Mickey Dunne on Uilleann Pipes playing the Bucks

[TheSkirmishes]

aahhh beautiful as if someone is pouring sugar syrup in my ears

[iamjades1]

My mother was from Belfast and would have loved tunes on these pipes. Unfortunately she passed away earlier this year while I was still learning to play, but I think of her every time I hear Uilleann pipes. PLEASE keep the tradition of the pipes alive, the sound is too haunting to be lost to the rest of the world.

[FunkadubeDu]

one of the best tunes i've heard on the pipes... amazing

[CharlieRutan]

@FunkadubeDu then check out Paddy Keenan's version of this tune

[Drengi]

They are exspensive because not many people left that can make them and they are quite a hard instrument to craft. I don't know why the craft is dying out as its a wonderful instrument with a unique sound

[bl44378]

@Drengi - Its not dying out at all man - its flourishing - its going from strength to strength - especially check out some of the young players - and more pipemakers than ever before in history

[TheDrengi]

@bl44378 Thats deadly man. I hope it continues to grow as it is a fabulous instrument. Do you play yourself?

[clinpsydoc]

Awesome...and no popping strap!

[The1929ad]

Mighty piping!

[cronope]

C'est fabuleux, merci!

[galla8]

great !

[BlackFolkAndPiano]

Great playing!! Really amazing.. someone knows who made his set??

[BlackFolkAndPiano]

@BlackFolkAndPiano ahah I'm stupid... I suppose he made it xD

[fruitbowler]

poor mic setup, excellent playing but the mic set up is terrible

[pauljmeyer1]

My feet are still tapping.

[mike616666]

people like mickey and his brother Joe are who make Limerick worth coming home to!!!

[tumbarrancho]

This is an impresive performance. The right hand and arm must perform at least three different actions at once, and the result have to be graceful. Dunne, you are a master. I salute you,

[MRange1117]

Does anyone know where one could learn to play these online?

[sightseek3r]

@MRange1117 Do you even have one of these instruments? I'd imagine they're pretty rare

If you do you're a step ahead of me (I'd love to learn how to play them too!) but I've heard it's better to learn the tin whistle first to get the foundations of pipe playing

[MRange1117]

@sightseek3r Actually, I don't, lol, But I'd love to! And I was actually just very curious as how to play them. I play the Great highland pipes, and I was interested mainly in the overall concept of the instrument. The Highland Pipes only play 9 notes (13 if you fool around a little) and these play a full two octaves. As well, the drones are quite different.

[jendun1]

@sightseek3r You can pick up what is called a practice set fairly easy, about €600-700. A full set usually has to be made to order, will take a few years and approx 5-7000. Let me know if you want info re practice set.

[sightseek3r]

@jendun1 This poor, starving college student does not have 600-700 euros (dunno what they would be in American dollars) to spend on something, even if it's better than bagpipes lol

[manormaid]

beautifully special, sound of the green glens.

[rebelpiper89]

"High Level" Hornpipe indeed, amazing skill!

[shortkid2929]

dose anyone have any idea how much a set of Uillean pipes might cost?

[kevinbarrycarberry]

@shortkid2929 im buying a full set of uilleann pipes from a dutch guy called marc van daal,they are costing 4,800 euro.very good pipes.

[BrenttBarness]

Nobody plays the pipes smiling, what the hell... i know if i had the chance to play id be so happy cause it makes you wanna be so cheerful :P

[kevinbarrycarberry]

@BrenttBarness im ordering a set of uilleann pipes drom a dutch guy by the name of marc van daal,the full set is costing 4,800 euro.very good set too.

[j0llygr33ng1ant]

@BrenttBarness It's the session expression: looking downwards with a somewhat sorrowful look on your face. During the tricky or challenging parts, there is a tendency to make funny faces. It can be distracting and sometimes off-putting, especially during slow, sorrowful tunes, so it's often easier to adopt the session expression. I have heard that another piper, Tommy Reck, went as far as to have unlit pipe in his mouth while playing!

[BrenttBarness]

@j0llygr33ng1ant i understand but on the happy songs that are made for just cheering up and celebrations shouldn't you wanna be happy and excited for those? :P

[paulsferguson]

Incredible

[rgouette]

the staccato kills me!

[rgouette]

yeah Mick's great

[Heath75032]

Plus Mickey is one of the nicest guys in the world. A real pleasure to meet.

[Andunain]

Qué rico suena...

Te transporta a tierras lejanas...

[biztubevideo]

so random

[irishcirgar33]

hes got skills...fuckin awsome

[eleanorsea]

hey Mickey ya hound,,,,, KSA in sore need of pipers,,,that's where I'm stationed these days.

ciao,

[MrBlindmans]

Is that Seanie Shinners who used to piss into the soup in De Beers kitchen?

[1234mdad]

what way is it sean?hows life in detrouit?

[redlayla]

What way is it ?

Sean Shinners

[1234mdad]

Hey sean,hows the crack?

[redlayla]

Go way says i.

Sean Shinners

[bl44378]

Beautiful playing Mickey - especially loved the regs on the bucks

best regards

bl

[FrozenEMT]

The Uilleann pipes must take an enormous amount of concentration with all the the piper does during the tune. Simply amazing.

[Dayepipes]

The melody pipe alone is like an extra dimension on something like a sax or clarinet, because the articulation a classical wind player does with the lips and tongue must be done with the same fingers that are making the melody notes. --WHILE they're making the melody notes. Then replace the lungs a sax player uses to blow, with 2 elbows doing entirely different things at the same time, and add the chords played with a wrist for good measure. Yes concentration --and serious multitasking!

[bigsteve1984]

@Dayepipes melody pipe? It's called a Chanter.

[suibhnebuile]

@Dayepipes Jaysus, It's called a chanter. and the wee little articulations are called crans, rolls, trebles, cuts, etc.

[mojochessclassics]

@suibhnebuile jaysus to be sure to be sure...... says the american

[walkindown33]

@Dayepipes Melody pipe = chanter.

[jduff59]

Technique is just amazing..but that's only half the game, this is full of heart and soul to boot. Great music.

[izizful]

this is amazing and I thought guitar was hard!

[patcloonan1931]

Mickey Ta sa go hointach ar fat . Great playing . You are a man after my own heart . Love for the ports . Beannaght dia lat . slan ----pat

[ianrodmac]

This is some performance! The intricacy alone is outstanding, and his decorations after abt 2:15 are fantastic - then when he speeds it up he goes into another world of fluency and feeling - like he was holding it back for the first 3 minutes! As if ! Thanks for the posting. (I wonder how Nigel Kennedy would cope ;-) )

[kyle147a]

either way it sounds megga bother scots and irish i feel has a lot to say and wat better instrument to play it on beautiful touches my heart every time

[66gadus]

lovely crisp pipering! a joy to hear & watch him play - nice version of 'the bucks'!

[sliotharball]

Just brilliant playing ~~ a genius ♪♫♥

[ravichandra70]

Brilliant, brilliant playing of the High Level Mr Dunne some very tasty tight piping and nice transition to the Bucks. Like the clever business with the regs, Never could get mine to behave in that way!

[Bigirishcunt]

the Highland pipe is a bitchbut it's not as hard to play as theese Pipes they are a bloody nightmare!! They sound beautifull though I have a lot of respect for the Uilleann Piper.Fantastic!!!!

[NRamirezCR]

Genial!

[RugbyHockeySoccer]

Are the uillean pipes more difficult than say the typically normal pipes?

[birdthistle]

is there such thing as the normal pipes?! but if there was yes! they are aparantly the hardest of them all!

[Tarantong88]

of course, they are the most technical!

[MrNick2D]

There is an old saying that it takes 21 years to make a piper: 7 years to learn, 7 years of practice, 7 years of playing. These may even be the hardest instrument to learn/ play.

[Ailigean]

Actually the saying goes: it takes seven years to make a piper, and seven generations before him.

[esparcia7]

@Ailigean To bad those sayings always fail to mention how much time a day that would be, thats what I'd like to know, haha.

[Imal00ter20]

He plays the tunes with the perfect 'Swing' to them. He's truly a master piper, in my opinion.

[radioroidar]

I'm simply amazed; this must be one of the most fiendishly difficult to play instruments devised by man! I'm but a simple guitarist and co-ordinating two hands is bad enough but this is just extraordinary. Bravo!

[Alisterwolf66]

I was thinking precisely the same! Both elbows, both wrists, and both hands... and I complained about my bassoon (Stravinsky notwithstanding)?

Major respect for uilleann pipers!

[fiddleup]

One of the tightest players I have seen.....AMAZING!!

[mhicnanolc]

SUAS E!

[chardie007]

Good Job! Mickey The Luck Of The Irish!

Chardie

[Maicpybgirlie]

nice!!!

[ScottKilbourn]

great stuff! wow!

[emncaity]

Love the change of tempo going into Bucks. God, if the world ever runs out of uilleann pipers...

[marcomio]

I bet there are more pipers -- and pipe makers -- now than there've ever been.

I hope, anyway...

[emncaity]

Good ones, you think? Man, I hope you're right...your mouth to God's ear.

[marcomio]

Well, counting me.. not all *good* ones. But there are lots of us who are learning to play them. Go to a tionol sometime. The problem is that there are fewer and fewer pipe makers taking orders, and the wait times for sets of pipes from the good makers gets long -- years long....

[emncaity]

Not like they cost a hundred bucks, either. It's amazing to me, the commitment you guys have to have to do this well, in time, effort, and money.

[BlackFolkAndPiano]

i can't afford a good set... I'm buyin a pakistani set... It seems quite good, I hope... I saw some pakistani maker are very bad, but that one has no negative feedbacks, so I'll buy an half set... I hope a day I'll have skill and money to play a full set of an Irish maker

[Imal00ter20]

I'd strongly suggest getting a "budget" set from a reputable maker like David Daye or Pat Skye, who both make excellent beginners instruments at decent prices. I wouldn't touch a paki set with a ten foot pole. Even if they have no negative feedback, the instruments are still going to be the quality of a block of wood painted black with holes in it.

[hamaki747]

David Daye has practice sets for less than $600.

[Banshun]

Don't waste your money.

As someone said, get a budget set from Pat Sky if money is tight. There are no good Pakistani pipes. You might as well burn the money.

[raysteer]

That might be a big mistake, if they are of lower quality you¨ll waste a lot of time fiddling to get them working properly and you¨ll never be sure if it¨s you or them making the horrible noises. I¨ve had similar experiences with much simpler types of pipes, don¨t go cheap and end up frustrated and disapointed, i mean it well and i wish you well.

[BlackFolkAndPiano]

raysteer... you were right! xD wtf u all were right and i was stupid xD i think i will contentrate my energy on my accordion

[differous01]

I know a pipe maker here in England and another in Wales, my own chanter was made by another English maker and have heard of several more. Naturally there's still more in Ireland.

[eircom2222]

That's Irish at it's best!

[Rouha]

à chaque fois que j'écoute cette musique.

Je suis remplis de joie.

cette musique m'aspire au pardon, et à l'amour.

Merci beaucoup.

Thank you very much.....

[simmo303]

Brilliant! Sends shivers through m'body.

Spirit of the great Seamus Ennis lives on.

[thedove67]

Excellent. Nice work on the regulators.

[gibsonpaddy]

he is me uncle mickey. a genuis

[Texaspiper2001]

Actually, there is a top-hand thumb hole in Uilleann piping. But in conventional fingering it is only used in making the "Back D" (fourth line in the staff) --- or equivalent notes in sets tuned in keys other than D.

[Heath75032]

There is no thumb hole. The bellows (under right elbow) inflate the bag. He must lift the chanter from his lap in order to sound the low note (usually D). The things on his lap are regulators and he plays them with the right wrist, usually.

[Keelsman]

Unbelievable! So good!

[radman9000]

yep the bellows feeds the air into the bag

[MacDragard]

So that thing under his arm, is that what puts the air into the bag?

[o00DonnyEnglish00o]

its got chords keys things?!?! :o i never knew...i still dont

[IdarkphoenixI]

is he using his thumb to cover a hole?

[brunzit]

Incredible!!!

[shoechecksays]

Love Mickey!

[paddyinsweden]

what a piper great to be listening over the waves to man who can bring back home fond memories of an island i love so well with his music

[pyrobarde]

Somtime, when I have the money, I'm going to buy me an uilleann pipe and then I will succumb to deepest despair because I'll never be able to play like this :)

[esticmec]

impossible it's to fly like superman, play like this man it's possible, you only need an uilleann, a lot of patience and a lot of practicing.... and of course believe in youtself, good luck

[boxplayer2]

he's actually missing the 2nd part 2 the bucks. but either way , very good playing

[Texaspiper2001]

I had the pleasure of having had Mickey as my instructor during the 2007 O'Flaherty Retreat (some clips are on YouTube). He is not only an excellent piper, but an excellent teacher as well. I look forward to this year's retreat ..and more instruction.

[phauntis]

Does anyone realise how hard it is to play those pipes well there is 4 areas you have to concentrate on which needs years of practice before you can even play half decent

[gibsonpaddy]

Mickey is just the best.

[murlach1]

lovely playing

[A66omd]

The most wonderful uilleann piping you'll ever here. You can here the travellers style coming through all over the place much like on the old tapes of Johnny Doran.

[ThickieWonder]

awesome that he created that instrument

[1929az]

its a set made by cillian o briain,I make half sets,and practice sets,mickey

[FairyHarper]

top class and great pipe maker!! he made my set1!!

[spoombung]

cor!

[clarebannerman]

This is fantastic music. I love it.

[Dayepipes]

We just had him at the Seattle pipers' gathering this very weekend. He has a newer set now, I think of his own make.

[graineag]

Mickey does indeed make pipes, but the set he had at the tionól in Seattle was the same one he is playing here--a Cillian Ó Bríain full set.

[scudding]

Chatting with Mickey at the Seattle Tional I thought he said he made his own chanter and drones, but the regulators and main stock were Cillian O'Brians. We may have to write Mickey. He has a great web site by the way with his family history.

[wgority]

Love those Taylor style regulators!

[pearse93]

he is a true master piper

[JSCWhistler]

Woot, I got to meet him and talk to him a couple of times! An amazing piper

[clarebannerman]

"A touch of the master's hand."

[pearse93]

does anyone know any really good uilleann pipe makers in ireland who make b of uilleann pipes in sterling silver

[FairyHarper]

he made my pipes for me... but just a pratice set so u'd have 2 ask him...

[pearse93]

does anyone know any really good uilleann pipe makers in ireland who make b of uilleann pipes in sterling silver