Chiff and Fipple Forums

I took the plunge in 98, aged 21.

I started playing about 8 months ago, age 45, on an O'Grady half set. I've recently acquired a Gallagher half set.

Why did I take up the pipes? The sound. As someone said, it's all about the "nyahh".

I'd been interested in them since the mid 90's when I saw Wattie Lees play with Craobh Rua. But I was put off by all the talk about how hard they were to learn and how finicky the reeds were. In '03 I began playing Northumbrian smallpipes and decided to go Dark Side after getting comfortable with reed tweaking and general fettling.

In addition to Northumbrian smallpipes, I also play (or try to) Cornish double pipes, anglo concertina, hammered dulcimer, guitar, and whistle.

Oh you youngsters! I saw my first album with an Uilleann Piper on it in the summer of 1970... The Breeze from Erin with the illustration "The Piper Without Patronage" (and I never took the hint) I didn't have enough gheedus to buy it, or put it on layaway,and when I got back 3 weeks later it was gone, along with the chance to hear a recording of Willie Clancy. In London at Collett's record shop in Dec. 1970, I bought The King of the Pipers by Leo Rowsome...I played that down to sand in approx. 2years boring every one who came to my house with"have you ever heard Irish Pipes?" " Listen to this!' and so on. Then the Pipes of Finbar Furey on Nonesuch with Madame Bonaparte etc. March 1972. Well, I had been playing GHB since Aug. 1970 and I got back to the ISLES and got a NU small pipe(Feb.1973) from Colin Ross and a real lesson in voicing/carving the tone holes, and making reeds! When off to Ireland, made the rounds: Matt Keirnan,Dan Dowd, Leon Rowsome, saw Seamus Ennis live at Slattery's. Leon said "do you know Denis Brooks?" Pat Mitchell at the Piper's club. Got back to California. Denis had been warned by letter of my arrival..as they used to say in the argot of those times, "Denis Blew My Mind!" I got a McNulty chanter, then barrowed a Kennedy set (E flat) like Denis' set (his made in 1957 mine in 1959) the fun began! I didn't give it back to the owner for 2 years! I was 23/24 years young. Back to Ireland in 1975, made more rounds. Fleah at Buncrana, Finbar McGlocklin, Frank McFadden, Sean McAloon,Denis in Newmarket Co. Cork
Eugene Lambe in Galway,Moss&Alf Kennedy, Owen and Micheal Ray,(Cork City), More Ennis, Keirnan, Dowd, Furey, Keenan, 16year old Davy Spillane, Tommy Kearney at Waterford. Pat McNulty at Rutherglen, even Sean McGuire the fiddler was getting into the act of piping! Tommy McCarthy at Fulham Broadway in London. Jim Daley of the Whistle Binkeys in Glagow, Jim Crane in New Castle. I'm still leaving somebody off list....Did this get me going in piping? 2005 and I'm still at it! It does help to start early! but I think any time you have...LIVE IT UP! Sean Folsom

Started when I was about 11, and I'm now 15. I have played the fiddle since 3, so I think that helped a good bit.
Jack Devereux

Started in 1996 on UP's from highland pipes(1990), went to Scoil Acla Dooagh School,Achill Island. In 1999, took online instruction w/ScoilTrad bought numerous lessons which proved to be quite useful.

2004 went to North Hero,VT Piper's Gathering, lessons with Brian McNamara, David Power. Then I was off to BrockVille,ON for lessons with Thomas Johnston (Diorma), and Niamh Dunne (Mickey Dunne). Chris langan 2004 lessons with Jarlath Henderson (co.Armagh), and Benedict Koehler(Montpelier,VT).

Reedmaking instruction was given to me originally by Richard S. Phillipsburg,QC then LOTS and LOTS of practice, formal reedmaking with Joe Kennedy in April '04.

NO ONE SAID IT SO I'M GOING TO:When I was your age....

Started way back (1977??)when I met Kevin Carr and he sold me a Jimmy Dolan chanter, bag and bellows, who I traded with Denis Brooks for a Keirnan chanter, which only seemed to work when my wife and I went to Dublin in the late 70s for vacation and met Matt, Tom Clarke from NPU (not inon Henrietta St, but at Essex Quay) and assorted bunch of others. Heard Seamus Ennis play, met Joe McKenna way back when... Came back to wonderful Diamond Bar, ca, and found that nothing worked. Upon today's knowledge, the dolan reed was not air tight and NO ONE knew how to make reeds here in So Cal. I wanted to met a piper in San Diego late 70s-John Toughy knows how I'm taling about, but couldn't. Fast forward 20+( and kids) years, met Pat D'arcy and the local cast of characters, got a 1/2 set of Preshaw pipes in 2003 and the rest is recent history.

Dave Page, the retired Marine, learned and played with Leo Rowsome.

Pat Cannady wrote:Carel, you're only as old as you feel.

24 isn't old at all in reality, but it is just old enough to make playing the pipes a lot harder than it would be for a 14 year old with no job, no girlfriend, and no responsibilities. Consequently it is easier for a teenager to evolve into a professional quality musician then it is for an adult learner. I want to be a professional quality piper NOW, not 10 years from now. That is why I wish I had started sooner.

Indeed. It's a lot harder to start when you're a 24 year old with no job, no girlfriend, and no responsibilities...Kidding...

I started at 22 when I was spending the summer in Kerry. By a weird twist of fate, Cillian O Briain had a practice set for sale at his shop. I gave the matter a good minute or so of thought and then plunked down the credit card...I had played Highland pipes and whistle since 16 and flute since 18, so that definitely helped smooth down the learning curve. But damn...I mean, someone really should've handed me a practice chanter when I was four. I could've gotten the whole Highland pipes thing goin' a lot sooner and then started UPs at say, 18 or so...

I started in April 1994 with Teacher Tom Clarke at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast with a practice set on loan from Tom.

On Feburary 1995 I got my first D practice set from Brendan O Hare Belfast. The bellows and bag by Jackie Boyce. (This set is sold)

When I heard about Andreas Rogge play this B set in 1997 and Tom's C set chanter by Rogge and I began order the Rogge

C snakewwood chanter 1997
C snakewood drones/bag and bellows 1999 and Ebony chanter.
C snakewood regs and B plumwood chanter 2001
D plumwood chanter 2004
D plumwood drones/regs/bag and C Chanter will be ready in 2007

C snakewood set sold in April 2005.

I have been playing pipes for now 11 years.

Cheers

Ferg

1987 trying to my mouth round the top of the chanter to blow, never seen them bin played befor

I wish I'd started earlier than 21 (been playing for four months). Sometimes there doesn't seem to be much hope of becoming the kind of piper I want to be, having started so late. But I keep trying for it. I suppose it is too early to tell.

TheSilverSpear wrote:I wish I'd started earlier than 21 (been playing for four months). Sometimes there doesn't seem to be much hope of becoming the kind of piper I want to be, having started so late. But I keep trying for it. I suppose it is too early to tell.

Silver,

I started at 21 or 22. Prior to that I thought if I didn't start before I was 18, it would be the end of the world. It depends on what we want to make of our playing 'career' that detemines if we started too late or not. My desire was to play with a band and do the 'Planxty' thing. Well...after a few years I was doing that. Sure, not as good as the pros, but good enough for me.

See my web site for my piping history....I put it together mainly to encourage myself not to give up

Keep your chin up and Cheers,

DavidG

TheSilverSpear it is surely to early to tell! You'll only be 42 by the time your 21 years is up. Believe it or not, you will still be plenty spry when you are 42. And 21 years after that you'll only be 63---that's not even retirement age! Just keep practicing.

I got my Howard practice set in '99, and then fell ill with M.E. (or chronic fatigue syndrome) and the pipes spent most of their time in a case. When I recovered somewhat in 2002 I attended some lessons at the LUPC and came on a bit, only to relapse and the pipes to retire to their case again. In Dec 2003 I got them out again and haven't looked back since.

Mostly Ive been 'self taught', working through Heather Clarke's tutor and learning a few popular session tunes. I probably developed loads of bad habits doing this, but I'm just 30, so plently of time left (I hope). My progress has been largely down to sheer bloody mindedness, and a will to keep something positive in my life while dealing with ongoing ill health.

I played bodhran before, but pipes are my first proper instrument, and they are more than enough to keep me busy. I've recently added some Howard drones and wow, that's piping. That evocative hum of the drones really got me into piping, listening to piping Pete at sessions in South Devon.

I know I could have learnt a simpler instrument, and one which takes less energy to play, but once one is smitten with the pipes, there is no other instrument is there?