Bagpipes!!

FronzelNeekburm · 05-25-2002, 03:50 PM

Does anyone out there play the bagpipes? My friend Billy does and he played them for our youth group. They are super loud so bagpipe players have to wear ear plugs. They also go out of tune like really quick but they are cool.

Pipercostal · 05-27-2002, 09:23 AM

I play them. I know a couple other people who've been in here play them. And they're loud, but not loud enough that you have to wear earplugs. I never do. Of course I wouldn't recommend playing them in a really small room. It's harder on the ears in a small room.

Jay42 · 05-27-2002, 11:55 AM

Wazzzzzzah Amy?!! I hope things are coming together for your Australia trip.

I don't know how to play bagpipes but I think they are very c00l and I wish I knew how. I have heard it is difficult to learn to play them (Pipercostal you would know).

maadio · 05-27-2002, 02:27 PM

Hey I actually have bagpipes, and I've tried to play them, but I can't. somebody tell me what I'm doing wrong! (I blow into the little mouthpiece, but no sound comes out the other end...)

-andy

FronzelNeekburm · 05-27-2002, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jay42
Wazzzzzzah Amy?!! I hope things are coming together for your Australia trip.

Australia is going great. We have 4 day until our land-sea container comes and we fill it with all of our stuff (we have a ton of stuff!). Then we will be living out of a suit-case until our container arrives in about one month. But we only have 16 more days until we fly out!!!!!! I'm excited!

Amy

Pipercostal · 05-28-2002, 12:52 PM

Plaid, Okay first you need to check to see if you have reeds in your bagpipe. Check the chanter (the part with the finger holes). Pull it off and see if there is anything in there. It should be a wooden reed. Then check each one of the drones. Check the joint closest to the bag. They should all either have pastic reeds (hopefully) or cane reeds. You can blow into each reed to make sure they are working. The wooden chanter reed will take a lot of lung power. If you have reeds and they're working check to make sure there isn't anything plugging up the drones, mouthpiece or chanter. If that checks out you either have a bag with lots of holes or you have a huge crack in your mouthpiece. Let me know if that still doesn't work. If you're serious about starting to learn the pipes, go to a celtic music store and get a practice chanter if you don't already have one. It's like a recorder but the same holes and everything as the normal chanter. They do have a steep learning curve and it is pretty hard to be really good.

maadio · 05-28-2002, 08:45 PM

yeah I already have the chanter and all... and all the reeds and stuff are there. It's just that i blow and the air seems to slip right out. I realise, though, that I must be doing something wrong, since I've never really had a lesson or anything... I might not even be holding it right...

-andy

Pipercostal · 05-29-2002, 02:03 PM

Does it make any noise? Or is it just silent? What happens if you blow really hard? Your bag might have holes in it. You can try taking off the droe and the chanter and plugging those holes up. Then try blowing in the mouthpiece. You should be able to tell if the bag has a hole in it that way. I hope you don't have a crack in your mouthpiece though.

maadio · 05-29-2002, 02:26 PM

what happens if I do have a crack in my mouthpiece?

Pipercostal · 05-30-2002, 12:46 PM

You either just tape it up and hope it doesn't get worse, or you get a new one. Although it still wouldn't account for getting no noise. Can you make some noise (at least the drones?)?

d0c_99 · 06-16-2002, 07:24 PM

Anyone tried Ulean Pipes?

maadio · 06-17-2002, 03:26 PM

yeah if I detatch one of the drones from the bag and then blow thru it it makes a drone noise.

robert4xst · 08-07-2002, 12:19 AM

I used to play bagpipes, they are cool.... lots of people don't like you to play them becuase they can be really loud. I don't have any pipes anymore, I miss playing them.

Miscellaneous · 08-13-2002, 12:03 AM

How do you know when a bagpipe is tuned?

Pipercostal · 08-16-2002, 03:55 PM

Well first you need to make sure your chanter is tuned. The only way to do that is to match it to someone elses chanter, or to use an electric tuner. If you're just playing by yourself, this step doesn't matter too much as long as the chanter doesn't sound bad.
You then tune the drones to the chanter. I usually start with the middle drone. Shut off the other two drones, play low A and move the middle drone up or down until you get rid of the 'waa-waa' sound. Tough to describe but if they are out of tune you get a kind of a beat to the drone and chanter.
After the middle drone is tuned turn on the other tenor, continue playing low A and tune that small drone to the middle drone. Then do the same to the bass drone.
If it's tuned nicely when you're playing low A it should just be a steady tone. Also check with E to make sure that the tuning is good.