New bagpipes, new reed, yeesh!

My new Dunbar P3 bagpipes arrived 4 days ago and the reeds are rock hard! I only heard this tune 3 times and never have read the music for it, so go easy on me and HAVE FUN!! :)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• alternative
• classical
• folk
• world
• music
• bagpipes

[theherpman94]

for being self taught, you are fantastic. I can certainly respect wanting to stay self taught; that's how I learned tin whistle and piano. But for a complicated instrument like the highland bagpipes, why not take advantage of lessons from a trained piper? if you want to play traditional, then look for someone who teachers Cape Breton style music instead of competition style. but, again, very well done.

[apologeticsman]

Thanks! I actually do not think bagpipes are a complicated instrument, all one needs to learn to be a decent player can be learned in a week. The complicated part is the stuff that the British added when Scotland was over run and the Scots were integrated into British culture. The majority of the grace notes and trick moves were added by the British so that bagpipes could play with their marching instruments, and while there is nothing wrong with this, it is not necessary to play that way

[israelipiper]

For Highland piping, you are on the wrong track. Tuning is critical to all music! It sounds like you are indeed trying to play Highland pipes in a traditional manner, but aren't doing it right. This "correctness" gives you MAXIMUM ABILITY and FLEXIBILITY to make great music, and to play as you are inspired musically--not limited by lack of technique. You've gone this far, so why not follow it all up with lessons? Good pipes, good reeds, so DO IT!. Cheers and all the best.

[apologeticsman]

@israelipiper I appreciate your frankness & polite response. I don't think any institution or set of men has the right to dictate what good piping is, because the original pipers were just like me, i.e. self taught and played by ear. The only people who have ever told me I am not playing pipes correctly are other pipers, the general public, even those trained in music all love the way I play, so to me, it's the system that is flawed, not my playing. I agree that I am off timing & need some work

[apologeticsman]

when I said public, I was of course referring to the 300 or more clients I have had who have all said I played very well, and who even gave me tips in addition to my fee. I may be a bit stubborn, but it's only because my peers love humiliating and degrading me, simply because I am not up to their standards. I play other music with my pipes besides Scottish, and the kind of music I play is not originally written for pipes. I have a lot of fun and people enjoy me, so why should I worry?

[creed777]

I agree with your philosophy to have fun, but you never witness a Scotsman enjoying themselves, uptight... thank God my mom is Slovak and that negates at times my conceited cocky, dry and cheap-ass Scottish personality I got from my Dads side.

[creed777]

@zappan1973 i agree, a bullsh*tter

[zappan1973]

thats the Highland Wedding!!!! i think you heard it more than 3 times

[Lianous]

Hello. How is your blow in process going. Is the sound of the drones and the chanter getting better?

[apologeticsman]

@TheImpeccableHat thanks!