BS: Against my better judgement....

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 04:35 PM

Kendall is probably the "Old Wag" who said it.

Y'all need to understand Kendall. After being cleared on a technicality of that serial streaking of bodegas in the South Bronx, he was unsuccessful in clearing up his sinusitis by crapping size 13 Bass weejuns and has now started a new treatment which involves devouring one backup light from a '58 Edsel every third meal. Keep us posted Kendall.

Good info El Swanno......I had a site bookmarked on Uillean and Northumbrian pipes, but I seem to have erased it for some reason. If I retrieve it, I'll post it. And I can see how the tone would be liquid if you're using 16" of water to play them. Do they have a spit valve?

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: GUEST,hollowfox
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 04:28 PM

Anna Russell's recordings are being re-released on CD (Columbia, I think). Besides her masterwork of reducing Wagner's entire Ring Cycle down to twenty minutes (accurate in every detail, and hilarious, of course), she also did a piece on how to play the bagpipes. She did, in fact learn to do so for her performances, with the help of the encyclopedia Brittanica and a very suspicious teacher.

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: Dave Swan
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 04:23 PM

All right, all right.

You know why Highland pipers march?.......

To get away from the sound.

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: kendall
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 04:21 PM

I believe it was Oscar Wilde who said,"Thank God, there's no odor." An old wag in Rockport Maine described the bag pipes as.. sounding like someone gathered up a dog fight, and threw it into a pig pen.

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 04:17 PM

Great! I love Black Bear played on the pipes. Mbo can send him the music. Yours,Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: Dave Swan
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 04:13 PM

All right youse wise guys, keep it up and I'll never play for you. That'll fix ya.

Terri M,

Is your friend set on Highland pipes? While the sound is haunting and loud, will all respect due them, they are limited. Who else plays in Bb?

A practice chanter is a good way to start. Catspaw's inevitable reaction aside, I've got an electric practice chanter which I really lilke. It's quite portable, fingers pretty realistically, and can be played through headphones, thereby reducing mileage on the wife and cats.

Other than Great Highland Pipes, they are some interesting ways to go. You've noted Uillean pipes which often play in G or F and produce a lovely, lyrical sound. They're bellows blown, adding another element to their operation which can be good or bad, depending on one's wind and/or upper body strength. Uilen pipes play at fairly high pressure, so they can be a handful (or armpit full). They can be hard to find in the states, and pretty costly, especially for a full set with keyed drones.

Northumbrian pipes are far and away my favorite. They have a sweet, liquid tone and play only about as loudly as a fiddle. Their bellows blown low pressure (about 16" of water) makes it easy to sound them. The definitive tutor on Northumbrian pipes is written by a guy in Texas named John Liestman, it's well worth a look at his website. I've got a set of Liestman pipes I'm learning to play and I'm having a great time. Nothrumbrian drones(up to four on a set) can be shut off so that you're playing only the chanter, a nice feature for practice. Northumbrian smallpipes are often found in F or G, sometimes D.

A great beginnner's pipe is the mouth blown Liecestershire small pipe. Single drone, medium sized bag and it's quiet. Mine have as split stock for a D or G chanter.

Allow me to recommed these men, all of them are listed in search engines, are friendly and responsive and have very informative websites. John Liestman for Northumbrian pipes and links; Philip Gruar for Northumbrian pipes; David Marshall at Ancestral Instruments for historical pipes and strings with sound samples; Ray Sloan for Uillean pipes, Scottish smallpipes amd flutes with sound samples; Julian Goodacre for English pipes and recordings.

Good luck to your friend. It's a great adventure. Pay no attention to the wiseasses behind the curtain.

E.S.

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:41 PM

I don't remember who said it Leej, its come up here before.............but I doubt they ever got a whiff of the bag after its been used by a piper stoked up on haggis.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: fulurum
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:41 PM

a friend of mine never played an instument in jhis life. a few years back he decided to learn the pipes. he took lessons and practiced,practiced, practiced. when he felt he was good enough, he went to scotland for a couple of weeks and took some more lessons. came back and after even more practice, formed our local pipe band. they took third place in last years nyc st. patricks parade. good thing every around here supported him. we now have an awesome pipe band.

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:36 PM

Wasn't it Samuel Johnson who described the bagpipes this way: "Thank God there is no odor." Not me... I love the sound of pipes.

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:33 PM

So.....Leaving kat's alone (which is difficult) and against my better judgement.............

CLICK HERE (Lark in the Morning)

Scroll down about halfway and you'll see practice chanters and even a start up kit for under $40. US. A chanter is the fingering pipe and you can blow through one to practice.......GEEZIZ, Talk about straight lines!!! Anyway..........

Also note the "Electronic Bagpipes" up toward the top of the page...................oy.................

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: wildlone
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:31 PM

I once on a whim bought a practise set of uillean pipes,
I tried hard but could not get on with them in the end I offered them to a music shop who offered me a deal at £150, as I got them for £35 I sold.

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:22 PM

Well I adire him and hope he succedes.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:18 PM

It's the mouthpiece wot fits onto the bag, as I understand it. Spaw's analogy was not that far off. Anyway, here is a link to a page which has pictures and a description of what they are and what to do with them.**BG**

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: TerriM
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:09 PM

Actually, he tells me no one has chanted his pipe for a long time so I guess he feels he has nothing to lose! (maybe if I fixed him up with a date...what do you think?) What, in the name of all that is sacred, is a chanter and where does one obtain such a thing, always supposing it's legal to do so?

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 03:06 PM

You are in rare form today Spaw. I am LMAO!

Terri, I bought a cheap chanter with a book too for my niece and she has had a blast with it.

While we are on the subject, sorta, does anyone know how difficult it is to learn the uillean pipes? And, how much pressure does it take to operate the bag o'wind? (kat plays straightwomon to Spaw's cutup**BG**). I really would liek to know.

Thanks, oh, and Terri, tell yer friend he can come ta my house anytime to practise. I love the sound of pipes!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 02:58 PM

Or tell him that you'll cut off his bag and no one will ever chant his pipe again if he persists in this notion.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 02:56 PM

Try to convince him that a nose flute is the latest thing in bagpipes.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Against my better judgement....
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 02:56 PM

Find a field. And get a chanter.

Subject: Against my better judgement....
From: TerriM
Date: 18 Mar 00 - 02:51 PM

of which I have almost none, I have promised a friend I would ask for your help. The sad story is that a very dear friend of ours is determined, in spite of our very best efforts to dissuade him,on learning to play the bagpipes. He has never played a note of music, in anger or otherwise, in his whole life ( which may be foreshortened by this rash decision)and hasn't a clue how to start. How should he begin? (And for those that say, he shouldn't, I am in full agreement!)

Terri ( who is making earplugs as we speak)