So You Want To Play The Bagpipes

[wvpiper]

My instructor wouldn't let us advance to the pipes until we had memorized 5 songs. Took me nearly 18 months before I bought my pipes.

Do listen to various sets before deciding on what you want

If you see a set on ebay, don't be afraid to head on over to bobdunsire.com and have the users check them out for authenticity. Most of what you see is junk, but occasionally there are legit pipes there.
dunsire also has a trading post where you can get used pipes,
and you can also get great advice.

I read somewhere that there's no glory in using gut busting reeds-there's no shame in using an Easy.....

If you've got a week, check out the various workshops around the country. I'm heading to one near Pittsburgh this summer.
The piping camp in North Carolina ,near Boone I think, is offered throughout the summer, and you could possibly head over to the Tartan museum after it's over.

[BagpiperDon]

I read somewhere that there's no glory in using gut busting reeds-there's no shame in using an Easy......

This is yet another point w/in piping that can be debated until the cows come home on unicycles with moose in their hair...
My opinion/experience -- No, there is no glory in using the hardest reed you can find or blow ... I think much of that really has to do w/ bragging rights and bravado among pipers, and thats it. I do believe there is something to be said for less experienced players playing harder chanter reeds to produce steadier tone -- but only kind-of ... harder reeds take more work, and ultimately you still have to produce even pressure between your blowing and your arm squeezing the bag. An easier reed takes less work but is more sensitive to pressure un-steadiness ... but if you're working against the reed/instrument, you're going to tire yourself out, you're going to ingrain bad habits in your playing/fingers, etc. I used to play the hardest reed I could, and a lot of newer-bies do ... but as you become a better piper and switch to an easier reed (I tend to play mediums) you ask yourself retrospectively "Why?". If I had to pick between the two for beginning range pipers -- I would say an easier reed used in conjunction with an instructor.

I have a chanter, i need to get going, I would like to find affordable/free lessons in Brookyn/NYC area.

I had free lessons for many years through a couple of different bands I was in respectively. That's not uncommon and it can be found. BDF has a listing for bands and instructors by area -- I suggest people use that to network and find out who's in the area in the way of teaching bands and instructors, reputation in Highland piping in my experience means everything. I started getting private lessons that I paid for around 2000, and it has made a BIG difference, although right now I'm a broke musician & student and can't afford lessons so buy my CDs. Seek & you will find!

[OC Richard]

My instructor wouldn't let us advance to the pipes until we had memorized 5 songs.

Isn't it interesting that all bagpipe teachers are in agreement about how doublings should sound and what steady blowing should sound like, but are all over the map on the issue of when the beginner should start on the actual pipes.

The various notions seem to boil down to these:

1) calendar-based delay: Some teachers say the beginner should start on the pipes after six months on the PC. Some say nine months. Some say a year. I've heard every imaginable timetable.

2) performance-based delay: Some teachers say you shouldn't start on the pipes until six tunes are "mastered" (whatever that means) on the PC. Some say ten tunes. Some say fifteen tunes. I've heard all sorts of numbers.

3) no delay: Some teachers think the beginner should start playing the pipes right away. Different things however are worked on on the PC and on the pipes: while the beginner is working on learning the fingerings on the PC he is working on blowing a single tenor drone on the pipes for example.

What does this complete lack of consensus amongst good, successful teachers tell us? That it makes no difference when the beginner starts on the pipes. The critical thing is what the beginner does on the pipes.