First.., thanks Uilliam for saying exactly what i was thinking as well but couldn’t find to put into (nice) words…
Patrick:
Amsterdam is really very boring when you live here…
I am just now “coming out” as a piper and trying to get a band and some gigs together.
As far as pipers go.., we don’t have that much over here so i wonder why you never heard anything from that pub you mentioned.., God knows we could do with some decent piping here.
Give me the name/location of the pub and i’ll ask them what they were thinking..
If you are ever in the neigbourhood be sure to give a yell, won’t you?
I’m disappointed with the response this speed question has gotten. I would lke this forum to be a welcoming one, but Orbis has recieved some almost hostile responses. I don’t see how his request is at all out of place. He’s working on what he wants to work on, and that’s his choice. Let him practice how he wants.
In my opinion, any instrument can be played however the player wants. It may not be the traditional way, but it can still make nice music. There’s no right and wrong. Some people have achieved some wonderful things over the years, playing instruments differently than the traditional way – just look at Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, or Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull). All great musicians who have achived some very nice results playing their instruments in ways that were previously unheard.
I can understand if you were to say “In my opinion, pipes should be practiced like this…” Or “The most commonly accepted method is…” But the tone seemed more like “Orbis, you are wrong, and you are going to butcher the music in your efforts to learn it.”
Frankly, Ston. If the collective experience of many senior players tells a young man who has been playing for a year or so to learn some real fundamentals, I would take the wisdom that has been provided. I think the tone is proper – and there have been some terrific suggestions, and Orbis has asked for them.
It’d be nice of Orbis to comment, since he brought the post to life in the first place. Take this: where would you be without any teachers, mentors or pioneers? Listen to music, listen to people that have knowledge. If you don’t then you seem arrogant and hasty.
On the other side of the argument, it is a wonderful gift to be innovative and spirited. The ones who use this with the wisdom of others are, arguably, destined to succeed. Take the comments not as negative but as constructive and get on with the day. Go forward, move ahead, it’s not too late to whip it - whip it good!
18 years of GHB’s, I think orbis knows what he’s getting into regarding what interests him in Uilleann pipes. I didn’t expect such a welcome we’ve given him for expressing his thoughts…
Tony’
I think you maybe right we may have been a bit harsh on the lad I’ll apologize for the guy’s one thing orbis must realize, is there such a thing as the greatest piper everybody’s view of a piper is different from one another just being a good pipe player is all that I would like to achieve maybe when orbis start playing drones and regs his apinion may change only time will tell but I still say technique and style is better than speed. Go on then a little bit of speed is okay .
Sorry about the echoe’s Guys
Bunnahabhain 12 year olde Islay Malt is my favorite what’s yours Patrick
I just want to make sure that I’m not taken toooo seriously. After all mine certainly isn’t the only opinion that matters. Nothing better than being an individual
And by the way, Orbis is absolutely, incontravertably, positively welcome – never ever let that be an issue.
Ston ..I don’t think it was an unwelcome response and of course ye can play the instrument any way ye like..a lot of folk do.I don’t think any amount of years as a Highland Piper will make a HUGE difference to your mastery of the Uilleann Pipes as I have seen many GHB pipers transfer to UPs and sure enough they will pick up the music quickly and master bag and bellowsbut and heres the rub…GHB techniques especially if you’ve been playing for many years will be difficult to forget and I have seen the transfer of same to Uilleann pipes so what you end up with is a hybrid neither one nor the other.Which is a shame because you have to gently tell em that your playing the pipes like a highland set .Now I am not saying that one is better than the other(of course the UPs are better) but that there is a difference and I don’t care who you are it takes a lot longer than a year to master,and thats giving it at least an hour a day..In many ways it is better to start the Uilleann pipes with a blank sheet (no previous music) that way your not gonna bring across bad habits and your learning curve will be easier as you don’t have to unlearn…
But hey Ston let us know when you start!!
Slan go foill
I can’t tell Pepsi from Coke either! 
Go on then a little bit of speed is okay . 
Liam