I've seen this thing on Lark in the Morning and other folk instrument sites. It looks like it's another Bagpipes Galore innovation. Being a Highland piper the notion of a practice chanter is a very familiar one and when I saw that somebody makes them for uilleann pipes I thought it was a good idea. Looks like it would be better if you used circular breathing.

But what are they like? Is it a good way to learn scales, embellishments, and tunes before strapping on a practice set? Is it even good just for practicing while waiting for your practice set? Or would it just make learning the bellows too frustrating after blowing? Either way I think the mouth piece might be a good idea for GHb practice chanters to get comfortable playing in that position (of course we have the goose for that too).

Look forward to any feedback or any direction to previous threads on this subject.

Slainte!
Aaron

Dear Aaron,
I bought one last summer and was not too impressd. The reed they include takes alot more pressure than a "real" reed. The tube really isn't as comfortable as a highland pipe practice chanter either. I ended up jerry-rigging the top part into a bag and bellows I had already built and put in a plastic reed I had made from the yogurt cup reed site. Still, it had a tendency to squeal - espcially on the second octave E & F. After a long time of tinkering, swearing and crying, I broke down and ordered a Daye chanter. It works pretty well. If your brave and have lots of tools you can try building one yourself from David Daye's website, but do yourself a favor. Order the reed and inner throat tubes from him. That will eliminate alot of guesswork and frustration. Otherwise by the bag bellow and chanter outright.
Hope this helps
Marc

Aaron,
If you can afford a traditional (real) practice set of pipes by a reputable maker, then do so.
You will be much happier in the long run owning something of wood, brass and leather than a plastic mouth blown instrument.

I had one and used while waiting for my practice set to arrive. I learned the scales on it and a few simple tunes (I could never get it into the second octave though). The U. pipes are a beast. I think it would have been much more difficult for me if I was trying to learn scales and finger posture at the same time I was figuring out bag and bellows technique- with this thing I had a head start. Besides what the hell else are you supposed to do while waiting for your set to arrive? That is at least a 4 month wait (or longer) in most instances for a practice set. I think it fills the gap nicely.

Jeff

It's decent if you want to see if you like the sound of UPs and to get down basic fingering but that is about it. It is incredibly hard to blow and the second octave is almost always out of tune.

The reed won't really give you a good idea of the beauty you can coax from a real set of pipes. I've been playing flute for over a decade and to be honest, I found the UP PC very difficult to blow. You'd be lucky to get a single phrase out of it.

I'd reccomend a David Daye practice set. The sound is great and you get the motions and fingerings down for a 'real'(wood) set. Some people are even touring with his chanters, so some people must love their sound as much as a wood chanter.

Another option (and the route I went when I started) is to keep your eyes open on E-Bay for a used chanter by a known maker. Preferrably a recent chanter by a well-respected maker. You can pick up a chanter and then make your own bag and bellows.

Dionys

Thanks for your help. I'm guessing that by the time I settle down and tackle uilleann pipes I maybe won't need the uilleann pc. Right now I play GHB and figure I'll probably play smallpipes before I decide to try uilleann so by then I should be comfortable with the bellows. In that case one of David Daye's practice sets maybe the best bet. I definitely love the uilleann sound.

Slainte!
Aaron

A friend of mine bought a uilleann practice chanter. He tried it for a while, and then correctly decided that working the bag and bellows is a major part of learning the pipes. Otherwise, it's not (THAT) much different from a tin whistle. So he built a pretty good bag and bellows and rigged it to the practice chanter. What he ended up with was a really awful practice chanter that won't play in tune. So, my point is - get a tin whistle, or get a practice set with a penny chanter. The penny chanter is the real thing!

Unless you really want a set of smallpipes or plan on using them at gigs, go right to the UP practise set. Smallpipes will teach some bellows work, but you have to keep the pressure steady like highland pipes. Uilleanns use a differing pressure that might be disconcerting after smallpipes. If money is no issue get all the different pipes you want, otherwise spend it on what you really need...bag, bellows and chanter.
Best Luck,
Marc

Thanks again for the advice. I've still got a ways to go on GHB before I want to consider uilleann pipes. I love the sound of uilleann pipes but I want more mastery on something a bit simpler beforehand. I was wondering if maybe by eliminating the majority of complexities, the uilleann practice chanter might be the thing to keep my hands busy without worrying about pumping and squeezing. Blowing's no worry. As for smallpipes, my interest in them is independent from uilleann pipes. They would be more of a GHB thing to do when I want a break from all the blowing.

I do play about on whistle too which brings up another question. Anybody futtered about on the uilleann whistle? I think it's manufactured exclusively for Song of the Sea. The drones look like more bother than it's worth and from the sound files the sound isn't all that enchanting. Curious as to other folks' experience with it though.

Cheers,
Aaron

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AaronMalcomb on 2002-06-27 16:06 ]</font>

I have a Song of the Sea Uilleann whistle. Sorry I don't flutter about though.

I just recently ordered a practice Uilleann set from Lark in The Morn. It is the new one they have with bag, bellow, composite chanter and add on ports for future drones. I was excited about it until I read some of your comments about the single Pract. Chanter. I just hope they sound alright and I don't have to send them back.

How can the penny chanter be the real thing.?
Do you mean its a real Penny Chanter?or a real UP Chanter coz its not.A very good synthetic chanter which will last a lifetime is made by Andreas Rogge and you wouldn@t have to wait.If you wanted the practice set you can upgrade the bag easily enough yourself later if u wanted drones/regs
Slan
Liam

Footer, not usually spelt futter, is a word in common use in parts of Ireland, and I've heard it over here in Scotland too.....

The verb: "to footer" [not futter] meaning to mess about with, tinker with, fiddle with.

Also, an adjective...."footery" meaning tricky to do/work with

The noun: "footer"...eg "he is a bit of a footer" meaning a handless, gormless or useless sort of fella [...describes me to a tee, I think]

Boyd
Head of Thesaurus Services

Internet is global and slang is local. Sorry for any confusion.

The Uilleann whistle (as sold by Song of the Sea) _can_ be a good way to learn pipe fingering. It is NOT a substitute for a low cost practice chanter (like Rogge's delrin, David Daye's metal/pvc/delrin, or Bagpipeworks wooden student chanter)
The good: there are no reeds to wear, no adjustments required and it's close in size to a D chanter so finger positioning is easy.
The bad: it's in the key of A.

Dear Boyd,
Over here, futter (pronounced with an "uh" sound) is interchanged with putter. Usually intended with more derogatory sense. Ex: "Quit futtering about with that reed and play!" It seems to come from putter and a explative combined for more gentle ears.
Marc