Bag, Chanter and Drone Placement

vcolby · Post by **vcolby** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 8:39 pm

All,

I am seeking advice from the senior pipers on the forum.

I have been struggling with my new 1/2 set -- not on tone or tuning, but posture. If the bellows and bag are comfortable under my arms, my left hand feels cramped towards the chest. If I adjust the chanter position, the bag and bellows are uncomfortable. The bellows also rubs against the lower end of the mainstock. Nothing is comfortable? In most positions, my right wrist rests on the drones -- which will be a problem when the regulators arrive.

What can you recommend on:
- Bag and bellows placement
- Angle of the chanter

This is similar to the erganomics discussion we had a while back -- Uilliam, you had some good ideas.

Please advise.

Thanks,

Novice Piper

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 9:55 pm

Not too expert, but if you don't mind, I've had the same problems. For the hand positions, try holding the chanter more upright and further away from you. When you close the chanter, put it down closer to your knee than you are currently. The easy habit to get into is to hold and play the chanter at too much of a slant into the inner thigh.

For the bellows hitting the pipes, try tying it higher on your chest. It doesn't have to be around your waist. Also, try tilting the hinge of the bellows upward. It doesn't have to be pointing right at the pipes.

Hope that helps,

djm

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 3:13 am

Have a look at the length of the tube that connects bag and bellows.
If it's not the right size you will have problems with your posture.
Apart from that, keep on playing and adjusting your posture untill it gets comfortable.
It will at some time! honest!

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 5:16 am

Rick wrote:Have a look at the length of the tube that connects bag and bellows.
If it's not the right size you will have problems with your posture.

Agreed 110%.

I'm amazed that all makers don't systematically ask about the piper's waist width.

Even the British Army (everything comes in two sizes - too big and too small) had three sizes of stock for the rifle that it used up to the 1950s!

boyd · Post by **boyd** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:11 am

Try a shoulder strap [on your "top-hand" shoulder]
adjust it to various lengths

Make sure your blowpipe isn't too short
[try someone else's blowpipe...or set...it really pays to try other people's sets!!]

Sit down with an experienced player... you'll easily work out a diagnosis and treatment then

Boyd

Keith · Post by **Keith** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:15 am

Hi,

I remember being quite depressed when I got my drones. I had seemed to be making reasonable progress on the chanter and then it all went to pieces.

Firstly, the weight of the stock dragged the bag down, the bellows rubbed against the stock and everything went to pot. I eventually got around this just through time and practice.

The other problem was a little more subtle - I had been using the bellows to control the notes, rather than the bag, despite being aware that it was a trap to fall into. It took me a while to realise, and it's been murder since, trying to use the left arm and build up some strength in it.

Good luck, (and thanks again for your practice sheet you sent me some time ago).

Cheers, Keith

boyd · Post by **boyd** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:16 am

Even the British Army (everything comes in two sizes - too big and too small) had three sizes of stock for the rifle that it used up to the 1950s!

Roger

errrm
Is this an interest of yours??!!

Boyd

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 2:23 pm

Vcolby don't fret too much over the wrist positon,if its over the drones now it will sit well over the regs.
I have to disagree with DJM though on chanter position.Keep the neck o the bag straight(away from ye) and the chanter should sit at a comfortable angle towards you with the bell o the chanter nearer your crotch on the inner thigh than toward the knee,again this is to aid ye when ye go on to the regs.Everyone else is spot on
Slan go foil
Liam

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 4:05 pm

Uilliam, agree that the neck of the bag should be straight, but I found that when I just had a practice set I had gotten into the habit of bringing the chanter too far into the inner thigh. When I got drones they were always in my way (or I was always in the drones' way). When I got regs I was totally out of position for them because they were that much higher than just having the drones. The only cure was to relearn to bring the chanter down closer to the knee than I had been before - not ON the knee - but further out, until I had good clearance of the regs and drones. Re-learning to play in a new position is a female canine.

djm

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Sun Oct 26, 2003 4:32 am

djm wrote:Re-learning to play in a new position is a female canine.
djm

LMAO!!
I gotta remember that one!

It's also fun btw.., you get 3 instruments for the price of one.

vcolby · Post by **vcolby** » Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:41 am

All,

I took your advice this weekend and:
a) Extended the belows to bag tube two inches, and
b) Moved the chanter higher off my left leg.

Very comfortable now. Thanks for the guidance.

Cheers,

Virgil

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 10:56 am

boyd wrote:
Even the British Army (everything comes in two sizes - too big and too small) had three sizes of stock for the rifle that it used up to the 1950s!
Roger

errrm
Is this an interest of yours??!!

Boyd

Yes, in a socio-cultural sort of way... I spent many happy years playing soldiers in the Irish equivalent of the TAVR, while remaining deeply pacifist at heart. People are quite complex.

Incidentally, the timing of summer annual training always prevented me from making it to the Willie Week. Difficult choice.

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Fri Oct 31, 2003 6:25 pm

I'm always rotating the stock and adjusting the shoulder strap up. These things have a big effect on how comfortable regs are to play.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sat Nov 01, 2003 7:44 am

Kevin L. Rietmann wrote:I'm always rotating the stock and adjusting the shoulder strap up. These things have a big effect on how comfortable regs are to play.

Kevin, are you using a shoestring strap? why not something wider? I'm suprised your pipes stay in the stock... what do you have there? 35-40 pounds of drones and regs?