Uillean Pipes in non-traditional music

[Lulu]

Hello

I wonder about uillean pipes in music which isn't celtic

I always listen recordings when pipes play irish tunes, sometimes breton, but I think this instrument could be played in different styles of music. I heard some samples of uillean pipes in two computer games soundtrack but, it ins't what I expect.
I think: "fully chromatic chanter - that give possibilyty to play some jazzy tunes, why I never heards one?

Head you non-tradiotion stuff on pipes? Could you post some links or give me name on bands, CDs where pipes was recorded?

Regards
Adam

[Bill Reeder]

Jerry O'Sullivan's "The Gift" is a good example non-traditional tunes played on Uilleann pipes. It contains old-timey, jazz, blues, and classical, as well as the more traditional tunes.

[An Draighean]

John McSherry has recorded some pretty jazzy stuff; it's not to my taste but maybe you will like it.

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Hasn't Tyler Duncan's band done some things that are pretty far outside the generally recognized boundaries of "the tradition?"

I vividly remember living in Japan about 8 years ago and hearing some J-Pop song in a café that had flat-pitch pipes in it. I'm guessing it was Ronan Browne, but I have no idea...

I'm a bit of two minds about this stuff: on one hand, I find albums where Irish traditional musicians collaborate with musicians from other genres or otherwise attempt to "push the boundaries" of Irish traditional music in order to create some type of musical "fusion" to be (with a handful of exceptions) innocuously uninteresting at best and exquisitely irritating at worst. I've about had it up to here with hearing Irish musicians who have no formal training in--or demonstrable understanding of--Jazz sounding like bad, frustrated Jazz musicians. A local Irish musician when describing one such fusion project hit the nail on the head when he called it "two different kinds of musicians coming together to make music that would have sounded better if they'd just stuck to making music on their own."

Having said that, we are seeing an increasing number of people who truly are musically multilingual coming along and being able to craft music entirely within the tradition on one end and very different, unapologetically un-traditional music on the other. That's fine. Some of it I like; some of I don't, but then again, you can't please everybody all the time. Part of the blessing and curse with uilleann pipes, though, is that they have such a distinctive sound that I think it can be hard to present them in a context that is entirely removed from Irish traditional music for both the player and the listener. It's particularly unfortunate that one of the few non-traditional genres where the pipes have been widely used has been in the production of New Age dreck. [This is a tragedy, though one that has likely helped keep a decent roof over more than a few pipers' heads...]

I dabbled in doing electronic music a few years back, mostly playing bass and keyboards. For fun, I brought my uilleann pipes and smallpipes into the studio a couple of times. I never recorded the uilleann pipe chanter, but I did do a bit of fun stuff with drones and regulators. On another track, I recorded myself playing the ùrlar of a pìobaireachd on smallpipes and gave it to my collaborator (who knew nothing about traditional music) to mess with. She chopped it up into tiny bits and pieces, added all kinds of strange effects to it, and made it completely unrecognizable. This was fun, but in the end, I decided it wasn't the kind of musical experience that I was looking for, though I wouldn't rule out trying it again. The above tracks were never really meant for prime time, though you might be able to track them down on the internet with a bit of detective work...

Oh, and as for the chromatic possibilities of the uilleann pipe chanter, yes, a four-keyed chanter is chromatic, but the layout of the instrument coupled with the peculiarities of the playing technique conspire to make certain keys very uncomfortable to play in. In general, I find it much easier to play tunes outside of the typical pipe-friendly keys on flute than I do on pipes... Some pipers play very, very well in what are generally considered fiddle or box keys (e.g., A major, D minor and G minor), and with practice and persistence, this is doable for most pipers who have the necessary keys. Playing for more than a few bars in a key like Bb or Eb on a D chanter would likely be regarded as highly unpleasant for even some of the most experienced pipers out there, so ripping through charts with a Jazz combo probably would be a more complicated endeavor than most pipers would care to indulge in. I will say though that Joey Abarta recently blew through town, and he left jaws on the floor when he tuned his tenor and baritone drones down to C and played "The Graf Spee" (or "The Grand Spey," or whatever that particular 5-part tune is called) in C on his D chanter. That was seriously impressive.

[Johnered66]

Davy Spillane
Eric Rigler

listen to Black 47 for some trad mixed with rock
Seven Nations still kinda trad, but with a mix

[rgouette]

3 words:
Lliam
O
Flynn

[bensdad]

Two words; Oliver Schroer:
http://borealisrecords.com/products-pag ... er/jigzup/ (Click on If Geese Could Sing)
http://borealisrecords.com/products-pag ... r/whirled/ (Click on Blues Sun in a Yellow Sky)

[chaos97]

When your ears are open you might actually hear the uilleann pipes more often than you would think. It still always comes as a bit of a surprise and more often than not i find myself laughing to myself.

One of the first instances I noticed them outside their "normality" was when friends of mine convinced me to start watching the newer/remake Battlestar Galatica series. They seem to use celtic-y motifs throughout the series.

A more recent example I came across is I occasionally listen to a university metal radio station when i'm driving, and this came on...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJRBl6DhOcE
the bit of shock followed by giggles were definitely present.
not my thing, but i'm sure it has its followers.

[PJ]

You've a good chance of hearing uilleann pipes on virtually any "easy listening" album released between 1995 and 2005.

[tommykleen]

I like to say that the fully-keyed uilleann chanter gives a grudging chromatic scale.

Twice I have worked with composers who have "written for the uilleann pipes" trans: on the score they have crossed out "oboe" and written in "uilleann pipes". When I explain that I need several different chanters to play in the keys they have written they always think that is so bizarre. Composer schools desperately need a course in writing for folk instruments!

I enjoy playing non-Irish/Celtic/traditional music on my pipes. I have been impressed how well Klezmer, Nordic/Finnish –even Parisian cafe music– sits on the pipes (mind you the musette is a bagpipe). Other unusual pieces I have been called to play on the pipes include "If I Were A Rich Man" and "How High the Moon". You need every single key and hole to pull off these kinds of tunes. It's fun, but I wouldn't want them to define my playing.

[CHasR]

I was working on a few French Bourees and pulled one of them out at an uilleann workshop once.
The instructor, an extremely well known piper, (who shall forever remain extremely nameless) politely asked me to do only ITM here. so I complied.

Anyway, Sylvia Platypus, the band which I pipe in, we've used Uilleann pipes in several original tunes for our rock opera 'Le Mirage', loosely based on Rodenbach's 'Bruges La Morte'. The songs have absolutely nothing to do with Celtic trad or ITM.

I like to equate the use of UP's in non-Celtic trad (lack of better term here) with the use of Steel drums, uke, or Balalaika. Only infrequently does the use of either not take me aurally to their region of origin. Not to say it cant be escaped, but the skill and craft of the musician/composer is truly tested by doing so sucessfully. Good thread!

[Lulu]

Thank you all for your answers!

I think I have to let on cause of this thread

I love sound of uillean pipes, but i don't really like traditional piping style (enormity of using ornaments). I thinking..."Buy C chanter with block for keys, learn to play ditonic tunes in full 2 octaves, then buy keys and learn to play in whole scale from C to C. Tunes in different keys than chanter basicly allow, play tunes which need chromatic notes..."
Now i understend my idea is to ideal

All this because of Trine's soundtrack (example here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNQr9zO5tYA ) I listen a lot and finaly i grasp. This all orchestral string instrument and woodwind plays such enchanting mellodies but I can forecast ("Hmmm, again flute and violin unisono" for example") but. That tunes will be sound amazing on pipes - of course with suitable mix of all instuments. I have idea of fitting irish bagpipes, no so much treble, little bit in background if you known what I mean

I play some tunes from this soundrack on my whistles but, you know, I have only 3 whistles and every high B (or equivalent) is too loud, whistle is diationic etc.

I want to play traditional intrument which allow me to play whatever I want.

But you clarify me a little...
Also i saw (heard) that on uillean pipes every "off knee D" have very is very off stnad tone than other notes. This make me sad because every tune whith that bell note... This is mark of traditional woodwind instruments which limit playning non traditional stuff.

I play whistles and I'm better familiar - now I can hear (on every keyless whistle) which sound is played. I mean no note but with which fingering was played. Every bell note sound like bell note, every C nat or equivalent etc. has the same personality.
You know, is it possible to play one octawe B minor tunes on D whistle and on A whistle. But i heard it

This is adwantage(?) of clasical instrument (or maybe my small familiar with it) for example. I can't hear (now?) that flute plays in quite uncomfortalbe Bb minor scale.

This is the end of my egocentic saying
Sorry for my poor english.

P.S.
CHasR - i heard your band's song here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLXJWNsi ... re=related
Arrangement is quite nice, pipes melody also. Your pipes was little bit out of tune on some notes, I heard this is pipers' torment on gigs...

[CHasR]

CHasR - i heard your band's song here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLXJWNsi ... re=related
Arrangement is quite nice, pipes melody also. Your pipes was little bit out of tune on some notes, I heard this is pipers' torment on gigs...

its always the one you dont want folks to find that they do, isnt it?
Well I wont make excuses. my E's horrible there. going from a cold damp tuning room, waiting 20 min in the green room, then a mad dash onto a hot dry stage, it isnt easy to second guess what will come out sometimes. And then of course the guys got the mic aimed right at me.
I will send you a better song by message.

[luchovalpo]

I come from the gaita piping world and because of volume trouble with my pipes (too loudy for gaitas, borderpipes and too quiet for smallpipes) and church choirs I play/sing with I have been looking for an instrument I could use with church choirs so, I am wondering for the use of either uilleann pipes, pastoral pipes or anglofrench low cornemuses to sing along with choirs. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or info (links) in this regard. thank you.

[islander]

I come from the gaita piping world and because of volume trouble with my pipes (too loudy for gaitas, borderpipes and too quiet for smallpipes) and church choirs I play/sing with I have been looking for an instrument I could use with church choirs so, I am wondering for the use of either uilleann pipes, pastoral pipes or anglofrench low cornemuses to sing along with choirs. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or info (links) in this regard. thank you.

I recently posted a video with uilleann pipes playing alongside a choir in the "youtube thread". The volume is pretty good and can be further adjusted by manipulating the reed. I don't know much about the other instruments you mentioned.