Singing while Playing the Irish Pipes

[Uilliam]

Boyd..I'm getting worried fer ye....
ye said the same thing in your earlier post ...well almost the same thing.. Do ye need a doctor?
Singing is ok for a newins!
Happy ne'er to ye and go easy on the first footins.....
Slán Go Foill
Liam

[talasiga]

The message I am getting both crudely and nicely is that beginning the pipes for to just accompany singing with a drone and occasional melodic flourishes is like getting a Rolls Royce for to go shopping.

Or better still, its like getting a sitar (an Indian lute) for to play Norwegian Wood .

Many thanks to all of you (Uilliam included) for your responses. I am over and out for now and besides somebody threatened me with a picture of some Irish Pipes and now I'm having nightmares.

But please, let the topic continue- on the subject of good pipers who also sing.

Pleasant New Years to you all.

[Joseph E. Smith]

...besides somebody threatened me with a picture of some Irish Pipes and now I'm having nightmares.

....sorry man, I promise never to do it again...until next time.

[Pat Cannady]

Back in November-December of 1996, I was lucky enough to witness Tomas O Canain sing "The Praties are Soft" in Gaelic and then play the tune in a call and response manner with his pipes. That was something I won't forget soon. It wasn't a showcase of dazzling technique but it was an intensely soulful, musical happening. If you could listen to that without crying your eyes out, you're emotionally stunted and should seek help.

Many old tunes have lyrics, learn them, learn the melodies, learn to play them on the chanter, and then you have something timeless and beautiful.

My favorite example is "The Praties Are Dug And The Frost Is All Over" as recorded by Seamus Ennis on "40 Years of Irish Piping", a beautiful recording of solo, traditional piping at its very best. You can do the same with many many other songs if you want. It's up to you. I daresay they will teach you a good deal about how to play the pipes if you listen well.

[Pat Cannady]

[quote="talasiga"]The message I am getting both crudely and nicely is that beginning the pipes for to just accompany singing with a drone and occasional melodic flourishes is like getting a Rolls Royce for to go shopping.

[quote]


I think you begin to understand that piping is not just playing an instrument, it's an entire way of life, regardless of whether you're playing Irish, Scottish, Bulgarian, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Turkish, Italian, Greek, Serbian, Croatian, Estonian, Swedish, Belgian, German, Polish, Slovakian, or any other sort of bagpipes that have ever existed. It's like playing oboe or bassoon; you have to be committed to making the best music possible if you want to sound at all pleasant. You have to be reconciled to sounding bad for a number of years before you begin to sound good. How long that process takes is up to you.

Since you are from downunda and have some curiosity about piping, the uilleann pipes are not a bad choice. But you have to be reconciled to starting off at the very bottom rungs of the ITM pecking order if you want to improve. Deluding one's self by saying "I don't need all these "tradition" people is a fast trip to nowhere if you DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT. The so-called "piper nazis" do know how to play their instruments, they do know how to get them in tune, and they can supply you with an infinite amount of tunes to teach you how to play your instrument well.

It's like learning a martial art from an elder asian teacher...you accept your teacher and try to learn what they have to say before passing any sort of judgement on it. Ego is an impediment to progress.

[talasiga]

.........
Since you are from downunda and have some curiosity about piping, the uilleann pipes are not a bad choice. But you have to be reconciled to starting off at the very bottom rungs of the ITM pecking order if you want to improve. Deluding one's self by saying "I don't need all these "tradition" people is a fast trip to nowhere if you DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT. ........

Tweet tweet! Sorry I mean, excuse me Pat Canaryioh but, where, oh where did I say this here? Has anyone said this here? (That you don't need the tradition) Perhaps you have imagined this like I have imagined you have a birdie surname.

Is it possible for a piper to make a point postively without narking?
Joseph E Smith did a pretty good job. Very persuasive too.

Did you notice the "white hanky" title of my previous post? Do you know what that means? It means the facet of the discussions about talasiga daydreaming himself Irish piping and singing is OVER and OUT. The daydream is surrendered. Get it?

The topic continues about good pipers who can sing well.

An intelligent New Year to you Patio.

[BigDavy]

Hi Talasiga

Don't let them put you off playing the pipes and singing I have heard it done to uilleann, scottish small and border pipes and northumbrian pipes and enjoyed all of the performances.

From what you have beeen saying in you4r posts, however, maybe it would be better to get one of your local pipers as an accompanist and work with him/her on a song or two - my personal preference are songs set to a slow air - She Moves Through the Fair sounds lovely when sung to uilleann accompaniment.

Again whatever you do post it on clips and snips so we can hear the results.

David

[talasiga]

Hi Talasiga

Don't let them put you off playing the pipes and singing I have heard it done to uilleann, scottish small and border pipes and northumbrian pipes and enjoyed all of the performances.

From what you have beeen saying in you4r posts, however, maybe it would be better to get one of your local pipers as an accompanist and work with him/her on a song or two - my personal preference are songs set to a slow air - She Moves Through the Fair sounds lovely when sung to uilleann accompaniment.

Again whatever you do post it on clips and snips so we can hear the results.

David

David I have heard that song played with the pipes and I love it. My ex sings with harp and I still love her when she sings it. When I get the wherewithal to post audio clips it will be flute and whistles first cos thats what I have been playing for over 30 years other than percussion.

Thank you for your encouragement. I guess I will need to do some research and find some other drone/melodic pipes that are easier and less daunting for song accompaniment.

Everyone thinks if its music it must be for performance. Music is for the hearth too- both the lonely and the happy hearth. The highest applause rains from our eyes.

[Pat Cannady]

.........
Since you are from downunda and have some curiosity about piping, the uilleann pipes are not a bad choice. But you have to be reconciled to starting off at the very bottom rungs of the ITM pecking order if you want to improve. Deluding one's self by saying "I don't need all these "tradition" people is a fast trip to nowhere if you DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT. ........

Tweet tweet! Sorry I mean, excuse me Pat Canaryioh but, where, oh where did I say this here? Has anyone said this here? (That you don't need the tradition) Perhaps you have imagined this like I have imagined you have a birdie surname.

Is it possible for a piper to make a point postively without narking?
Joseph E Smith did a pretty good job. Very persuasive too.

Did you notice the "white hanky" title of my previous post? Do you know what that means? It means the facet of the discussions about talasiga daydreaming himself Irish piping and singing is OVER and OUT. The daydream is surrendered. Get it?

The topic continues about good pipers who can sing well.

An intelligent New Year to you Patio.

Check your PM

[BigDavy]

Hi again Talasiga

As a percussionist trying to get his head around playing a melody instrument (trying to duck all the bodhran haters out there) I can empathise with you on this.

You say you are a flute and whistle player of long standing, then this is likely to mean that if you do end up playing the pipes it will be the uilleann pipes. I have noticed, and doubtless the more experienced pipers on the forum will confirm this, that those people who are good whistle players find it easier to adapt to the pipes than other instrumentalists as the skills transfer between the two instruments is greater than any other - even the simple system flute.

Good luck and Happy New Year.

david

[Uilliam]

.........
Since you are from downunda and have some curiosity about piping, the uilleann pipes are not a bad choice. But you have to be reconciled to starting off at the very bottom rungs of the ITM pecking order if you want to improve. Deluding one's self by saying "I don't need all these "tradition" people is a fast trip to nowhere if you DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT. ........

Tweet tweet! Sorry I mean, excuse me Pat Canaryioh but, where, oh where did I say this here? Has anyone said this here? (That you don't need the tradition) Perhaps you have imagined this like I have imagined you have a birdie surname.

Talasiga wrote.....You cannae even get my name right. So much for your respect for culture and tradition.
Sound familiar? :roll:

I wrote....
I did not say the above quote at all,so perleez do not put words into my mouth...especially wrong ones
Sound familiar?... :roll:

Talasig wrote....
The message I am getting both crudely and nicely
Sound familiar?.. :roll:

Talasiga I would have preferred an acknowledgement of ye misreading my words ,as ye have also done with Pat..to a throwaway drop o my name which looks a tad sarcastic to mine eyes....I also believe Dave has a good point inasmuch ye might be better off with someone playing accompaniement for ye...

Pat...I came onto this thread full blown when Morten mentioned super proficient pipers and wasnae particularly interested one way or the other before that ,whether Talasig or anyone else for that matter sang or not...other than I thought it wasnae a regular sort o thing.. and probably the wrong reason to learn the pipes(but that is my opinion only)
Tommy Cannon aka All Ireland Supreme Bard of the last Fleadh at Clonmel does not figure in my short list,or even long list of super efficient pipers...
Anyways I'm bored with this subject...
Happy Ne'er to ye all
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam

[morten]

Morten mentioned super proficient pipers

Huh?

Please Uilliam - the man asked a simple question, and I answered what I had experienced, even provided an example. So please leave me out of your pointless discussion....

Morten
- and a happy new year to you too

[Joseph E. Smith]

Hey everybody, I need an opinion here...

...I was thinking about learning a song to both sing and play on UPs. My question is, which key....D or G?

The song is: "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts..."

...there they are, standing in a row.
big ones small ones, some as big as your head.........

[Royce]

.........
Since you are from downunda and have some curiosity about piping, the uilleann pipes are not a bad choice. But you have to be reconciled to starting off at the very bottom rungs of the ITM pecking order if you want to improve. Deluding one's self by saying "I don't need all these "tradition" people is a fast trip to nowhere if you DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT. ........

Tweet tweet! Sorry I mean, excuse me Pat Canaryioh but, where, oh where did I say this here? Has anyone said this here? (That you don't need the tradition) Perhaps you have imagined this like I have imagined you have a birdie surname.

Is it possible for a piper to make a point postively without narking?
Joseph E Smith did a pretty good job. Very persuasive too.

Did you notice the "white hanky" title of my previous post? Do you know what that means? It means the facet of the discussions about talasiga daydreaming himself Irish piping and singing is OVER and OUT. The daydream is surrendered. Get it?

The topic continues about good pipers who can sing well.

An intelligent New Year to you Patio.

Well I too have heard Tomas singing and playing--more like BB King's blues technique--he could never sing and play at the same time as well.

But in answer to your question, the big question, NO. Narking is a major part of the piping culture.

And as Pat said, uh, it's all about the culture whether you like it or not. Or whether you said anything about liking it or not. But what nobody has said yet is, you're going to have to spend a thousand dollars US to get a decent practice set just to tootle your few notes, and then become an expert in some of the most finicky reeds on earth on top of that. All things considered, a harmonium makes a more reliable drone anyway.

Rufus Harley

Royce

[BigDavy]

Hi Joseph

I'll bite (the coconuts preferably).

The key shouldn't be D or G but C natural (I take it they are organically grown coconuts). With the tune played on a Cocobolo chanter.

Happy New Year and enjoy your drones and regs when they come.

David