Reed question

[Mr. Woolery]

Nighthawk, do you have pipes at this time? If not, your pipes, when you buy them, will come with synthetic reeds, almost certainly. Use those. There are enough hurdles to jump when you start piping without adding in the frustration of reeds that will drive you batty.

After a year or so, spend the $20 on a set of good cane reeds. Try them out. If all goes well, you will get that sound that tells you what all the synthetics are trying to imitate. Odds are good that you will put the synthetics back into the pipes after you have tried the cane for a week or so. But it is worth messing with them a little, just to get to know the sound. If the reeds are going right, it is one of those "aha" sounds, where you understand what makes the bagpipes so magical. The world all makes sense. The music just flows out and the drones ring magically along with your chanter. The angels weep for joy and the dog stops howling.

Or, more likely, the darned things won't stay in tune long enough to let you experience the sound properly.

Start with what the pipe maker includes with your set, experiment later.

-Patrick

[JS Sanders]

<< One day I shall have mine...with those nice sexy chalice drones!! >>

I've had mine since '00. A tradesman is known by the quality of his tools and these are among the best.

Wide-bored & flat-out.

Slainte,
steve

[Nighthawk]

Nighthawk, do you have pipes at this time? If not, your pipes, when you buy them, will come with synthetic reeds, almost certainly. Use those. There are enough hurdles to jump when you start piping without adding in the frustration of reeds that will drive you batty.

After a year or so, spend the $20 on a set of good cane reeds. Try them out. If all goes well, you will get that sound that tells you what all the synthetics are trying to imitate. Odds are good that you will put the synthetics back into the pipes after you have tried the cane for a week or so. But it is worth messing with them a little, just to get to know the sound. If the reeds are going right, it is one of those "aha" sounds, where you understand what makes the bagpipes so magical. The world all makes sense. The music just flows out and the drones ring magically along with your chanter. The angels weep for joy and the dog stops howling.

Or, more likely, the darned things won't stay in tune long enough to let you experience the sound properly.

Start with what the pipe maker includes with your set, experiment later.

-Patrick

No I don't have a set yet. I'm just getting (re)started. I'm asking questions as they pop into my head. If I don't, I'll forget them and never get the answers!!

Thanks for all the responses, folks!!

[JS Sanders]

Nighthawk -
For your own safety, I wouldn't be too keen on telling your instructor about the information you've accumulated.

A beginning piper often asks questions of established pipers. Regularly you'll hear the seemingly worn out answer, "You should ask your instructor." If you're a subscriber of the Dunsire Forums, you'll read it often.

There is a reason - and it's not always attributable to arrogance. The info may run counter to what the instructor would have you do. The instructor gets to teach as he sees proper. If you don't care for it, quit or find another.

Role reversal... How would you like to be the tutor and have a student who's learning things too early or improperly, or buys a set of pipes before he's ready to play them?

I can tell you from experience that he won't be pleased and may drop you like a cheap prom dress as a student.

For the most part you're getting the straight dope here, but exercise caution. Learning the pipes is difficult as it is, don't complicate matters.

Slainte,
steve

[Nighthawk]

Nighthawk -
For your own safety, I wouldn't be too keen on telling your instructor about the information you've accumulated.

A beginning piper often asks questions of established pipers. Regularly you'll hear the seemingly worn out answer, "You should ask your instructor." If you're a subscriber of the Dunsire Forums, you'll read it often.

There is a reason - and it's not always attributable to arrogance. The info may run counter to what the instructor would have you do. The instructor gets to teach as he sees proper. If you don't care for it, quit or find another.

Role reversal... How would you like to be the tutor and have a student who's learning things too early or improperly, or buys a set of pipes before he's ready to play them?

I can tell you from experience that he won't be pleased and may drop you like a cheap prom dress as a student.

For the most part you're getting the straight dope here, but exercise caution. Learning the pipes is difficult as it is, don't complicate matters.

Slainte,
steve

Role reversal? Personally, I love it when I teach someone with a genuine desire to learn. I have absolutely no intention of buying anything before I'm ready for it. That's just plain stupid. So are you saying that it's preferable that I not ask, and just wait for the information to be given to me? (I'm not asking this to be argumentative- it's how I read your post and I want to make sure I'm clear on this point.)

[JS Sanders]

So are you saying that it's preferable that I not ask, and just wait for the information to be given to me?

Perhaps. Just exercise a reasonable degree of caution. As an example, at your initial stages of learning - now's really not the time to be trying to decide which maker of pipes you should purchase.

Of course it's obvious that I'm not in charge and you can do whatever you choose.

Any good piping teacher/performer is gonna have a healthy ego. If he sees you as someone who may circumvent his 'authority' as an instructor, you may feel his wrath, however that may manifest itself. He may even instruct you to cease reading piping related forums. I don't know him.

The hour of practice you're doing daily should be enough to keep you occupied for the time being. The answers to your questions aren't going to evaporate.

steve

[Nighthawk]

Perhaps. Just exercise a reasonable degree of caution. As an example, at your initial stages of learning - now's really not the time to be trying to decide which maker of pipes you should purchase.

Of course it's obvious that I'm not in charge and you can do whatever you choose.

Any good piping teacher/performer is gonna have a healthy ego. If he sees you as someone who may circumvent his 'authority' as an instructor, you may feel his wrath, however that may manifest itself. He may even instruct you to cease reading piping related forums. I don't know him.

The hour of practice you're doing daily should be enough to keep you occupied for the time being. The answers to your questions aren't going to evaporate.

steve

Great. I'm going to fit with pipers about as well as I fit everywhere else. Good to know. That runs counter to everything I've ever experienced with teachers. My parents are both teachers, one of my best friend is a martial arts instructor who has recently been promoted to an 8th degree black belt and awarded his own style by the International San Ten Karate Association, and all three of them encourage independant research and thought. Oh well... I'm used to being the square peg trying to fit into the round hole.