fingers start to ache from trying to move quickly whilst keeping a death-grip on the chanter.

And yes, the practice of the embellishments is a field without end.

[JS Sanders]

A past instructor always emphasized that the chanter should be grasped as if it was a finely varnished doggie doodie.

That imagery has helped me tremendously.

Slainte yall,
steve

[Alan H]

In grade school, I played the trumpet, which has its nice range and complexity. When I began learning the pipes, it sure helped to already read music. The biggest difficulty with the pipes isn't the coordination of blowing, squeezing, fingering, and marching - it's the grace notes. My first tendancy was to strangle the chanter, which is never good when your fingers MUST be light to the touch. After many years, I'm still having to practice with regularity my crunluaths, D throws, grips, tuarluaths, etc..

I strongly, STRONGLY suspect that the very best pipers in the entire WORLD...

...practice with regularity, their crunluaths, D throws, grips and tuarlaths.

I'm forty years into playing clarinet, and though I'm not playing right now I still practice scale and interval exercises on a regular basis when I am playing.

[Jack Daw]

I strongly, STRONGLY suspect that the very best pipers in the entire WORLD...

...practice with regularity, their crunluaths, D throws, grips and tuarlaths.

I'm forty years into playing clarinet, and though I'm not playing right now I still practice scale and interval exercises on a regular basis when I am playing.

I forgot to mention playing with expression. It's expected of a good piper.

AND, can you play music that has no time signature? Welcome to the ancient world of piobaireachd. The proper way to learn this old classical music for the pipes is to listen to another piper play it. But still, the adjudicator may say your playing this note or that note too fast or slow even though you've timed yourself along with PM Donald McLeod. ARRRGGGHHH! But, it's my favorite of all pipe music. I know of no others who like to listen to it other than another piper. So, I play piobaireachd mainly for my selfish self.

MOREOVER, play four grace notes before a note while playing a fast reel, hornpipe, or jig.

[herminator]

And let´s not forget there are many different pipes!

Here in Wuppertal I once met a guy who plays great highland pipes , uillean pipes, Hümmelchen, Böhmischer Bock and Gaita.


And our own wgority plays:

"Highland pipes since 1981. Also, uilleann pipes, Northumbrian smallpipes, Scottish smallpipes, Flemish pipes, cornemuse du centre, Scottish shuttlepipes, Cornish doublepipes, Leicestershire smallpipes, English greatpipes, medieval pipes, biniou kozh, biniou bras, veuze, gaita asturiana, whistles, flutes, fiddle, recorders, bombardes, assorted other instruments......"