I was just wondering how many of you play another type of (bag)pipe other than uilleanns. For example; I play uilleanns as well as highland pipes and scottish small pipes. Although I am focusing more on uilleann pipes than the others. I also am wondering if those of you who are doubling on your pipes, are you having trouble with the fingering differences and keeping yourself proficient at both. I had to stop playing my highland pipes as much as I used to in order to progress on the uilleann pipes. How does Eric Rigler do it?
Yes, I play Highland pipes, smallpipes, flute, assorted whistles, etc. I also play the trombone, and yes, I do Bar Mitzvahs. Unfortunately, I left my Highland and smallpipes at home back in the States and am missing them terribly (although I don’t think I’d really like to play them in the 30+ degree weather and viciously high humidity that we have over in Japan at the moment…certainly wouldn’t get away playing them in my little air-conditioned apartment).
For the past couple of years, the instruments that I have been concentrating on the most by far have been UPs and flute. I wish there were more hours in the day so that I could play Scottish pipes more often, but then again, I don’t really feel like shooting for the gold medal at Inverness this year anyway… :roll: …Only kidding. I hate piping competitions…
It’s only natural that your Highland piping would take a backseat for a while when you start playing uilleann pipes. Happens to everybody, pretty much. The same thing may have happened to you when you first got your smallpipes. At any rate, don’t worry about it so much right now. Just practice what you want to practice, make time for both instruments if you can, and in a couple of years see how you’re feeling. As far as fingering differences go, I never really had too much trouble when I first started UPs (then again, seeing as how I haven’t played my HPs in more than six months, things might be a different story now…) I had a friend who inadvertantly started playing crans on his Highland chanter, he actually quite liked the sound of it, I think. Aaaanyway, sorry for droning on for so long here. Don’t worry; be happy. Just don’t do anything stupid like take up the fiddle…that would be downright unnatural…
I play Scottish smallpipes, Northumbrian smallpipes and Border pipes along with the Uilleann pipes. I’ve never played GHP so I’ve not been exposed to the rigorous fingering regimen associated with that tradition. Consequently, I’ve not found it difficult or confusing to switch from one set to another ( not that that happens very often any more ). When I first started Uilleann pipes I had some problems going back to Scottish smallpipes because the holes on the chanter seemed so small in contrast to the Uilleann chanter. It didn’t take long to get used to that , however. My biggest problem is remembering not to overblow the chanter on the other pipes to get into the 2nd octave. Other than that, the only technique that has seriously eroded involves my bowing arm - playing fiddle is just a distant memory now.
Traitors!! 
Rick, I believe the correct term for these deviants is “bi-pipers”. Pretty sordid any way you look at it. 
djm
Golly, never thought of it that way. But now that you mention it…
Must have something to do with all that leather…
As long as we’re all coming out of the closet . . .
Yep, for me too: border, highland, small, and uilleann. In alphabetical order.
The only UK-ish “common” pipe that I haven’t ever really had the desire to play is the Northumbrian smallpipe.
Stuart
Bill, that’s an interesting comment. What do you mean? I think learning the Highland gracing help(ed) me with everything else, including the UP. The most complex of UP gracing seems trivial in comparison to some of the more common Highland stuff. And I thought the UP fingering seemed logical from half-closed Highland style . . .
Of course, that’s my opinion.
Stuart
are there any of you who do play northumbrian smallpipes? I find them to be quite fascinating. It would be crazy to play the uilleann pipe fingering, highland fingering, AND northumbrian fingering! head explosion
Read up, Skunk: Bill Reeder does.
And nice avatar.
Stuart
Yes, I can see that Highland pipe ornamentation is complex. I guess the point that I was trying to make was that since I don’t play Highland pipes, I have less to get confused about. Does that make sense? To answer your original question, I don’t have problems with the fingering differences between the various pipes that I have. To me it’s like playing guitar, fiddle , mandolin, banjo and bass. I used to play all of them in my pre-uilleann life and never thought about the differences involved. Profiency is a whole other story, however. Sorry for what seems a fuzzy post - too much manual labor this weekend and not enough piping..
just learning ups. also play ssp. i am having no trouble with fingering at all. ssp, ghb and border/lowland are all the same. if you concentrate, it is easy to master all 3 types of fingering (flute-whistle, ghb-ssp-bp, and up).
i am not at all surprised that very few people play up and nsp, although some do. (ian lawther in maryland comes to mind- i think he is not bad on either)
basically, when you start on ghb or ssp (or bp) the problem you run into is- only 9 notes. you cannot play most irish traditional music (although some is set for ghb and there are a few good books). so you look for something with more of a range than 9 notes, and something chromatic.
your choices are nsp or up, both of which go well into the second octave,and both can be keyed to order with chromatics.
sets of both are extremely expensive, and the sound is entirely different.
very few people can afford both.
also the technique is different.
its also a matter of taste, and i think very few people love both. both give endless opportunity of mastery, and very few can dedicate the time to both.
so people tend to choose either nsp or up.
my rambling
meir
Yes, I played (and still play) Northumbrians for years before coming over to the dark side. I think each has helped the other actually, with no confusion on fingering what so ever.
GHB, NSP, UP, lowland pipes, 4 types of zampogne, a bit of gaita gallega.
Nowhere near as bad as Sean Folsom who has reeds and plays a bit on nearly 40 different bagpipes!
Ted