Now, I know that all of us have undoubtedly seen an uilleann piper at sessions, but at a session in Modesto, CA, I saw a person playing the Scottish Highland Bagpipes. Is this unusual, or is it more common that I think?
It's a bloody racket. They are way way too loud to play in doors. If you see anyone attempting it, do them and everyone else a favour and point them to here ...
Just two weekends ago, I saw a whole pipe band playing in a bar. The publican was standing outside talking to some punters in the front garden.
When I went past twenty minutes later, the band is in the front garden, the publican behind the bar.
I have the session pipes mentioned above and they are great and in A (not somewhere sharp of Bflat) but still too loud for a smallish pub. Might work well in a larger pub. Busking is fine though. And they play the accidental notes since they are actually a "border/lowland" chanter.
And there is someone on Chiff and fipple selling a set right now too...
Usually a Bagpipe Player will do a couple of short sets in the pub and work up the punters into a frenzy (Which might even make the regular musicians a bit jealous). That's quite sufficient though and more than enough for indoors.
The majority of pipers will prefer to play some form of bellows instrument (eg Small pipes etc), flute, whistles etc when in session mode.
Another problem is that GHP's will play a semi tone higher than is the norm for most sessioners. This will require musicians either having to "transpose" the tune or retune their instruments to suit.
You can get away with using a capo, of course, but only for fretted instruments.
Johnnie J (or whatever he has taken to calling himself these days) has it about right. Of the three GHBpipers that I know here in sessions in London they all play other instruments and very proficiently as well. They play the GHB just for a set or two, just as a break from reel after reel after reel.
I suppose a set of session pipes, small pipes, or borders pipes would be pretty welcome at a session that plays a lot of Scottish pipe tunes on fiddle, flute, box, etc.
The same instrument and tunes may not work so well in a session aspiring to more of a West-of-Ireland type of sound.
On the rare occasions when an octopus strangler (Great Highland Bagpiper) has shown up and played at our local session, I have always thought that they should play their instrument outside because they are too loud for the inside of your typical bar, pub, and/or restaurant. If I gave into temptation and tried to accompany the piper on my electronic keyboard, I discovered that B-flat came closest to what the piper was playing.
GHB are too loud for a bar. I only ever play them in a bar when it's an odd or special situation. Any decent GHB player who is in a band with other instruments should be spot on in Bb though.
Crackpot, as Llig says, speak to Nigel. I have his borders and they are the perfect volume for 1 to 2 fiddles. My previous reed was even quieter but another guy with the same pipes who lives near me has them reeded louder - about the volume of 3 or more fiddles. (yes - sound in measured in Decibels unless your a piper in which case it should be measured in fiddles)
I'm glad I am not the only one who does that.
.
Q: How loud are your pipes?
A: About as loud as one fiddle.
Anyway, GHB should not be played at sessions. Too loud for the small space of a pub and not in a very sociable key.
In my experience session musicians haven't been all that impressed if a GHB player starts up. Maybe they are more acceptable -- so long as they only play a set or two-- in places where they are more exotic than Scotland. Border and smallpipes are much more sociable.
We once called upon our local union piper to get his war pipes out of his car and into the session to clear out the loud drunks who had descended upon us wanting us to play Paddy Crap. He had the loud pipes on hand because he was giving a lesson with them beforehand.
It worked!!
To quote Nancy Ragan 'just say no ' they are far too loud for pubs .
Plus they make me feel like running inside and grabbing my sword as it is obviously another surprise scottish attack .No wonder we won , it must be a genetic race memory thing from living close to the border.
I am talking to Nigel, but I actually like the pipes the way they are right now. I'm new enough to this set not to want to play around too much with the setup. Maybe I _will_ experiment a wee bit though.
My technique on the session pipes and the repertoire of most of the people I play with don't really overlap enough yet for more than the "couple of sets" mentioned above. The rest of the time I play the flute...
bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey, says "No wonder we won.....". Well now, who said the fight was over? It may have escaped your notice, but we now have a devolved parliament and an SNP government in power up here - so who do you think's winning now?
Vonnieestes is right. Highland pipes do have their uses at sessions. They're good for chasing away obnoxious drunks who start singing loudly and generally out of tune in their mad, alcohol induced revelry. However the same thing can be accomplished with a loud set of border pipes.
Happens often enough up here, especially at festivals.
Can be quite useful as a break in the proceedings while the regular musicians try not to pout too much as the crowd goes wild for the piper. It kind of clears the air. Some of them seem to be a half semitone in between keys so it's not much use trying to play along with them. The punters seem to enjoy seeing the fiddlers and biox players etc looking put out as they sit there exchanging looks and grinding teeth
The problem is, bagpipes in a confined space cause temporary (if not permanent) deafness. Then you're supposed to get back to playing your mandolin and you can't even hear the thing.
That genetic race memory thing doesn't work for me because the United States was still a British colony when my ancestors came here from Ireland and Scotland. It has been too long and the pipes don't "call" to me as they may have done to my long ago ancestors before they were forced to emigrate here from Scotland.
Yes Ron a devolved parliament ..er how much did the building cost I am glad I dont have to pay for it
It will make no differance as we will all be united in the EU anyway thank goodness
Yes, I look forward to our independence within the EU. In the meantime it's good to see the SNP getting as much back as possible from the south before it's too late
Yes Dave, the building did cost an awful lot, and personally I think it was a dreadful waste of money - I don't think it's what the people of Scotland would have chosen themselves. Of course, as you'll know, everything was decided, not by the devolved parliament, but by the late Donald Dewar - the then Secretary of State for Scotland (i.e. part of the Westminster Government). But that's what we've got, so being pragmatists up here, we'll use it; and we'll use it to make very important decisions, such as finding out where it is your local session is, and then we'll send a few pipe bands down to sort you out good and proper!!!
We've had this. Let them have a few toons on their own
(maybe bodhran accomp. where appropriate and then
remind them of how they terribly overpower and misrange
the "regulars'. They might stay & listen or pack up---
BUT, they'll leave satisfied and with the respect they deserve.
Aye, it's extremely loud and there's no competing with it, or escaping it. That's the Pipes though. Let them play a tune solo now and then. It will stir the atmosphere, adjust folks attention, chase out drunks. Pipe music is great music and that's what it's about at the days end.
... And if it raises war-like instincts in the english just imagine what it does to us Scots ... We'll see you outside! hehe!
One of the most horrendous noises ever known to man can be experienced on a bike going full pelt down Princes Street in Edinburgh. It's usual to find three or more GHB buskers of varying quality evenly spaced within the straight mile or so. As you pass one, the pitch drops quite dramatically due to the Doppler effect. And as you come up to the next one, his pitch is raised while you can still hear the dropped pitch of the last one. And on it goes until by the end of the street all I can hear is my tortured screams.
Yes, but how much do they MAKE?? Is it worth my while getting a cheap set and catching a bus up there for the day now and then to learn The Skye Boat Song in public? THAT's the important question...
Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Now, I know that all of us have undoubtedly seen an uilleann piper at sessions, but at a session in Modesto, CA, I saw a person playing the Scottish Highland Bagpipes. Is this unusual, or is it more common that I think?
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by APH
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
It's a bloody racket. They are way way too loud to play in doors. If you see anyone attempting it, do them and everyone else a favour and point them to here ...
http://www.garviebagpipes.co.uk/info/pipes/garvies_session_pipes.html
(great instrument though, in the right context)
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Just two weekends ago, I saw a whole pipe band playing in a bar. The publican was standing outside talking to some punters in the front garden.
When I went past twenty minutes later, the band is in the front garden, the publican behind the bar.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
I have the session pipes mentioned above and they are great and in A (not somewhere sharp of Bflat) but still too loud for a smallish pub. Might work well in a larger pub. Busking is fine though. And they play the accidental notes since they are actually a "border/lowland" chanter.
And there is someone on Chiff and fipple selling a set right now too...
Chris.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Usually a Bagpipe Player will do a couple of short sets in the pub and work up the punters into a frenzy (Which might even make the regular musicians a bit jealous). That's quite sufficient though and more than enough for indoors.
The majority of pipers will prefer to play some form of bellows instrument (eg Small pipes etc), flute, whistles etc when in session mode.
Another problem is that GHP's will play a semi tone higher than is the norm for most sessioners. This will require musicians either having to "transpose" the tune or retune their instruments to suit.
You can get away with using a capo, of course, but only for fretted instruments.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Johannes J
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Yes, they're common enough as occasional visitors to sessions in American cities with big Irish American enclaves and police and fire bands.
they're about as welcome as a bout with salmonella most of the time, though.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Seosamh Ui Sinan
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Crackpot, speak to Nigel if you think your pipes are a bit loud. I don't think it's that difficult to quiet them down a bit and still keep that sound.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Michael you should go to the Cowal games sometime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WcMq7ypClo
Johnnie J (or whatever he has taken to calling himself these days) has it about right. Of the three GHBpipers that I know here in sessions in London they all play other instruments and very proficiently as well. They play the GHB just for a set or two, just as a break from reel after reel after reel.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
"or whatever he has taken to calling himself these days"
You can talk...
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Johannes J
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
The irony was intentional
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
We are forunate to have a new fella coming out lately that plays a few sets on the pipes. It's great! Everyone in the whole place enjoys it.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by feardearg
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
I'm happy for ya. ; )
I suppose a set of session pipes, small pipes, or borders pipes would be pretty welcome at a session that plays a lot of Scottish pipe tunes on fiddle, flute, box, etc.
The same instrument and tunes may not work so well in a session aspiring to more of a West-of-Ireland type of sound.
Context is everything.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by Seosamh Ui Sinan
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
On the rare occasions when an octopus strangler (Great Highland Bagpiper) has shown up and played at our local session, I have always thought that they should play their instrument outside because they are too loud for the inside of your typical bar, pub, and/or restaurant. If I gave into temptation and tried to accompany the piper on my electronic keyboard, I discovered that B-flat came closest to what the piper was playing.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
GHB are too loud for a bar. I only ever play them in a bar when it's an odd or special situation. Any decent GHB player who is in a band with other instruments should be spot on in Bb though.
Crackpot, as Llig says, speak to Nigel. I have his borders and they are the perfect volume for 1 to 2 fiddles. My previous reed was even quieter but another guy with the same pipes who lives near me has them reeded louder - about the volume of 3 or more fiddles. (yes - sound in measured in Decibels unless your a piper in which case it should be measured in fiddles)
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by bogman
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
I'm glad I am not the only one who does that.
.
Q: How loud are your pipes?
A: About as loud as one fiddle.
Anyway, GHB should not be played at sessions. Too loud for the small space of a pub and not in a very sociable key.
In my experience session musicians haven't been all that impressed if a GHB player starts up. Maybe they are more acceptable -- so long as they only play a set or two-- in places where they are more exotic than Scotland. Border and smallpipes are much more sociable.
# Posted on April 10th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
We once called upon our local union piper to get his war pipes out of his car and into the session to clear out the loud drunks who had descended upon us wanting us to play Paddy Crap. He had the loud pipes on hand because he was giving a lesson with them beforehand.
It worked!!
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by vonnieestes
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
To quote Nancy Ragan 'just say no ' they are far too loud for pubs .
Plus they make me feel like running inside and grabbing my sword as it is obviously another surprise scottish attack .No wonder we won , it must be a genetic race memory thing from living close to the border.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
To Llig and bogman,
I am talking to Nigel, but I actually like the pipes the way they are right now. I'm new enough to this set not to want to play around too much with the setup. Maybe I _will_ experiment a wee bit though.
My technique on the session pipes and the repertoire of most of the people I play with don't really overlap enough yet for more than the "couple of sets" mentioned above. The rest of the time I play the flute...
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey, says "No wonder we won.....". Well now, who said the fight was over? It may have escaped your notice, but we now have a devolved parliament and an SNP government in power up here - so who do you think's winning now?
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Ron P
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Well said Ron P, they will never 'win'.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by bogman
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Vonnieestes is right. Highland pipes do have their uses at sessions. They're good for chasing away obnoxious drunks who start singing loudly and generally out of tune in their mad, alcohol induced revelry. However the same thing can be accomplished with a loud set of border pipes.
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Happens often enough up here, especially at festivals.
Can be quite useful as a break in the proceedings while the regular musicians try not to pout too much as the crowd goes wild for the piper. It kind of clears the air. Some of them seem to be a half semitone in between keys so it's not much use trying to play along with them. The punters seem to enjoy seeing the fiddlers and biox players etc looking put out as they sit there exchanging looks and grinding teeth
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Bren
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
The problem is, bagpipes in a confined space cause temporary (if not permanent) deafness. Then you're supposed to get back to playing your mandolin and you can't even hear the thing.
GHB: outdoors
Smallpipes, Uillean pipes: indoors
Border pipes: borderline
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by granama
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
I can't hear my mandolin anyway granama.
However I can tell by the rapturous expressions that others can
# Posted on April 11th 2008 by Bren
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
That genetic race memory thing doesn't work for me because the United States was still a British colony when my ancestors came here from Ireland and Scotland. It has been too long and the pipes don't "call" to me as they may have done to my long ago ancestors before they were forced to emigrate here from Scotland.
# Posted on April 12th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Yes Ron a devolved parliament ..er how much did the building cost I am glad I dont have to pay for it
It will make no differance as we will all be united in the EU anyway thank goodness
# Posted on April 12th 2008 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Yes, I look forward to our independence within the EU. In the meantime it's good to see the SNP getting as much back as possible from the south before it's too late
# Posted on April 12th 2008 by bogman
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Yes Dave, the building did cost an awful lot, and personally I think it was a dreadful waste of money - I don't think it's what the people of Scotland would have chosen themselves. Of course, as you'll know, everything was decided, not by the devolved parliament, but by the late Donald Dewar - the then Secretary of State for Scotland (i.e. part of the Westminster Government). But that's what we've got, so being pragmatists up here, we'll use it; and we'll use it to make very important decisions, such as finding out where it is your local session is, and then we'll send a few pipe bands down to sort you out good and proper!!!
# Posted on April 12th 2008 by Ron P
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Another hint for indoor pipers:
http://www.uilleann-pipes.de/english/index.html
# Posted on April 14th 2008 by swisspiper
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
We've had this. Let them have a few toons on their own
(maybe bodhran accomp. where appropriate and then
remind them of how they terribly overpower and misrange
the "regulars'. They might stay & listen or pack up---
BUT, they'll leave satisfied and with the respect they deserve.
# Posted on April 14th 2008 by hauke
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
It's great to hear the war pipes in a pub.
Aye, it's extremely loud and there's no competing with it, or escaping it. That's the Pipes though. Let them play a tune solo now and then. It will stir the atmosphere, adjust folks attention, chase out drunks. Pipe music is great music and that's what it's about at the days end.
... And if it raises war-like instincts in the english just imagine what it does to us Scots ... We'll see you outside! hehe!
# Posted on April 15th 2008 by Calgacus
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
One of the most horrendous noises ever known to man can be experienced on a bike going full pelt down Princes Street in Edinburgh. It's usual to find three or more GHB buskers of varying quality evenly spaced within the straight mile or so. As you pass one, the pitch drops quite dramatically due to the Doppler effect. And as you come up to the next one, his pitch is raised while you can still hear the dropped pitch of the last one. And on it goes until by the end of the street all I can hear is my tortured screams.
# Posted on April 15th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Yes, but how much do they MAKE?? Is it worth my while getting a cheap set and catching a bus up there for the day now and then to learn The Skye Boat Song in public? THAT's the important question...
# Posted on April 15th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
I hope that you're enjoying your tortured state, llig. I known I am.
# Posted on April 15th 2008 by claidheamh mòr
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Hi Michael,
Will try that one when I get around to acquiring a bike. There's a high school physics problem there somewhere.
# Posted on April 15th 2008 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
There's also a level of Hades where the street doesn't end.
# Posted on April 15th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Highland Bagpipes at Sessions
Q: How can you bring to highland pipers in tune?
A: One has to drive away with the correct velocity.....
# Posted on April 16th 2008 by swisspiper