playing tips

Uilleann Pipes
1

I have a question on the bag/bellows coordination. As I practice changing from note to note slowly, I am able to maintain a steady pressure with the bag and sound the notes well. When I start to pick up speed, I notice that I am having problems keeping steady pressure with the bag and I am using the bellows. Is there a tip, mental or physical, to correcting this? Should I just not worry about playing too fast and work it slow concentrating on the bag pressure? Any ideas would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

2

Pump once, play many. Make sure you’re not leaking, i.e. that you can close off the chanter and there is no air escaping anywhere. One exercise is to pump the bag up, stop pumping, and play the octave from bottom D up to back d and then down to bottom D again, all on the one bagful of air. The playing should not be too fast. Try to find a balance of steady pressure on the bag, soft supple wrists and fingers.

djm