not having too much luck at getting in contact with pat sky.. i’m thinking about trying to learn the pipes on my own. i do know that learning anything from a book, or video is not really a proper way to go about learning things but.. how hard is it to learn uilleann pipes?
normally when someone ask me ‘how do i start learning highland pipes’, first thing i would say is ‘go find a teacher’.. i studied enought martial art to say the same thing about someone who wants to learn martial art.. but, it seems like finding teacher for a uilleann pipe is rather harder than i thought.. and i really don’t like to bother pat sky when he is really busy (i wouldn’t want someone bothering me if i’m really busy).
is it possible to learn uilleann pipes from books and videos? how far can someone go with learning uilleann pipes from books and videos?
B08, from personal experience as an isolated piper, I can tell you that it is a lot of time lost trying to learn on your own if you develop bad habits unknowingly. Then you will later have to unlearn a lot of body habits that are hard to break.
If Mr. Sky is unavailable, perhaps he can point you to someone else close by, or nearly close by. None of the books or videos adequately address some of the most basic things at start-up, like correct posture, correct way to hold the set, correct way to use the bellows, etc. Once you are comfortable with the above after a few weeks, and start to learn the chanter and maybe a few basic tunes, then the books and videos become more useful. You really need someone watching you to give you key pointers at the beginning so that you don’t go too far astray.
I learned mostly from videos and tutors, but I did go to a school (the first Swannanoa Gathering) a month after I got my chanter, plus I have attended a couple of tionóls.
Oh, I forgot one point. If you’ve played the highland pipes before then you’ll have an even easier time. Then you’d have these pipes down in about three hours.
okay.. let see.. i play highland pipes.. and i drink Guinness by gallons.. and chase that with bushmills.. dang.. i didn’t know i already know how to play uilleann pipes! i’m just killing time for fun of it
They are a hard, hard instrument if they’re your first - my experience, FWIW, was that as a GHB player with bellows and whistle experience, that getting the basics of bag control and scales can be done very quickly - the first time I sat down with a set, I was knocking out simple polkas in an hour or so. Like I say, for GHB players, having some knowledge of whistles and bellows will make life a lot easier.
Bushwa, I played Planxty Irwin for a friend’s answering machine after only about 2 hours.
Eoin O’Riabghaigh sez: “I honestly don’t know why anyone ever tries to learn the pipes. It’s not like guitar where you can practice for a few weeks and play a few songs. The first 6 months on the pipes is nothing but painful squeaks.”
Paraphrasing, there. Eoin’s a famous piper, you see! From an interview, available online somewhere.
I’ve a tape of Eoin when he was 13. After what, 2 years? Talented little bastard.
As Calum and Pat have noted, if you have any experience with GHBs, whistles, and especially any other bellows-operated pipes (i.e. Scottish smallpipes, but also Northumbrian pipes, musette, some species of cornemuse, Flemish pipes, Polish pipes,yadda,yadda, yadda), you will definitely have a much easier time of it.
The Heather Clarke book/CD is essential, although you’ll probably find the first few lessons to be unnecessary, as you can already read music and stuff.
If you’re really, really isolated, the three NPU videos might also be worth picking up.
Also the Seamus Ennis tutor is quite good, especially after you have the basics down and you want to try a few things to make your piping a bit more colorful. Also has a lot of great photographs. They’re quite funny, really. There’s a few of several well-known pipers standing around holding their pipes and letting their chanters dangle in mid-air. Isn’t that one of the big no-nos you’re supposed to learn about from day one? As Colin Ross once said: “Diven’t let your chanter dangle.”
My experience was very similar to Calum’s–within an hour or so of getting my practice set, I was knocking out simple polkas. Interesting that we both chose polkas…hmm. Then again, I was in Kerry at the time…
thanks for all the info. got in touch with pat sky yesterday on email. apparently, there are about 5 UP pipers around my area, but none have time to give regular lessons.
pat’s now making inexpensive practice set for around $600 US.
A few thoughts from a GHB player who’s been on the UPs for nine months: Stick with the Forum as you’ll always get great advice from generous people. The best advice I got was to relax my hands, as the tendency is to choke the chanter (so to speak) which tightens up your fingers and wrist. Also concentrate on not playing the tempo with the bellows. I adjusted to the different fingering pretty easily, to my surprise. Good luck.
just ordered heather clarke and seamus ennis’s books. spoke to seth g., sent email to todd denman since someone mentioned he is around my area.. pat sky still indicates that he is very busy.. let see where i end up with all this.. still need to get my hands on a practice set..
seth g. said his practice set has 6 month wait at the moment.. rather on expensive side.. but, from all the indications i have gotten, his pipes are rather in “can’t go wrong” area.
I’d be wary of learning purely by ear, or trying to mimic what you hear until you know the correct finger processes for ornamentation. In the early stages you would be unable to distinguish for e.g. what notes are used to grace a roll, or in the case of a G roll would you tap with index finger only, or use both g fingers etc., etc., The next best thing to actual 1-1 tuition is video. I haven’t yet seen a tutor book that satisfactorily explains rolls properly.
I hope you have your blarney filter turned on! 
