Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Hello, I found an on-line web page for piping instruction. I think that I am going to try to find a live someone for lessons, to make sure that I'm holding the instrument correctly, breathing correctly, then maybe shift over to this. I have talked to others and found out that our local pipe band practices in a vacant school gym, so you might try calling the schools in your neighborhood to ask the administrators if they rent space to your local pipe band-if your local pipe band is not listed. Hope this helps. Cairistiona California http://www.bobnorris.net/livepiper/livepiper.htm Oops. I do not know how to send this address, so that it's highlighted and you can just click on it. Sorry. Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Cairistiona from California wrote: I just honked out a spit-saturated and screech-punctuated A part to a rendition of Hector the Hero that only I could recognize. I played it in the bathroom, with the door closed and the fan on, because anyone hearing what I am doing would recoil in horror. Congratulations, but playing in such a confined space will undoubtedly deafen you. Can't you find a faraway mountain? The local school or church hall is a second best and any sound will be better there. Playing the pipes is physically hard work in the beginning and I find that if I don't practice I can't play because I haven't got the muscle power in lungs and lips. I am fascinated to find so many people on this list have dusty chanters.Why? Playing the whistle can develop finger agility, but not the lip muscles. I've been practicing on small pipes recently and tonight ( inspired by all these aspiring pipers) I went back to the chanter and after only 10 minutes I was blowing more air around the pipe than down through it. Maybe my reed is . it's always the reed's fault.;-) Jan Bedford - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 2:56 AM Subject: Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical. Hi, Ian and you other pipers- I just honked out a spit-saturated and screech-punctuated A part to a rendition of Hector the Hero that only I could recognize. I played it in the bathroom, with the door closed and the fan on, because anyone hearing what I am doing would recoil in horror. I am happy that I am able to make sounds. I am pressing the bag in different parts to try to hear what the different drones do. The long one makes the lowest sound. If I loosen the joints just a wee bit, it seems to make the difference between screeching and a tone. I am shooting in the dark, but I feel comfortable holding it now. I'm just trying to breathe and get a constant sound, and that will take a lot of practice, right there. Also, how hard I squeeze the bag with the front part of my arm makes the tone vary. I have been leaving the pipes in a convenient place, and every time I walk by, I try to get a little squawk out of it. On the first day, I could play one note. Yesterday, I could play three not es. Today I played seven notes. Sort of. 8-) Cairistiona California Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Hi, Ian and you other pipers- I just honked out a spit-saturated and screech-punctuated A part to a rendition of Hector the Hero that only I could recognize. I played it in the bathroom, with the door closed and the fan on, because anyone hearing what I am doing would recoil in horror. I am happy that I am able to make sounds. I am pressing the bag in different parts to try to hear what the different drones do. The long one makes the lowest sound. If I loosen the joints just a wee bit, it seems to make the difference between screeching and a tone. I am shooting in the dark, but I feel comfortable holding it now. I'm just trying to breathe and get a constant sound, and that will take a lot of practice, right there. Also, how hard I squeeze the bag with the front part of my arm makes the tone vary. I have been leaving the pipes in a convenient place, and every time I walk by, I try to get a little squawk out of it. On the first day, I could play one note. Yesterday, I could play three not es. Today I played seven notes. Sort of. 8-) Cairistiona California Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Thanks to those of you who made suggestions. I think I'm going to take the recommendation that I learn the tin whistle. The idea is to pick up some music theory and a discerning ear, and it seems a very friendly instrument to the neophyte. And failing any progress to other instruments, the tin whistle is a pleasant enough instrument for the sorts of music I like. Now some say you can learn the bagpipes on your own, others say you can't. If I have success with the tin whistle (more in music theory and a discerning ear; Jack is right in saying that they're dissimilar instruments) I may undertake learning the pipes. I do have a practice chanter at home that's been collecting dust for some years, so other than a new reed and a spool of waxed hemp, there's no more investment than my time. But first thing's first -- I have a Clarke tapered whistle in the key of 'C' coming in the post. :) Thanks also to Cairistiona out in California -- anything you find on Internet that is of interest to musical newbies please do pass it along. -- Ian J. L. Adkins District Staff Officer for Communication Services Great Lakes Ninth District - Eastern Region U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary http://www.uscgaux.org/~092/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Thanks to those of you who made suggestions. [...] But first thing's first -- I have a Clarke tapered whistle in the key of 'C' coming in the post. :) Thanks also to Cairistiona out in California -- anything you find on Internet that is of interest to musical newbies please do pass it along. Well, I think a 'D' whistle might be better than a 'C', but they all work the same way. I've got that dust gathering practice chanter too. While some might feel the whistle is completely unrelated to the pipes, I might suggest that whistle is more closely related to pipes than say guitar... Anyway, as a beginning musician, you might like to try following allog with the discussion at the yahoo group 'devilsbox'. Or not. Bob Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Bob writes: There's a usenet group for pipers. The feeling is unanamous that one needs to have a teacher to learn the pipes. That's what I feared. I guess we had one locally for a while, then he went postal and was fired by the university. By gateway instrument, you might mean tin whistle. Tin whistle is very fun to play, and relatively easy to pick up on your own. chiffandfipple.com is a pretty impressive (if not exhaustive) place to start. Far out. That's a pretty funny website. I think you may be right, this could be a place to start. I have a recorder at home, but couldn't find any decent resources. Conversely, there seems to be a lot on the tin whistle out there. Bruce Campbell scrievit: You cannot teach yourself to play the bagpipes. Sigh. As noted above. When I was 18, I ran with a pipe band in Niagara Falls but goofed off and never learned much. About piping that is. I learned a lot about whisky. What geographic area are you in? I'm temporarily dislocated in Alfred, N.Y., directly south of Rochester on the Pennsylvania border, maybe 150 miles from Buffalo. -- Ian J. L. Adkins District Staff Officer for Communication Services Great Lakes Ninth District - Eastern Region U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary http://www.uscgaux.org/~092/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Uill, Ian- I just want to let you know that I had the same question, so thank you for posting it. After placing an order for headphones and Prozac, my husband (he can't believe that he did this) ordered me a set of pipes for Christmas. I will have Gibson smallpipes within a week. The people at Gibson told me that it will come with information on how to use them, so I guess the first thing that I will do is read the booklet or whatever, and bumble around. I'm not very encouraged to hear that it is hard to learn how to play them, but I am patient and persistent. I will save your e-mail address, and if I find anything useful for us beginners, I will be sure to let you know. Cairistiona California Let me make here my ardent plea for web resources devoted to teaching the musically incompetent the bagpipes. Failing that, I'll settle for a gateway instrument. I'm not kidding. Simple for simple minds. -- Ian J. L. Adkins District Staff Officer for Communication Services Great Lakes Ninth District - Eastern Region U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary http://www.uscgaux.org/~092/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
There's a usenet group for pipers. The feeling is unanamous that one needs to have a teacher to learn the pipes. That's what I feared. I guess we had one locally for a while, then he went postal and was fired by the university. It may not be that bad - lots of people use the (Glasgow) College of Piping's teaching materials on their own (books, recordings, videos). You hear lots of complaints about Seamus McNeill being an arrogant old SOB but I haven't heard anyone saying his stuff doesn't work. By gateway instrument, you might mean tin whistle. Tin whistle is very fun to play, and relatively easy to pick up on your own. And not much like the pipes. - Jack Campin: 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU; 0131 6604760 http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack * food intolerance data recipes, Mac logic fonts, Scots traditional music files and CD-ROMs of Scottish music. off-list mail to j-c rather than scots-l at this site, please Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Uill, Ian- I just want to let you know that I had the same question, so thank you for posting it. After placing an order for headphones and Prozac, my husband (he can't believe that he did this) ordered me a set of pipes for Christmas. I will have Gibson smallpipes within a week. The people at Gibson told me that it will come with information on how to use them, so I guess the first thing that I will do is read the booklet or whatever, and bumble around. I'm not very encouraged to hear that it is hard to learn how to play them, but I am patient and persistent. I will save your e-mail address, and if I find anything useful for us beginners, I will be sure to let you know. Cairistiona California I think that it's not that it's so hard to learn to play pipes (although obviously they have their challenges), but that it's difficult or impossible to learn to play them correctly without someone guiding you! A friend of mine is learning Highland pipes from a good piping teacher here and from what she tells me, apart from learning how to play the actual music there's a ton of fiddly little things to adjust to make them work right; for instance they spent about a year working through different combinations of drone reeds before they found a set that worked well with her pipes. She assumed she was doing something wrong and that's why the set was so hard to play, but when they finally got it sorted out she was surprised how much easier it was to make them sound. That's the kind of stuff you need an experienced piper to help you with. Good luck in your learning, Cairistiona! -Steve -- Steve Wyrick -- Concord, California Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
You cannot teach yourself to play the bagpipes. That is (sadly) because the differences between grace notes (not always appogiaturas) and melody notes are not self evident by looking at the music. Even after mastering the scales and finger positions (crucial points which should only be done with the aid of a qualified tutor) there is minefield of poorly explained piper's jargon to overcome. Then there is the transition to the pipes. Most pipe bands offer some kind of tuition or can point you in the right direction - but be wary, a lot of wel meaning people have no qualifications, experience or real ability. What geographic area are you in? Bruce Campbell Pipe Major, Liverpool Scottish Check out our WEB SITE http://duntroonpublishing.co.ukl Duntroon Publishing Publishers of Celtic World, Piping World, Highland Dancing and other quality Scottish Traditions books and magazines Editorial: Tel 077 5984 5201 Central Hall, 304 Maryhill Road, Glasgow G20 7YE Business Accounts: t/f 0151 651 0095 120 St Oswalds Avenue, Prenton, Wirral CH43 7ZH From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical. Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 14:37:52 -0600 (CST) Let me make here my ardent plea for web resources devoted to teaching the musically incompetent the bagpipes. Failing that, I'll settle for a gateway instrument. I'm not kidding. Simple for simple minds. There's a usenet group for pipers. The feeling is unanamous that one needs to have a teacher to learn the pipes. I've been working on fingering scales(mainly while driving). I plan on building the pipes too. I have yet to find the teacher, but I know there is one in the area. By gateway instrument, you might mean tin whistle. Tin whistle is very fun to play, and relatively easy to pick up on your own. chiffandfipple.com is a pretty impressive (if not exhaustive) place to start. It is my understanding that traditionally elbow pipe players and flute players both start on whistle in Ireland. Bob Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html _ Get less junk mail with ninemsn Premium. Click here http://ninemsn.com.au/premium/landing.asp Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Let me make here my ardent plea for web resources devoted to teaching the musically incompetent the bagpipes. Failing that, I'll settle for a gateway instrument. I'm not kidding. Simple for simple minds. There's a usenet group for pipers. The feeling is unanamous that one needs to have a teacher to learn the pipes. I've been working on fingering scales(mainly while driving). I plan on building the pipes too. I have yet to find the teacher, but I know there is one in the area. By gateway instrument, you might mean tin whistle. Tin whistle is very fun to play, and relatively easy to pick up on your own. chiffandfipple.com is a pretty impressive (if not exhaustive) place to start. It is my understanding that traditionally elbow pipe players and flute players both start on whistle in Ireland. Bob Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Let me make here my ardent plea for web resources devoted to teaching the musically incompetent the bagpipes. Failing that, I'll settle for a gateway instrument. I'm not kidding. Simple for simple minds. There's a usenet group for pipers. The feeling is unanamous that one needs to have a teacher to learn the pipes. I've been working on fingering scales(mainly while driving). I plan on building the pipes too. I have yet to find the teacher, but I know there is one in the area. By gateway instrument, you might mean tin whistle. Tin whistle is very fun to play, and relatively easy to pick up on your own. chiffandfipple.com is a pretty impressive (if not exhaustive) place to start. It is my understanding that traditionally elbow pipe players and flute players both start on whistle in Ireland. Bob Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
[scots-l] Cretin Desires to Be Musical.
Let me make here my ardent plea for web resources devoted to teaching the musically incompetent the bagpipes. Failing that, I'll settle for a gateway instrument. I'm not kidding. Simple for simple minds. -- Ian J. L. Adkins District Staff Officer for Communication Services Great Lakes Ninth District - Eastern Region U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary http://www.uscgaux.org/~092/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
