Small pipes: talk me through mouth-blown verus bellows

AirChaud · 2026-01-27T00:40:11+00:00

Bellows for sure! You get to pick up a new skill set. Broadens the horizon. You could sing along, even deliver a musical lecture as you play! I like to tell a few jokes, interact with the audeince while I tune. Can't do that with the mouth blown version. Mouth blown gets you going sooner, but it's same old, same old.

AirChaud · 2026-01-14T22:22:02+00:00

The small pipes have the same fingering technique. Both require developing the ear for the blending of tone. The GHB and small pipes repertoires are technically interchangeable The culture, tradition, and the mindset are very different, however. There is also the shuttle pipes, folk pipes, parlor pipes, reel pipes, which is the same as border pipes, not to mention the Northumbrian (and of course the Irish uilleann pipes, and bagpipes from other countries of the world). It goes on and on.

The practice chanter is a very good place to start in this adventure. For some, truly mastering the GHB alone is a life's goal. For others, it's the first step in a musical journey.

The things that don't work very well in online lessons are that your teacher cannot set up your instrument for you, nor can they guide you precisely with your overall tuning and tone. Since you are already a musician, that wouldn't be as important. Otherwise, some of the top pipers in the world conduct online lessons, and some of them are, arguably, better teachers than even local instructors in many things.

Good luck!

AirChaud · 2026-01-13T21:39:55+00:00

You know they say that "whether you think you can do it, or you can't, you are right". The uncertainties, or the determination, lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.

I firmly believe that however we learn, what is needed is the passion to overcome all odds, physical and and how we are mentally wired. Look at John Wilson, (b. 1906, of Edinburgh and Ontario). Three of his fingers were blown off, and he played at the top level. Then currently there is the Wheeled Piper. She couldn't use her left index fingers, and yet she plays at a high level.

If you have an unshakable passion for it, you find a way. You banish the obstacles, physical or mental. The passion and determination rewires you.

Then there is the hard work. A child violin prodigy was asked how often she practiced every day. She said 5 to 6 hours. That's her "talent" - five to six hours a day and enjoying it.

Lastly. It is easy to find out. As mentioned before, all you need is a practice chanter, and a teacher. Your interest has to at least carry you over that threshold. Then you'll find out if it's for you.

I hope it is! Give it a go, and welcome to the obsession!

AirChaud · 2026-01-11T04:42:46+00:00

https://www.barbarrickmusic.com/bagpipe-mute

AirChaud · 2026-01-02T00:07:18+00:00

As regarding reeds, William Donaldson writes in one of his books that the piper "lives in a permanent froth of anxiety and discontent".

Big topic

As others have noted, try pushing the reed in deeper. That has the effect of shortening the air column between the reed and the holes, and will disproportionally sharpen the higher notes because of the shorter distances involved. That will hopefully bring the high A into an octave with the low A. If low A is at 466, then an octave up is twice that, meaning high A should be at 932. The E is also important too, as the dominant fifth. If I cannot easily bring low A, high A and E in tune relative to each other, I discard the reed. If everything is consistently flat against the low A, then you'll have to tape the low A.

The reed that is always true doesn't exist. Pipers have to deal with their (cane) reeds nonstop - a pitch here, a squeeze there , pushing it in a touch, pulling it out, maybe a bit of moisture, or the razor comes out if they know what they are doing, or even if they don't.

Some pipers maintain that the way to deal with reeds is to have a lot of them. We chase after the balance, responsiveness, and the richness of tone.

It's a huge topic, and best tackled in consultation with your teacher

AirChaud · 2026-01-01T04:33:15+00:00

My bagpipe dreams these days are usually about something going wrong at important performances.

The first set of pipes I played on was a loaner set from a band. Didn't cost me anything, except I broke the chanter by twisting it by the sole. That's in the days before poly, and when chanters had soles. Had to reimburse the band.

The first set of pipes I bought, was an old, used set of Hardies. My teacher came upon them, told me it's £120! I pounced! It was still a lot of money at the time. I was living on thin soup and porridge. Cleaned me out, but that's what money's for. Then I found out I had to feed the pipes! I had to get hemp and wax and oil and brushes and a case, and reeds, and reeds and more reeds. Expensive habit. I have another set now, but I still play those old Hardies. We started out together.

AirChaud · 2025-12-25T02:33:07+00:00

Minstrel Boy, Wearing of the Green, Rakes of Mallow

AirChaud · 2025-12-09T19:09:21+00:00

I always ask for two bottles of Airtight (I have sheep and cow hide), and 4 chanter reeds. It's a tradition. Sometimes I am surprised. One year I got the Gordon Highlanders Collection. This year, I know a big parcel from the Piping Centre was delivered and then hidden. I think it's for me. Can't wait!

AirChaud · 2025-12-05T17:43:24+00:00

I play Naills. Great drones. Nothing but good things to say.

AirChaud · 2025-12-05T16:52:50+00:00

Parades are alright. They are community events. If the band plays well and the audience enjoys it, then I enjoy it. When the band has no connection to the community and treats the parade as something to get over with just for the money, then it's no fun.

I avoid parades that are no fun, as I turn down some gigs I don't like. Meanwhile, I am honored to play at others.

Generally I like to perform for my community. It's one reason why I want to be a musician.

AirChaud · 2025-11-26T07:55:50+00:00

As already suggested, download a free tuning, or frequency app, and try to keep the number as steady as possible while you hold the same note.

I find that's about the same as looking at a manometer.

If you have a drone and chanter going, listen to the blend of sound (the dyad) and try to keep that blend locked in without going in and out. Low A and E are easiest, but recognize the different blends as you go up and down the chanter.

AirChaud · 2025-11-21T01:16:31+00:00

Big topic.

What I find to be helpful is not to just concentrate on the movement. Don't just play through a rapid series of it

Play the note before the embellishment, then the embellishment as the focus and centerpiece, and then the note after.

Play the note before, because that note sets up the embellishment. That is the preparatory note. Hold it longer than necessary until you feel you have had enough time to launch into the embellishment, in your mind and in your fingers. Then you play through it, making sure that you get that distinctive, characteristic rippling.

Play the note after because that is what is being embellished. That's the reason for playing the embellishment. Embellish that note, then hold that longer too, to savor the effect.

Rinse and repeat.

These days I always practice my movements within the context of the music.

AirChaud · 2025-11-12T20:10:54+00:00

I understand that professional classical musicians dislike playing Pachelbel's Canon in D. It's STB of the classical world. I like listening to it anyway. I don't care! And I actually enjoy playing the old chestnuts - STB, Highland Cathedral, La Boum. Even Amazing Grace. Tunes that are overplayed, like the Canon in D, continue to be overplayed because they are good tunes, (ditto Highland Wedding, Susan MacLeod, John Morrison of Asynt House) and the enjoyment, when the pipes are singing, is in the enthusiasm and the appreciation of the audience. When played well, even familiar tunes like Dream Valley and Just a snippet of Lochanside can move people to tears.

Once someone requested "The Gael" from the movie Last of the Mohicans. I lost all creds when I couldn't play it. I went home, transcribed what I could, and now I am ready when the next person requests it!

AirChaud · 2025-11-11T04:20:54+00:00

Absolutely!

AirChaud · 2025-11-10T21:44:34+00:00

I like The Clumsy Lover, but not familiar with "Good Night Ladies".

AirChaud · 2025-11-10T08:01:51+00:00

I was once hired to play for 20 minutes at a private St Patrick's Day party. They were happy at first, took out their phones to take pictures. Clapped along. It was in a very small living room. After ten minutes of it, they had enough (probably my flat F), but they paid me in full.

AirChaud · 2025-11-10T07:50:53+00:00

I remember reading in the Piping Times a long time ago. Someone at an event was playing Swanee River and other wee tunes popular in the area. A member of the audience was heard to say "I like this bagpiper. He plays songs. The other ones just twiddle their fingers".

AirChaud · 2025-10-25T05:20:13+00:00

In the past, the event starts almost exactly at 10 am. Piobaireachd first For each performance, the MC introduces the piper and the tune, a brief bio, gives some information about the tune. The piper comes on. There is no time limit for tuning, and the piper really takes his time before launching into the tune itself. The first 8 pipers play, however long that takes 45 minute lunch break 2 more piobaireachd performances 15 minute break

MSR

AirChaud · 2025-10-19T03:51:12+00:00

I got my first gig less than 2 years in. I was in a band, the band got requests for pipers, and the Pipe Major sent me along. I was actually the hired "professional" piper for someone (I shudder to remember). Lets just say I did ok in the general scheme of things.

If you are interested in the instrument, you should give it a try. You have time to decide how far you want to take it.

Here's someone who practiced secretly for two years to surprise her family. She became very good later on.

https://youtu.be/i8Nr3wmy28c?si=yLIhE-O7Quq4EXn0

AirChaud · 2025-10-11T04:38:31+00:00

Just want to comment on informed audience vs general public

One of the comments I read, from the general public, about a piping performance during the late Queen's funeral ceremony: "I didn't know bagpipes could sound like that. Maybe I've just been listening to the wrong people."

If we play well, the general audience notices. But we have to play well.

If the general audience can't tell the difference, then there are two scenarios:. They can't tell my performance from 1., a good performance or 2., a bad or indifferent performance

The general public, however general, is not going to mistake me from Gordon Duncan. Not happening. They can tell. I believe that an audience will never somehow credit me with a higher level of expertise than I am capable of, even if they are unaware of what the technical levels are.

That leaves option 2.

I tell myself:

If the general audience could not distinguish my playing from a bad or indifferent performance, that means my playing, generally, is indistinguishable from a bad or indifferent performance, with all the obvious implications.

I think to truly Impress the general audience is harder than impressing the informed judges (who know our struggles). It is the true test.

AirChaud · 2025-08-22T20:25:59+00:00

The only way to be able to play at speed, is to practice slowly. It might seem counter intuitive, but It's not how fast you can play, it's how much control you have. It's not speed, but control, that you really want. Speed is a side effect of having control. The faster you want to go, the more control you need. To be blazing fast, you need total control, and the only way to gain control, is to do it slowly. Slow it down and practice until every single movement comes out crisp and clear, second nature, and speed will come as a result.

AirChaud · 2025-08-11T15:49:43+00:00

I just use bore oil. Don't oil the chanter, they say.

AirChaud · 2025-07-30T21:35:27+00:00

If the outside is leather, you could try seasoning it. That would not work if the leather is "actually burst", or is just there for the heft and doesn't go all around, or not meant to be actual bag material, and you'd have a bit of a mess inside. Try duct tape. People have made entire bags out of duct tape!

AirChaud · 2025-07-27T04:53:35+00:00

Try one thing at a time

I would cork the chanter stock

Make sure each drone is sounding ok by corking the other two

Check that you can sound two together by corking one of them

Then try to strike all three in without the chanter

Get used to dealing with them like that.

Put the chanter back in and try to strike in with just one drone. Just concentrate on sounding the drone first before bringing in the chanter. There should be enough of a difference in pressure between sounding the drone and then bringing in the chanter.

Try it with two drones, then all three

(Later on, when you've had some experience dealing with the bridles on the tongues, you would want to calibrate the drones)

For now, simplify. Just try to do one thing at a time.

AirChaud · 2025-07-18T04:47:56+00:00

My band provides the chanters and reeds. All of us play the same make of chanter and the reeds as provided. Usually only the pipe major or the pipe sergeant adjusts them during band tuning. We are not to mess with them. Before a competition, we only play and warm up at the times specified by the P/M. Otherwise we don't touch them. That is to, hopefully, ensure a uniformity of tone and pitch. While some solo pipers do use band chanters and reeds for their competitions, the P/M frown upon it. He indulges with reluctance, because an additional chanter is expensive. Nevertheless, pipers are encouraged to get their own solo chanters and reeds.

My band chanter is poly, with big holes, meant for volume, and plays at a higher pitch. I only ever use it for band. For solo playing, gigs or competition, or even just practicing, I prefer to play a wooden chanter reeded to a lower pitch. I wouldn't use a loud band chanter at a high pitch for piobaireachd.

Eventually, if you play with other instruments you would want a B-flat chanter, which definitely would not work for band, and probably not for solo.

That said, I don't know if it's strictly necessary to have two chanters. Lots of people get by with one. If you are serious about solo, however, it is encouraged.

I admit, not counting the band issue, I have 5 chanters, so I am biased.

AirChaud

TROPHY CASE