Really getting frustrated!!!

[Todd82TA]

Hey guys,

Long story short, I thought it would be really neat to learn how to play the bag pipes. I really, really like the sound they produce and I'm determined to learn to play. I've played several instruments (stringed) growing up, so I am able to read music (base and trebel clef).

Rather than spend a lot of money up-front, I thought I might try to teach myself on a relatively inexpensive set of bag-pipes. I bought a brand new set of "pipes", for $120 on eBay made of Rosewood (I understand that is one of the two types of wood used).


I'm extremely frustrated because I can't seem to figure out how to make this thing even make noise!!! :(

What I have are three large pipes, one of them has an extension that makes it a longer pipe. There is then the one pipe which has the mouth piece attached, and another pipe with the note holes. For the life of me, I can't seem to figure out where the reeds go.

You'll really have to excuse me as I've never played a wood-wind instrument. The only instruments I've played which require my lungs are a recorder (hahah) and a trumpet.


I understand that to teach myself (first), I need to take the mouth piece, and the note pipe and attach them together. But in the mean time, I really just want to figure out how to properly put it together so that it at least can play a note. I'm a pretty big guy, 6'3" 220 pounds, I'm in decent shape, so I know I can fill the bag pretty easily. I know I won't have the endurance that a seasoned player has, but at the very least, I just want to figure out how to get it put together properly.

Any help would GREATLY be appreciated.



Thanks guys...

Todd

[Todd82TA]

Ok, it just occured to me that there are three of those stack things, and three large reeds and then one little reed. After fiddling with it for a few minutes, I believe that I've got them in the right spots.

I was actually able to get it to make noise, although it sounded like a huge herd of cows all dying at once. I managed to keep the bag pipes blown up enough that I could sustain a note for about a minute... however, the tube with the holes in it didn't seem to make any difference at all (I DID have a reed installed on the underside of it).

Does it sound like it's hooked up correctly?

[acadianpiper]

So far you have made three serious mistakes.

1) You are trying to learn without an instructor. An instructor, even one at long distance, is essential to a beginning piper. If no instructor is available in your area, google "Lyon College" and take a look at the on-line piping lessons available there. There are also various tutoring materials you can get: CDs, tapes, etc.

2) You are trying to learn on a set of pipes. No one learns on a set of pipes. The instrument used for learning is called a practice chanter and is a separate, mouth-blown instrument. This instrument is also used by experienced pipers to learn new tunes and to practice difficult embellishments. It is something that is used regularly and often throughout a piper's career. The blowpipe and the chanter (tube with the holes) on your bagpipe will never fit together to form a practice chanter. They are not designed to, and even if you could patch them together, the bagpipe reed would soon exhaust you. Practice chanter reeds are designed to be blown very easily, so that a piper can play it for some length of time.

3) You have purchased a set of pipes that will probably never work properly. The cheap "bagpipes" advertised on ebay are generally very poorly made in Pakistan. The wood is not genuine instrument-quality rosewood, but rather a very poor substitute called "sheesham". If you look into any of your "tubes", you will find that the wood is quite light coloured. It is also too soft and porous to produce any kind of quality bagpipe. In all likelihood, the reeds you received with your bagpipe are of such poor quality that it would tax the skills of an expert piper to get a half decent sound out of them. This is typical of the "bargain" bagpipes sold on ebay.

If you are serious about learning the pipes, you need to buy a good practice chanter, not one of the cheap ones from ebay, and a decent tutor book. Forget about a set of bagpipes until you have learned at least the basics, which will take anywhere from three months to a year and a half, depending on your enthusiasm and speed of learning. Don't count on your having played guitar to speed your learning of the pipes; it won't help and may possibly hinder your learning, although the fact that you can read music will be helpful.

What you need can be purchased online from suppliers like ToneCzar, Cuillinn Craft, The Piper's Hut. There are many others you can find by googling "bagpipe supplies". Depending on where you live, there may even be a highland supply dealer with a store near you.

[bullet08]

I understand that to teach myself (first), I need to take the mouth piece, and the note pipe and attach them together. But in the mean time, I really just want to figure out how to properly put it together so that it at least can play a note. I'm a pretty big guy, 6'3" 220 pounds, I'm in decent shape, so I know I can fill the bag pretty easily. I know I won't have the endurance that a seasoned player has, but at the very least, I just want to figure out how to get it put together properly.

chance are rather good that even if you set up the pipe properly, it won't make a note.. it might make noise..

it takes sometime to get used to setting up a set of pipes. and taking care of your instrument is about as important as learning the fingering. if the pipes are not set up properly, you will never learn to play the pipes properly.

first thing to do is finding yourself someone who is already playing the pipes. join a pipe band, or find a teacher.

they will get you going. if you must try to make a note out of the pipes by yourself, here is what you do.

1) make sure the bag is tied on properly, and it's air tight. no leaks along the seams, and the points where the pipes are tied in is tied in well, and there's no air leaking.
2) make sure the joints are well hemped.
3) season the bag.
4) make sure the drone reeds are set up properly, and they are not leaking air.
5) find a chanter reed that is easy enough for your to blow.
6) cork the drones and fill the bag with air, and tuck the bag under your left arm.
7) squeeze bag with your left arm, and blow into the blow pipe.

the trick is learning how to control the air supply in the bag with your left arm, and the air you are providing into the bag with your mouth. forget about playing the chanter.

it should make a note.

pete