I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?

Subject: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST,DaisyA
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 08:55 AM

Hi there, I have been in touch with various pipers assosciations but cannot find any second hand Northumbrian pipes within my price range (up to £500). Do you, or anyone you know, have a set that you want to sell? (I am based in Glasgow so UK only). Can members of clubs/assosciations ask around and/or give me emails of likely places where I can get on a waiting list...

Thanks in advance Daisy

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST,smallpiper at work
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 09:36 AM

why on earth do you want Northumbrian pipes? Oh well try going to www.netreal.co.uk/lbps and check out the links section you can get a new set within your price range

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: smallpiper
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 11:55 AM

Hi again

Check out www.burleighsmallpipes.com

He makes a 7 key chanter with standard drones for £450 a 7 Key chanter with complecated drones £480 and a primitive set for £350.

I've seen and heard his pipes and the both look good and sound great.

best of luck and enjoy

John

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: John Routledge
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 02:00 PM

Hi Daisy

Following our conversation I have been asking around without success.

I will continue to ask.

You will note that a primitive set (ie no keys) is a lot cheaper but it is a false saving as most players very quickly find that eight notes are not enough!

A seven key set would be my minimum recommendation.

Anyone can subscribe to the NSP forum and if you posted your requirements there it may prove fruitful.

[e-mail]

is the address and you simply type subscribe as title and subscribe in the body of the e mail - nothing else is necessary Almost instantaneous Good Luck John

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: 8_Pints
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 02:01 PM

Daisy,

I know why you want Northumbrian Small Pipes: its 'cause they are a musical instrument! *BG*

[No, I didn't say the others aren't: I just thought it!]

Just joking, honest!

Many pipers have experienced much frustration with cheaper pipes later in their careers, when they become more proficient.

As with most things you get what you pay for. The quality from one supplier may not be consistent, though it might be satisfactory for a beginner.

Your best bet would be to join a local piping group and ask someone to help you purchase a good set.

Best of luck,

Bob vG

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: ChanteyMatt
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:52 PM

What sober man would ask a question like that?

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From:
Date: 26 Sep 01 - 07:57 AM

Hi Daisy,

I have a set of Burleigh pipes that you could try (and possibly borrow for a short while). I live near Dunfermline, so phone me on 01383 882038 if you're interested.

Scott

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: smallpiper
Date: 27 Sep 01 - 10:40 AM

any luck yet?

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: Jock Morris
Date: 27 Sep 01 - 03:38 PM

Daisy A,

The offer is still there; my set is a Burleigh 7 key chanter in F. Come over sometime and try them and if you like them then while you wait for Dave Burleigh to make you a set I might just let you borrow mine (if I like and trust you as a person).

Phone or PM me if you're interested.

Scott

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST,DaisyA
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 06:03 AM

Ooh, thanks for all the help folks. I am going to look at a set this week, but still post if you find any... and get prepared to help me out with playing the things once I've got a set!

Scott, I'll give you a ring, I don't get chance to come on mudcat that often (and I've just had an exam, before evryone else is even back in classes!)

Daisy

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST,DaisyA
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 09:12 AM

Okay, I bought a set! (I now have 4 quid left in my bank account...) So, if anyone can give me playing tips (i.e. how to make them stop wheezing horribly...!) then I'd be very grateful. Also, how do I get onto a mailing list to keep me up to date with events and workshops and stuff?

Ta, Daisy

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: smallpiper
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 10:10 AM

Hi DaisyA The first thingyou've got to do is forget about trying to play the chanter! Concentrate instead on getting a good steady sound from your drones. Bellows technique is one of the most important things that you have to learn. Pull the bellows out fully then squeeze them in slowly and steadily all of the way then wait three seconds before inflating them again. Make sure with a couple of swift bellows strokes that you inflate the bag fully (they'll start weezing) before applying preasure on the bag. Keep the preasure on the bag steady and you should with practice be able to hold a steady note. Then you can play with the chanter the knowledge of which is beyong me as I play the scottish variey of small pipes.

Best of luck John

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 10:36 AM

Hi Daisy..

There WAS (although I have a feeling it may have deceased) a small pipes workshop at St Andrew's in the Square in Glasgow. Might have been Tuesday or Thursday evening.

I'll ask when I'm next in. Even if it's not on anymore - I'll see if they can suggest any contacts.

Cheers

Steven

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST,MudWeasel
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 01:06 PM

A non-piper pipes up:

Just out of curiosity, I have to ask. I recently saw Old Blind Dogs play and theire piper had something that looked like a Uileann Pipe and a Small Bagpipe had done the nasty in a dark back room and created an illicit love-child. It had a bellows and a small airbag and sounded great. I was told that's called the Border Pipes. Is that the same or similar to Northumbrian pipes?

-MudWeasel

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: 8_Pints
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 01:41 PM

Hi MudWeasel,

They are similar in some respects but sound different because:

* the Border Pipes, like the Great Highland Bagpipe have a chanter that is conical in section (like an oboe) and do not sound as mellow as say a clarinet or flute. These latter are cylindrical in section like the Northumbrian Small Pipes.

* the other principal difference is that all the chanter holes are closed by the fingers before progressing from one note in the melody to the next. This gives a characteristic punchy, stoccato feel to the tunes played (similar to a fairground steam organ) because the bottom end is "stopped" (sealed).

* the drones are tuned so that the upper and lower ones play an octave apart, whilst the middle one is tuned a fifth up. Thus a harmony is usually played to back the reels, jigs & hornpipes played. They can be adjusted for a few other keys using a tuning bead to raise the pitch by one interval also.

There are other technical points to note as well in that the pitch of the purchased set may be tuned to concert F (music written in the key of G), or F and a bit (which was the norm in the days when the sets first appeared.

You can PM if I can be of any further help Daisy.

Bob vG

"Blow the wind Southerly ......."

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: smallpiper
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 06:03 AM

I just have to say that Border pipes rock! silly but it sums them up!

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST,DaisyA
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 05:53 PM

Erm, Bob, what does PM mean? I am getting there with the drones, they still kind of go wah-wah-wah in time with my right arm though. I am following Dave Burleigh's advice off his webpage and not playing the the chanter at all until I get the bellows right. I am sure the neighbours hate me...

Daisy

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: 53
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 10:39 PM

i don't know what they are. bob.

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From:
Date: 12 Oct 01 - 07:49 AM

PM means Private Message. Once you become a member of Mudcat instead of being a guest you can send Private Messages to other members rather than posting publicly to the threads on the forum. Read the FAQ for more info.

Sounds like you're starting to get the playing pressure right, but aren't managing to compensate for the increase in pressure as you work the bellows. It will come with practice. Took me about an hour a night for 3 weeks before I got the drones sounding steady.

Scott

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: weepiper
Date: 12 Oct 01 - 01:44 PM

Hi Daisy, another piper for the world! Yaay!
I find it helpful to think about pressure as follows:
As smallpiper says, inflate the bag quickly with 3 or 4 hard pumps on the bellows. Keep a comfortable pressure kind of 'hugging' the bag with your left arm (don't go for the Vulcan death grip approach, but don't let the bag push your arm out either). As you pull your right arm out to fill the bellows with air for the next pump,gently squeeze the bag with your left arm to keep the drones going steadily. Then as you're pumping air in with the bellows, let the pressure this generates push your left arm back to the starting position.
Think of your arms as a see-saw so that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. :-)
I hope this helps!

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: smallpiper
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 11:20 AM

So? its now a while since this thread go going so how are you getting on with them?

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST,Daisy
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 11:46 AM

Wow - blast from the past... I am going OK. I can play a tune. Erm, I know I've had them a bloody long time, but I guess I donit practice enough... I get distracted with my accordion which I can make sound nice when I play it :-(

I am practicing a bit these days though. I think I'm really suffering from lack of people to play with - and also, my top E sounds bloody awful - the F# is kind of flat too... it's really annoying because one flat note can made the whole lot sound out of tune. I've been meaning to go down and visit the maker (Dave Burleigh) and get some maintenance advice. I suppose I should ask him first!

Any idea why one note should be so out of tune when the others are fine? I put more string around the bit where it joins the bag which improved it a bit but not much. And stopped it falling out...

Sometimes they sound nice now - and I'm determined to get them going. I am nothing if not persistent!
Thanks for the enquiry though. Where are you based?
Daisy

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: John Routledge
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 01:17 PM

Hi Daisy

David Burleigh is spending all day this Saturday fettling pipes at the Manchester Pipers day here in Stockport

The difficulties you describe can be sorted in minutes rather than hours by an expert. Suggest that you contact David soonest and get practising :0)

After my pipes were sorted I stormed ahead as they sounded so much better even with my standard of playing!!

Happy playing.

Subject: RE: I need Northumbrian pipes! sell me some?
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 10 - 05:17 AM

I have a set. Please get in touch
[e-mail]