15 yr old starting to play - any advice?

Jet · Post by **Jet** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:15 am

I have a 15 year old son who is interested in learning to play the Uilleann pipes having seen them on 'transatlantic sessions' and listening to The Chieftains. We are aware of how much they cost but have been reccommended to Kenneth McNichol pipes as an affordable practice set - I'd be grateful for comments and any other advice from other players of KennethMcNicholl pipes, also any advice in general as we are complete newcomers to the pipes. He has already had a go on someone's pipes so knows how difficult it is but is still keen,
thanks

PJ · Post by PJ » Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:44 am

What part of the world are you in?

It would be a good idea to make contact with uilleann pipers in your locality and get them to give your son a few lessons. They will also be able to help your son maintain the pipes, adjust the reeds, learn to make reeds, etc.

It would also be a good idea to get in touch with na Piobairi Uilleann (NPU) in Dublin - www.pipers.ie

Elmek · Post by **Elmek** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:02 am

Yes - where are you located, much easier to help when we know this.

Best as PJ suggests to find a local piper or better a pipers club as there is also the chance they may have a loan set available

There are also gatherings of pipers (and other musicians) called Tionals throughout the States, Canada, Ireland and UK where you can see a set live and usually have a lesson.

John

Jet · Post by **Jet** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:08 am

We are in Wales, Uk. Have already met up with a local piper who has been great and very encouraging, came over to let my son have a go on his pipes, also we are going to the Tionol on 25th Oct in S. wales.
Hoping for advice on choosing pipes that are affordable as a beginner -until we know whether this is the instrument for him - he already plays clarinet, piano and tin whistle but loves trad. music

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:05 am

I see Kenny most weeks and would have no hesitation in recommending his work to anyone.He is a caring person and takes and makes it his business to send out a set only when he is happy wi it.

Slán Go Foill
Uilliam

BigDavy · Post by **BigDavy** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:32 am

I have McNicholl C and D chanters and D drones, and they are well made, nice sounding instruments, so I second what Uilliam said.

David

Elmek · Post by **Elmek** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:29 pm

Best advice is to go to the Tional, join the club and see if they have a practice set you can borrow.

Don't restrict yourself to just one maker however much he is recommended and look around at what other people are playing and decide from this.

John

tritaffy · Post by **tritaffy** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:38 pm

All good advice. Our club , South Wales Uilleann Pipers has 5-6 members in the loosest sense of the word and the pipes we play are Ginsberg Full set , Preshaw half set , a Dave Williams chanter Eugene Lamb half set mixture set , a Chris Bayley half set ,the Japanese guy (Davy Stephenson student) practice set and a Eugene Lamb chanter with Hakim Dim bellows and bag ..oh yeh and our newest acquisition a David Daye Half set. As you can see quite a mixed bag there. Hopefully Jet will get to try all these and hopefully more sets at our tionól. Unfortunately we haven't got a spare practice set to loan out , so if anyone has a spare set they'd like to donate

Jokes aside once we get a constituition we can apply for funding and for me the priority is to get a practice set to develop piping.

amckay · Post by **amckay** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:16 pm

Davy Stephenson (bagpipeworks.co.uk) sells student sets for a very reasonable price. His website also mentions hiring...

Jet · Post by **Jet** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:16 am

Thankyou to all for your comments, they are noted. From reading the forums the Uilleann pipe community seems a friendly and helpful one to join, looking forward to it, cheers.

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:45 am

Jet wrote: From reading the forums the Uilleann pipe community seems a friendly and helpful one to join, looking forward to it, cheers.

Ye must be looking at other forums

John I wish ye wouldnae butt in wi remarks which can be seen as an affront to mesel and Davy.
The question was after all quite specific....."I'd be grateful for comments and any other advice from other players of KennethMcNicholl Pipes,"
As the pair of us have had quite intimate knowledge o these sets then it was reasonable to respond thus above.
It was not reasonable o ye to go aff on a tangent.Sooner or later we all restrict oorsells to one maker, ie when ye pay for a set so ye would have been better aff leaving the bit about recommendations oot thankye very much.
If ye were saying" do look around before deciding on a particular maker" then say so.Using the term restricting is a negative and gives quite the wrang impression.
There is nothing restricting aboot Kenny.
Looking at the list of pipes at the Tional forthcoming then I would say that Kenny can hold his own wi any of them.Excepting Dave Williams who is dead,but then Kenny has taken the measurements of ma own Dave Williams Chanter and has used them .
Sooo butt oot John and to Jet welcome to the real board

Peace and lurv to ye all
Slán Agat
Uilliam

Elmek · Post by **Elmek** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:15 am

Personal attacks is it then ? what the hell is wrong with you ?

Uilliam you are the rear end of a pantomime horse in a second rate music hall who is always on the look out for trouble so it is you who should butt out.

Jet wrote:
From reading the forums the Uilleann pipe community seems a friendly and helpful one to join, looking forward to it, cheers.

Some hope whilst you are waiting to jump on peoples back

Jet said they are in Wales and going to the Tional and does not want to commit to expense so the obvious answer is to join the Welsh Pipeing Club and see if they can loan a set. I have intimate knowledge of a number of makers who are a lot closer and the advice is for a beginner to buy from a pipemaker as near as possible. I DID NOT MENTION ANY OF THESE so your comments meaningless.

How the hell is this an affont to you and BigDavy

Try to answer in a calm and sensible manner as no one is getting at you just giving advise that is helpful

John

tritaffy · Post by **tritaffy** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:41 am

Our club doesn't have a spare practice set at the moment but we are working on it.

Uilliam believe it or not , the Dave Williams chanter has a lot of problems and doesn't sound as good as his later chanters as this chanter is one of his earliest. The owner is going to replace it with an Andy Fayden chanter. Are you coming down to the Tionól ? No worries if you can't make it. Maybe I'll try and get up to one of your practice sessions. All the best , da bo chi Mei

tritaffy · Post by **tritaffy** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:24 am

Stop the Press. We have received a very generous offer of a practice set from a local pipemaker . SO if anyone who is reading this and would like to come to the tionól but doesn't have a set to use , then worry no more !!

http://www.pipers.ie/events/_081025SouthWales.htm

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:12 pm

Jet wrote:I have a 15 year old son who is interested in learning to play the Uilleann pipes having seen them on 'transatlantic sessions' and listening to The Chieftains. We are aware of how much they cost but have been reccommended to Kenneth McNichol pipes as an affordable practice set - I'd be grateful for comments and any other advice from other players of KennethMcNicholl pipes, also any advice in general as we are complete newcomers to the pipes. He has already had a go on someone's pipes so knows how difficult it is but is still keen,
thanks

well the fact is, Jet, despite what you read here, the up community really is quite supportive of each other;
my advice is to get your learner out and about to as many u.p. activities as you can get him to,
I'm certain we all of us want to (and absoluely ought to, )encourage, at any opprotunity, a young player just starting out. good luck!

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