When to Add Regulators

[CorneliusG]

Good day. I'm an intermediate Uilleann piper (ok, beginning to be intermediate) after about 5 years of instruction/practice and I play a half set. I've been wondering when I should add regulators to the mix. I've asked this on The Session and got several replies:

1. As soon as possible. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll get good at them.
2. When you can afford them.
3. At the 10-year mark of playing (or so).

All of these are good answers, and each has merit, though I lean to #3. After 5 years of daily practice on the half set I'm only now starting to feel really comfortable playing well-memorized tunes with drones.

I'd like to see if there are other views on this forum. Personal stories of adding regulators to the mix and the challenges encountered would be welcome.

Thank you!

[PJ]

Once you are proficient on the chanter, and can balance the chanter and drones, you're ready to start on the regulators.

I was advised by my pipemaker to begin with the baritone (middle) regulator. Once I was comfortable with it, I added the tenor (small) reg. It took about 6 months. The bass came last, about a year after the tenor.

But there are many different ways to go. Some pipers start with all 3 regs, and just turn the bass and tenor away, and learn on the baritone. Others start with the tenor. I've heard of one who started learning on the bass reg. It's all allowed.

[PennyPenny]

When i started i was terrified of regulators. In fact i started probably a year later than i might have if the regulators hadn't scared me off.

I had my practice set for a year before adding drones, and i was happy as a clam with my half set. Then about 4-5 years in i literally had a dream where i was playing with regs, and i got back in touch with my pipemaker right after that to order my full set upgrade. (Nowadays i am happiest playing a 3/4 set.)

So my answer is: when you dream that you can.

[CorneliusG]

These are good answers so far. The regulators rather scare me too because adding them to the tune effectively seems to test one's natural musical sense and I'm afraid to find out that I have very little natural musical sense. I've listened to top level Uilleann players (unnamed) whose regulator work added nothing to the tune, and even detracted somewhat from it. Bad or lackluster regulator work can actually harm your sound.

My particular pipe maker does not make a Bass regulator for his pipes - says he doesn't like the sound. The stock I have only has two holes for tenor and baritone regulators. So, assuming I stick with this set (which I will, I can't afford multiple sets), my challenge is reduced to harmonizing two instead of all three.

[PJ]

Don’t be too worried about the regulators. If you can play the chanter, you’ll be able to learn how to play the regs.

Some tunes are easier than others for learning the regs. I found that reels and hornpipes (4/4 tunes) were easier than jigs, but that’s just my experience. It also helps to listen attentively to how master pipers add regs to their playing. I listen to recordings of Seamus Ennis, Mick O’Brien and Jimmy O’Brien Moran and try to copy them. Their styles are more accessible. Padraig McGovern and Mikie Smyth are impressive performers on the regs but they’re on a different plane entirely.

Another advantage of starting with one reg (baritone) is that you’ll have fewer reeds to keep in tune.

[CorneliusG]

Some tunes are easier than others for learning the regs. I found that reels and hornpipes (4/4 tunes) were easier than jigs, but that’s just my experience.

Good advice, that. Many thanks!

[Mr.Gumby]

Good advice, that. Many thanks!

Some tunes are easier than others. True enough. But the rest is more a reflection of PJ's experience. PJ himself inserts the caveat he isn't sure this particular experience should be generalised and taken as advice.

There are a lot of jigs that lend themselves very well to rdg playing. You'll find, for example, jigs like Coppers and Brass, the Lark in the Morning, the Cook in the Kitchen etc very well suited. I remember one piper telling me when starting out with the regs they 'were made for the regulators'.

[Ceann Cromtha]

It may be no accident then that Seán Mc Keon opens up the 4th “Art of Uilleann Piping” tutorial DVD with “Lark in the Morning,” if I recall correctly.

[Pipewort]

Courses for horses then .... Regs ..

On the former I have fallen off every time I mounted one - some time within seconds, the latter it has taken me some considerable invention to reach them even.

Persistent perseverance early on, and with all things uilleann, start slowly, and by increments. A well set up set is required too. I am making progress on the regs with tunes I know, in a basic fashion.

I have no intentions of improving my equitation abilities...

[myles]

Good day. I'm an intermediate Uilleann piper (ok, beginning to be intermediate) after about 5 years of instruction/practice and I play a half set. I've been wondering when I should add regulators to the mix. I've asked this on The Session and got several replies:

1. As soon as possible. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll get good at them.
2. When you can afford them.
3. At the 10-year mark of playing (or so).

I find these a pretty strange set of answers myself, without caveats anyway.

1. has some merit, as long as they don't interfere with learning basic bag control etc. I think it was Touhey who wrote that people often failed to get good as they tried playing dance music before learning proper control of the instrument, and after looking at my own playing history and sticking points I have to say this is good advice. So - get them as long as you can maintain steady drones, get both octaves cleanly, etc. Then you won't be tempted to move on to regs at the expense of missing basic technique - not that it sounds like an issue in your case.

2. I suppose 2 works out well for the average impoverished musician, but...

3. Seems a bit arbitrary. I've seen young players come on incredibly in just a couple of years so I can't say this would fit everyone!

My own solution was a sort of mix of 1 and 2 in that I just added one reg when I was at a point that I could both spare the cash and control the rest of the instrument. I still haven't added the other two, one is enough to getting along with.

[CorneliusG]

My own solution was a sort of mix of 1 and 2 in that I just added one reg when I was at a point that I could both spare the cash and control the rest of the instrument. I still haven't added the other two, one is enough to getting along with.

This is an option that hadn't occurred to me - it's a good idea. Not only does it compel learning one reg at a time, it scales the purchase to my bank account.

I think some of the other answers I got on The Session were slightly tongue-in-cheek. One piper said she started regs at the 10 year mark - that sounds good to me. At 64 I'm not a young man and don't pick it up as fast as these whipper-snappers. I'm quite happy tootling along with my half set for another 5 years before adding a regulator to the mix.

[myrddinemrys]

When you're feeling regular.

[m4malious]

Or, maybe when you have something that would benefit from regulating...