Apartment Pipes

[jordang]

Hi everyone,

I've recently moved into a new apartment, but REALLY want to get a set of pipes that I can play inside without annoying the whole building. Are there any sets that are specifically made to be played in such quiet situations? I've looked into the vPipes, but they're not available yet (at least to me!), but are there any other options? The walls in the apartment are fairly thick; I can only slightly hear my neighbours when they drag furniture around...and I never hear any voices or TV sets or anything. It looks like I'll be staying here for at least a couple years, so I would like to get my hands on something I could play.....help me please!

Thanks,
jordang

(btw, i've also posted this on the boards at uilleannforum.com...the more help the merrier! )

[ceadach]

Hello jordang,

After being a homeowner for many years and not having to worry about volume, I found myself in a similar situation. I have a concert D set and prepared for the worst. But I found that merely telling the neighbors in the apartments near mine that I played pipes and promised not to practice past 10 p.m. seemed to curb most trouble. (Aside of one very upset elderly man from Jersey... but I only heard from him once.) We live in a newer building and sound does not carry; I suspect this is why volume hasn't been an issue.

Not all buildings are like mine, and not all people are as tolerant of piping as my neighbors. If you have really fear of disturbing the peace, I recommend getting either a flat set or even just a flat chanter to practice on.

Now..without wishing to start yet another asinine debate on concert vs. flat sets or their volume, or which makes you a better person or even how many pinheads can dance on an angel....I will state that in my experience flat sets are in general quieter than concert pitched set due to their narrower bore. I know at least two pipers who own flat chanters or set for just this reason, and they appear to have the desired effect.

Another option is finding a narrow bore D chanter, but these maybe harder to come by as seemingly few makers build, at least in this wilderness!

[CrackPiper]

...David Daye (I think) was talking about this a while back...not sure if he's made any progress, but I'd sure as heck buy an "apartment" chanter (I live in NYC, and everybody's a critic til St. Patty's day)...maybe we can bug him about it

[ceadach]

Yep, the amazing Mr. Daye is offering flat chanters in C# and C either completed and in kit form. Check his site, I believe he has a narrow bore in D too. I was thinking of putting together one this summer, would be nice to have a C chanter...

[fancypiper]

I have been known to practice my Seth Gallagher C chanter at 3 am in my apartment with no complaints.

[CrackPiper]

no, I'm saying that there was talk from mr Daye about "apartment pipes" in D...or maybe I was high...I'm not sure these days

[ceadach]

Nope, I don't believe you were high, either that or I was high at the same time... in my last posting I forgot to mention that, like you, I swear David mentioned something about a new quiet D chanter that he planned to offer as a product, either on his site or in writing. I'm sure he even refered to them as " Apartment Chanters"!

I seached for mention of this elusive creature and couldn't find anything in the store section of his site. But on his pipe home building site, he has printed instructions for a "Practice Penny Chanter", which he also calls a "Narrow-Bore Concert D Chanter".

He writes: "This is a Narrow Bore Concert D Penny-Chanter adapted by scaling the (possible) Harrington C# chanter owned by Kevin Rowsome, grandson of the late Leo Rowsome the famous pipe maker." The construction is the same as the normal penny chanter, but instead uses the Harrington bore. He mentions two possible reed set ups. One uses a converted plastic highland practice chanter reed used with a special blow tube enabling the player to mouth blow this chanter like a...practice chanter. The other mentioned in passing is the traditional narrow bore style cane reed, playable in the normal way. Cane reed dimensions appear on another page of the site. Here the link to it:
http://www.daye1.com/pennychanter.html

I'm going to email David tomorrow, and I ask him about this quiet D chanters. His site mentions that he'll soon have dimensions for chanters in B and B flat, perhaps by fall I'll have built flat penny chanters in a 5 different keys! PVC tubing is usually sold in several foot lengths, right?

[nadav]

Just start to play on the GHB for a few months, than switch back to UP.
by that time they'll be thankful enough to let you play any where, anytime.

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

I played my (wide bore) uilleann pipes regularly in my apartment in Japan for more than two years and never received any complaints. Japanese apartment walls are some of the thinnest you can imagine (although, contrary to that episode of "The Simpsons", they're not made out of paper). I was fortunate in that I was friends with the woman next door (who said she would wind up dancing around her kitchen when she was doing dishes and I was practicing) and the neighbors downstairs worked nights. If you're going to be practicing any instrument that's not freakishly quiet and you live in rather close quarters, it makes sense to politely inform your neighbors from the outset and find out if there are times when they are regularly away from home so that you can properly woodshed.

[jordang]

Thanks for all your responses everyone! I've been trying to decide between Daye's sets and the Boston Pipework dudes over the past few months. From what I've read on these forums, the Daye sets are trustworthy. Add the fact that some of you play them without getting too many complaints is a double bonus. (I also like the fact that you can add some little drones without the price being too ridiculous).

I've contact David with some other questions about his penny-chanter, but if anyone has any other advice, I would definately be all ears. Also, if you know of anyone who is trying to get rid of a set of Daye's (or anybody else's) pipes, please let me know! I'll keep hunting through the forums!

Thanks,
jordang

[misterpatrick]

Ahh, but there is practicing, and then there is squeezing a sick goat and doing triplets over and over.

What neighbor would put up with that?

I live in a large loft ie a big echo chamber with brick walls and 20ft ceilings. My concert pitch chanter is too loud in the space to practice so I use either a B or narrow D and find that they are both nice and mellow. It also depends on the reed as even the narrow D can get a little loud. I find that flat sets are a bit more mellow on the ears and neighbors especially when playing in the second octave.

[jordang]

good point....I'm definately going to need some area rugs and corkboard in my practice room...aka my bedroom. I'm also willing to make my neighbours some of my killer cookies or BBQ chicken pizza to ease their ears. (although i'm not sure shoving pizza in their ears will help any.... )

any thoughts on CJ Dixon sets? He's in my area, and i like the sound sample he has on his site. I also like his B-set option....I'm a big fan of lower things....(Cellos, altos, etc) .

thanks again for your suggestions!
jordan

[ceadach]

The lower pitched chanters do seem to have less projection than the higher ones. C and B chanters of my aquintance are more soft spoken than the C# and D pitched narrow bore chanters probably due to the number of high partials. One the opposite end of the spectrum, I have one wide bore chanter that is supposed to be in concert D, but is very sharp, nearly E flat. It's tone owes something to the Highland pipes!! The dog hates that one....

[jordang]

well, I just ordered a B practice set from Chris Dixon, and boy am i excited!!! alls i have to now is what 6 months without going crazy ...which could be more difficult than it sounds! not really sure what i'm going to do with myself, but i'm sure i'll spend my time thinking about playing them.
any suggestions? I'm open to fun ideas...