A pal of mine, an excellent keyboard player and a bit of a whistle player, is very keen to get a set of Scottish Small Pipes. I'm a fiddle player, and know very little about the pipes. This is what he writes -
******************
" I'm just about to order my small pipes but I'm in a bit of a awkward spot and would appreciate any advice. The standard for Scottish small pipes is an A set. Almost all are sold in this key and makers reccommend this key. The
problem is the A set is nowhere near as sweet in tone as a D set.
The pipes have their own octave - the D set on a piano plays - D E F# G A B C D - the C being natural. The A set playing the same pattern, ie. a full tone between 7th and 8th.
My worry is that a D instrument may not fit in at all with you when playing Scottish folk music, which seems to be what the makers are implying.
Your thoughts please, "
**************************
This fits in with my understanding that a bagpipe scale has a 'flattened' 7th. Given that a lot of the ITM and Scottish TM that we play is in Dmaj and A maj respectively as well as Emin/Gmaj, any advice would be welcome - he obviously likes the tone of the D set !
I've got a set in A and Bflat (two chanters). For playing Scottish music with Scottish fiddlers, get the A set. Low, rich timbre. That's what most people do if they want to play Scottish. If you have an A set, you can play some G major ITM (the Gold Ring, yahoo!) but any Dmaj tune you try comes out transposed into G.
I've never tried to work it out - but the people I know with a D Set tend to play with fiddlers who transpose down (or do I mean up?) a 5th - that is they play the tune one string down.
For more info, go to http://www.lbps.net. You'll get links to makers there. Hope his budget is big...
To be honest, Small pipes don't really work for ITM. But they are fantastic for Scottish music. The A set is a bit of a stretch on the right hand if you are new to pipes but is probably OK for a low whistle player.
Would I be thinking that Northumbrian small pipes would be a better choice for playing with other instruments. Some manufacturers insist on making the pipes in the old pipe scale but (I think I'm right here) others make them in concert pitch modern scale - I played with NSPs on a number of occasions on my DG melodeon and never had a problem with 'strange' notes. Don't know price comparisons.
"Would I be thinking that Northumbrian small pipes would be a better choice for playing with other instruments"(Compo)
But aren't most NSP in F ? Not the most ITM-friendly key! ?Last time I played with some NSP in a session, the fiddles had to tune down a tone to F C G D - enjoyed the evening very much but I don't think my fiddle has recovered yet ! <<smiley face>>
NSP can come in other keys other than F such as G. imo They are the sweetest sounding pipes out their. If your going to get a set of smallpipes, get an A and D chanter. D is really small spacing but will play in d and g. A plays tunes in D and A.
My mate has taken the plunge and ordered a set in 'D' from Robin Beck of Kirn near Dunoon. They arrive around Easter but he's getting a chanter this week.
Given their range, any suggestions for tunes for him to kick off with? I could suggest an endless number of fiddle tunes, but the SSPipe cognoscenti amongst you will have a better feel for suitable tunes.
If your mate wants to play Scottish music along with other instruments in sessions, certainly in Scotland, he should have got pipes in A, not D. My advice - and I'm sorry I didn't see this thread sooner, - is if it's not too late, change that order, unless he wants to be a solo player. On the other hand, a D set might do to begin with, and he could always "up-grade" in the future to an A set.
If you can get them, I recommend the solo CDs by Iain McInnes and Gary West, [ Simon Thoumire's "Foot-stompin'" website would probably have them ], but those would not be tunes for a beginner. Get a good teacher, if possible. Not an easy instrument to learn by yourself.
Hi. I am in the same boat as the person trying to decide on A or D small pipes. I play the highland pipes and wish to purcgase a set if mouthblown smallpipes in order to join with a traditional irish group. This would consist of fiddle, tin whistle, banjo players etc. To my knowledge the D chanter is the one to go for but would it be possible to play with these onstruments with the A chanter. Any advice appreciated. Paula
Scottish Small pipes
Scottish Small pipes
A pal of mine, an excellent keyboard player and a bit of a whistle player, is very keen to get a set of Scottish Small Pipes. I'm a fiddle player, and know very little about the pipes. This is what he writes -
******************
" I'm just about to order my small pipes but I'm in a bit of a awkward spot and would appreciate any advice. The standard for Scottish small pipes is an A set. Almost all are sold in this key and makers reccommend this key. The
problem is the A set is nowhere near as sweet in tone as a D set.
The pipes have their own octave - the D set on a piano plays - D E F# G A B C D - the C being natural. The A set playing the same pattern, ie. a full tone between 7th and 8th.
My worry is that a D instrument may not fit in at all with you when playing Scottish folk music, which seems to be what the makers are implying.
Your thoughts please, "
**************************
This fits in with my understanding that a bagpipe scale has a 'flattened' 7th. Given that a lot of the ITM and Scottish TM that we play is in Dmaj and A maj respectively as well as Emin/Gmaj, any advice would be welcome - he obviously likes the tone of the D set !
# Posted on January 19th 2006 by domnull
Re: Scottish Small pipes
if you compare it to uilleann pipes in D you wouldn`t touch them - I`ve got both and I never play the small pipes now
# Posted on January 19th 2006 by black
Re: Scottish Small pipes
If it doesn't have to be Scottish small pipes, and a single octave is enough, and he's in th UK, these might be an alternative:
http://www.jonesinstruments.co.uk/#Dudey
I've got his hummelchen, which is a lovely little instrument.
# Posted on January 19th 2006 by LastToFinish
Re: Scottish Small pipes
I've got a set in A and Bflat (two chanters). For playing Scottish music with Scottish fiddlers, get the A set. Low, rich timbre. That's what most people do if they want to play Scottish. If you have an A set, you can play some G major ITM (the Gold Ring, yahoo!) but any Dmaj tune you try comes out transposed into G.
I've never tried to work it out - but the people I know with a D Set tend to play with fiddlers who transpose down (or do I mean up?) a 5th - that is they play the tune one string down.
For more info, go to http://www.lbps.net. You'll get links to makers there. Hope his budget is big...
To be honest, Small pipes don't really work for ITM. But they are fantastic for Scottish music. The A set is a bit of a stretch on the right hand if you are new to pipes but is probably OK for a low whistle player.
# Posted on January 19th 2006 by Alister
Re: Scottish Small pipes
Would I be thinking that Northumbrian small pipes would be a better choice for playing with other instruments. Some manufacturers insist on making the pipes in the old pipe scale but (I think I'm right here) others make them in concert pitch modern scale - I played with NSPs on a number of occasions on my DG melodeon and never had a problem with 'strange' notes. Don't know price comparisons.
# Posted on January 19th 2006 by Compo
Re: Scottish Small pipes
What about Scottish Chamber pipes?
# Posted on January 20th 2006 by dafydd
Re: Scottish Small pipes
"Would I be thinking that Northumbrian small pipes would be a better choice for playing with other instruments"(Compo)
But aren't most NSP in F ? Not the most ITM-friendly key! ?Last time I played with some NSP in a session, the fiddles had to tune down a tone to F C G D - enjoyed the evening very much but I don't think my fiddle has recovered yet ! <<smiley face>>
# Posted on January 20th 2006 by domnull
Re: Scottish Small pipes
NSP can come in other keys other than F such as G. imo They are the sweetest sounding pipes out their. If your going to get a set of smallpipes, get an A and D chanter. D is really small spacing but will play in d and g. A plays tunes in D and A.
# Posted on January 20th 2006 by Kewlceltic983
Scottish Small pipes (in D)
My mate has taken the plunge and ordered a set in 'D' from Robin Beck of Kirn near Dunoon. They arrive around Easter but he's getting a chanter this week.
Given their range, any suggestions for tunes for him to kick off with? I could suggest an endless number of fiddle tunes, but the SSPipe cognoscenti amongst you will have a better feel for suitable tunes.
# Posted on February 9th 2006 by domnull
Re: Scottish Small pipes
If your mate wants to play Scottish music along with other instruments in sessions, certainly in Scotland, he should have got pipes in A, not D. My advice - and I'm sorry I didn't see this thread sooner, - is if it's not too late, change that order, unless he wants to be a solo player. On the other hand, a D set might do to begin with, and he could always "up-grade" in the future to an A set.
If you can get them, I recommend the solo CDs by Iain McInnes and Gary West, [ Simon Thoumire's "Foot-stompin'" website would probably have them ], but those would not be tunes for a beginner. Get a good teacher, if possible. Not an easy instrument to learn by yourself.
# Posted on February 9th 2006 by Kenny
Re: Scottish Small pipes
Hi. I am in the same boat as the person trying to decide on A or D small pipes. I play the highland pipes and wish to purcgase a set if mouthblown smallpipes in order to join with a traditional irish group. This would consist of fiddle, tin whistle, banjo players etc. To my knowledge the D chanter is the one to go for but would it be possible to play with these onstruments with the A chanter. Any advice appreciated. Paula
# Posted on September 11th 2009 by Sull