Question for pipers

[TheOfficialBren]

What are "kitchen pipes?" How are they played? What do they sound like? I understand that they are relatively quiet. ALSO...Have you guys heard of electronic pipes? Aren't some manufacturers are using midi outs, some use audio outs? Any thoughts? Yes, I expect to be pelted with turnips for asking about these.

[haukehaien]

Kitchen pipes are small bagpipes, generally using a practice chanter instead of a pipe chanter. They are intended as a practice instrument rather than a performance instrument. The drones generally use a common stock. The versions I've seen also use PC reeds for both drones and chanter.

They are played much like a GHB, but with simplified ornamentation, as many of the standard GHB embellishments don't sound good on the smaller instrument.

They sound like a practice chanter with a somewhat buzzy drone sound. They are relatively quiet. Having heard both kitchen pipes and standard smallpipes, I'd get smallpipes if I were looking for an indoor/quiet set to practice on - the smallpipes have a much better sound, and can stand as an instrument in their own right. (One of my bandmates has a set that he's used for some of our performances. They sound quite nice, especially when accompanied by guitar, whistle, etc.

I believe that Fagerstrom, at least has both MIDI and audio outs on their Technopipes. I haven't used any of the electronic pipes except the Ross version, which is ... okay. A decent practice tool for long car trips, for sure.

[pbutts]

The term "kitchen piping" used to be a somewhat negative term for casual busking and ceilidh players who favored more popular jigs and reels over serious marches and piobaireachd. When I started learning to play back in the '80s I don't believe anyone sold an instrument called the kitchen bagpipe....but there were a couple of different "parlour pipes" .....with drones that I recall being about half sized but tied into the bag the same as the GHB. It was a great bridge instrument for awhile and sounded pretty good. This was a D. Naill instrument and used sets might still be available. If you want to play with other instruments, though, a good set of small pipes, as Haukehaien suggests, would be your best bet.

[EagleJCS]

The above responses are pretty much what I was going to post as well. There are several variants of "kitchen pipes" - they go by different names depending on the manufacturer/retailer. From what I understand, the terms 'Fairylore pipes', 'parlour pipes', 'kitchen pipes', etc. all describe a set of pipes that are about half the size (diameter-wise, at least) and use plastic reeds in the drones and chanter, making them much quieter than a full-sized set of Great Highland Bagpipes (or GHB).

I prefer my Walsh shuttle pipes (the 'shuttle' is a drone setup with 2-3 reeds in a common body and stock). Similar in volume and tone to the other 'kitchen pipes', and still mouth-blown.

Smallpipes are usually bellows-blown, and can take some time to adjust to, from what I'm told. (My former piping instructor also plays the smallpipes.)

I don't have any first-hand knowledge of electronic pipes. I'm told they're OK for pactice situations when you don't want to make a lot of noise (late nights at home or hotel rooms, etc.), but can be finicky until you get used to the quirks. For those purposes, I believe there is a headphone jack (would that be an 'audio out'?).

I understand that some of the 'Celtic rock' bands that play the Highland Games circuits in the States also make use of the electronic pipes, as they can be tuned to the A=440 standard pitch instead of making the other instruments tune to the pipes "pitch of the day"*. Those sets may use a MIDI interface to add effects as well.

*(For them that don't know, the GHB can indeed be tuned, but the pitch they tune to is usually sharper than the standard, and can vary depending on the temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure of the environment they find themselves in. For example, here in Kentucky the GHB tune to about "A=470"** in the winter, but can go up to "A=481" at the height of summer.)


** Let's please not get into a discussion on what note we're "really" tuning to. It's been done to death elsewhere, and very technical - and frankly above my head as a largely self-taught musician. (I've never had any training in music theory - all of the technical details on what constitutes a chord, a scale, etc. I've just learned how to read the notes in order to play.)

[OC Richard]

Yes there is no such thing as a "kitchen pipe" per se. Kitchenpiping is informal (noncompetition) Highland piping, and many Highland Games have kitchenpiping contests, usually held after the Games, at night in a pub etc.

About the names for the various species of Scottish bagpipes, this has changed over the years. In the 19th century, and through at least half of the 20th century, all Highland pipemakers used a consistent naming system for the various pipes; here is the way pipe were listed in various old catalogues from MacDougall, Henderson, Glen, etc

1) Great Highland or Military Bagpipe
2) Halfsize or Lovat Reel Pipe (what we today call "3/4 Pipes", a term never used in the old days)
3) Second Size Reel Pipe
4) Miniature or Chamber Bagpipe (what we today call "Scottish Smallpipes", likewise a term not used then)

Many makers omitted #3 above. In fact, I've not yet found anyone who knows what the difference was between the "Halfsize or Lovat Reel Pipe" and the "Second Size Reel Pipe". They cost differing amounts. Both #2 and #3 above were sometimes offered with bellows, and with bellows would be the equivalent of what we call "Border Pipes" today.

Anyhow, #4 above, what was called "Miniature Highland pipes", what we call "Scottish Smallpipes" today, has had a huge explosion in popularity recently.

These are made both mouthblown and bellows blown, with drones in seperate stocks or a common stock, and in various pitches.

For whatever reason, nearly every modern pipemaker seems compelled to invent their own pet name for their Smallpipes. Gibson calls theirs "fireside pipes", and various other makers use names like "shuttlepipes", "studio pipes", "session pipes", and on and on. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if some current maker would call their Smallpipes "kitchen pipes". Whatever...

Anyhow here are the three common sizes of Highland pipes as made by Glen, Henderson, Lawrie, MacDougall, etc from the early 19th century up through the 1940s, when the smaller sizes ceased to be popular

[Piper]

As has been stated, Kitchen pipes are generally marketed as a practice instrument. They're ok for what they are, but a decent set of small pipes is infinitely better. I bought a set of "kitchen" type pipes sold under the Bagpipes Galore brand from Edinburgh. A bit finicky on the tuning, but a serviceable practice instrument. I have a set of Walsh A2000 mouth blown smallpipes and a set of Gibson Firesides in A. Of those two, I prefer the Walsh. I also have a Fagerstrom Technopipe(s?). That's also a very handy practice instrument. It doesn't replace the regular practice chanter, since it doesn't involve breathing. Used with the earbuds, or a small battery powered speaker, it's great for practicing. I put mine in my lunch can, and practice during lunch at work, or during any down time we get. Plugged into a good quality amp, it sounds pretty impressive. Being somewhat of a technological Luddite, I haven't figured out that midi business yet. My understanding is it's to pipe the signal directly into a computer or music mixing device. Way beyond my comprehension.
There are a couple other electronic chanter type instruments, Deger, and Ross, but I have no experience with them. There is also a full electronic bagpipe, the "Redpipe". Comes in different configurations, many of which look like a traditional bagpipe. Again, no experience with these other than what I've read on the internet. I understand they're used by some rock bands, and it seems they're quite expensive.

[TheOfficialBren]

Thanks for your advice, gentlemen. I have been tinkering away on my practice chanter and am at a modest skill level. I primarily do rock music and have tracked my practice chanter in the studio for background texture on a couple of songs, mostly padding under guitars and the like. I did have to adjust the pitch in my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for it to fit into the mix. My chanter is a bit sharp.

I'd like to get a set of pipes that will record well. I am not really interested in trying my hand at competition pipin nor in live performances with them...just recording studio stuff. I need them to be moderate in volume but comparable to GHB fingering, since that's what I've been learning.

Where s the best place to start?

Thank you, THANK YOU for your advice, guys.

[pbutts]

Here's another thought if your goal is just to record your chanter performance: to get a better tone out of the practice chanter you have, you might try a cane practice chanter reed.

Chris Apps makes cane reeds, and I recommend him because he's active in the Bob Dunsire piping forum and seems willing to answer any and all questions. His website is http://www.appsreeds.com/

[Wolfhound Jack]

Just to ditto the Fagerstrom Technopipes. I love mine and so does my family. Worth every penny. Got them Oliver at Universe of Bagpipes, great customer service and support http://www.hotpipes.com/tpipe.html

[Wolfhound Jack]

Also i have recorded them plugged into my computer sound card and with an adapter in an electric guitar amp. Works great. Pitch/key adjustment etc makes it really nice.