Last Thursday night we had Uilleann, Border & Scottish Smallpipes at our session in Portrush, then last night in Bushmills, we had a different Uilleann Piper, plus the Scottish Smallpiper & a Northumbrian Piper!
Now as a Fiddler I just love playing along with Pipes, although last night I must confess I was constantly tuning the Fiddle up & down, for nearly four hours, between the Uilleann & the Scottish Smallpipes, as they were never exactly in with each other.
Luckily I had my spare Fiddle with me, so I was able to tune that to F for the Northumbrian Pipes.
So tell me, how common is it these days, to have a variety of different pipes at your session?
One chap at a local session can play the lot - GHB, uilleann, Border, Northumbrian, Mediaeval-type mouth-blown pipes, and probably anything else in reason that comes along, though I don't know if he plays Scottish smallpipes. Usually he plays Border, Northumbrian and the Med jobs.
There's not often more than the one piper playing in local sessions, but it does happen. Someone else has uilleann pipes, a player of Scottish smallpipes has visited, and another person is learning Northumbrians and one of the more primitive jobs.
Not as outlandish, though, as the Polish pipes that appeared in connection with a Polish friend of the session band. A clutch of people took them out of the pub so that they and he could give them a try. The thing itself looked like a primeval fetish. It had horns on it. When somebody gave it a blast, it sounded like a turkey the size of a house being murdered. This was a yard or so from the ladies, which was in a state of multiple occupancy at the time.
we have one good uilleann piper who shows up at the sessions - eventually though, when our anti-terrorism / big brother laws go global, all of the pipe makers will have to disclose who they sell their pipes to, and I'll finally find out how many are hiding out here. right?
The pipe makers are the last people who will feel obliged to disclose anything. They are all Taliban, working in and out of huge pipes factories disguised as training camps disguised as madrassas in Pakistan. Even the friendly pipes-maker who lives down the road / turns up at the session is really a Taliban working in and out of - et cetera. If he doesn't appear in the slightest like one, it is all the more certain that he actually is one. Very clever, these people.
Arf, arf! Wau-oo! It's getting to me, I am unhinged...
Here on the west coast of Scotland smallpipes have pretty much disappeared as a session instrument. Great for recordings or amplified but the tone gets lost at a session. Also the fact that they are not chromatic means that a lot of the popular session tunes here are not possible so Border pipes have almost totally taken over. I have a really nice set of small pipes but I never take them to a session.
No, £3,000 is far too much. £1500 - £1700 for Nigel Richards and they really can't be beaten. Border pipes are a fair bit more demanding than small pipes and if badly set up or not played well they can destroy a session but well well worth it if the time has gone in.
We often have several uilleann pipers show up at our session.
It's an "Irish session" though and people have made it clear that any sort of Scottish pipes aren't welcome.
There are a few people there who like to play Scottish stuff and when we're the only ones around I'll get out the Scottish smallpipes.
It was very cool to go to a session in Glasgow that was dominated by Scottish tunes, and which had a terrific piper playing Border pipes leading the session.
That's kind of a shame Richard, that segregated attitude.
I know there are arguments for that way of thinking e.g. getting into the groove with only one type of music, etc etc but it was such fun the other night, despite a little extra work for me in the tuning dept., to be able to hear those different pipes in action & a wonderful opportunity to show off their different qualities.
I agree Dick, it's a really poor attitude. Fair enough it's an Irish session but three or four sets on smallpipes surely wouldn't ruin their evening. Scottish and Irish pipes and work great together if they're set up well.
Maybe not to the taste of more traditionally minded, but Ros Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson are doing great stuff with Borders and Uilleans. http://www.myspace.com/rossandjarlath
BTW check out Jarlaths piping on the Old Bush - absolutely fabulous.
For those who haven't heard them before I should mention the first track on their myspace is a DJ's re-mix, the other four tracks are what they're really about.
My impression is that there are more players of the various bellow pipe systems kicking around glasgow than there were a few years back.
I like them all, but IMHO whilst the border pipes are great for a couple of sets, they are too loud compared to other session instruments to be played continually all night. Small pipes (in a session freindly key) and Uilleann pipes blend in better with other instruments without dominating. But I do like to hear the border pipes.
I'm prepared to be put right on this by pipers if it all depends on the particular set of pipes etc. But I have noticed that whilst many pipers may use the whistle for tunes they are less sure of, Border pipers sometimes stick to whistles for most of a session, only breaking out the pipes for an occassional set that they want to lead. I've tended to assume that this was because of the volume issue.
GHB of course should never be allowed near a session
Borders can vary quite a lot in volume depending on the maker and set up. But due to the range most pipers will only play them maybe 2 out of every 5 sets anyway - and that's at a Scottish session. They work well in bigger sessions, like the Ben in Glasgow for example. There is quite a loud fiddler at our session so they work well for us.
And yes, there are many, many more elbow pipers than a few years ago. Smallpipes have become much better for tuning etc in the last few years so GHB players find they can get involved with sessions. You're right about GHB Chris, a one off set from a visitor is fine but for novelty value only.
You might find this interesting too Dick, India Alba Who are Ross, Nigel Richard, Sharat Srivastava and Gyan Singh. Lovely music. Check out the version of Donald Willie and his Dog in 11/8
i love everything about the uilleann piipes, sheer delight to back and often wonder how many sessions in london has a piper(s) playing at, as i don't think it's that 'common', let alone 'a variety of different' ones together (outside of visiting musicians)
that said, they are out there, and we're lucky enough to have one at our local session in south London (every monday at the Gypsy Hill Tavern SE19)
Firstly, I'm a rank beginner on the smallpipes, but I have lately been taking them to some of the friendlier sessions here and dropping in a set or two - very important to not overload people's abililty to enjoy them though. Also I've got to give them some time to learn a few of the tunes I can play on them. The breakthrough for me was being able to actually get them in tune at 440Hz, not just in tune with themselves. And the key to that was giving up on electronic tuners and using my metronome (which can generate a fairly loud reference tone for any note between B2 and C6) as an extra drone (with A3) while practicing and while tuning in the pub.
That all said, 99% of the time I'm on the flute instead and in faster/bigger/less familiar sessions I wouldn't bother even bringing the pipes yet. But for one or two sets per night, people seem to enjoy what I can play on the pipes.
That was a cracking session (and a good reason for me to not even think about playing pipes in the session lol). If we can persuade Paddy to leave flute and whistles alone for a while and get his pipes playing maybe we can get it up to 4.
That's better than nearly leaving his flute in the pub.
Though the most recently abandoned musical gear in the pub were a bunch of plectrums (must be something about the Oran Mor), which I am now custodian of until otherwise claimed. They wouldn't be yours, would they?
We've had as many as seven uilleann pipes going at once at our session... all in tune by the way!
The session I attended in Glasgow was at Waxy O Connor's and the border pipe guy was playing them nearly all night, though he would switch to Low D Whistle for a tune every now and then.
They weren't overpowering at all, though the session was rather small: the border pipes and four fiddles plus a guitar. His pipes looked to be by Nigel Richard ("Garvie"), made of Mopane as I recall.
About the volume thing, I've owned and played so-called "border" chanters (each maker calls them something different) from these makers:
"reel" chanter by Hamish Moore
"session" chanter by Nigel Richard
"lowland" chanter by Jon Swayne
All were pretty much the same beast: key of A, gentle conical bore, Highland fingering, volume half that of the Highland pipes but somewhat louder than uilleann pipes, very low pressure, capable of playing an entire chromatic scale using "fork" fingerings.
The quietest was the "Lowland" chanter by Jon Swayne, which was different from the other two in that is uses special plastic reeds Jon makes for them. I kept the Swayne and sold the others.
Still, it's a tad loud for a quiet session. For smaller sessions my Scottish smallpipes are just the thing.
Might be my plecs, Emily, I'm down to one good plec and a bunch I don't care for. That's been the state of play for a few weeks now though.
I keep them in the coins pocket of my jeans, never in instrument cases. I once turned up at a session with no plecs cos I'd been at a funeral during the day and there wasn't a coins pocket in the trousers I was still wearing (doh).
Someone left a tuner last week, but you might have still been talking to us when the barmaid came out and passed it to us. Or maybe no-one left it and it was a subtle hint from the bar staff?
Yeah, I was there when the barmaid chased after us with the tuner. People are always leaving tuners in that place.
Lucky I had those plectrums though, as Davy and I turned up at a session in Fife last week and the mandolin/banjo player realized had no plectrums with him. So those plectrums were put to good use. I still have them though so take a look on Wed.
I have been at sessions at Willie Clancy Week with like seven sets of pipes. It helps if some of those sets of pipes are played by people like Sean Potts and Sean McKeown. Meant the hangers on like me could effectively hide and the session still sounded good.
Aye there's plenty of youtubes with Ali playing guitar and a couple of him playing big pipes with Ross and GD and co but nothing of him playing borders - which is a pity because he's great border pipe player.
The Joy of Pipes!
The Joy of Pipes!
Last Thursday night we had Uilleann, Border & Scottish Smallpipes at our session in Portrush, then last night in Bushmills, we had a different Uilleann Piper, plus the Scottish Smallpiper & a Northumbrian Piper!
Now as a Fiddler I just love playing along with Pipes, although last night I must confess I was constantly tuning the Fiddle up & down, for nearly four hours, between the Uilleann & the Scottish Smallpipes, as they were never exactly in with each other.
Luckily I had my spare Fiddle with me, so I was able to tune that to F for the Northumbrian Pipes.
So tell me, how common is it these days, to have a variety of different pipes at your session?
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by Ptarmigan
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
One chap at a local session can play the lot - GHB, uilleann, Border, Northumbrian, Mediaeval-type mouth-blown pipes, and probably anything else in reason that comes along, though I don't know if he plays Scottish smallpipes. Usually he plays Border, Northumbrian and the Med jobs.
There's not often more than the one piper playing in local sessions, but it does happen. Someone else has uilleann pipes, a player of Scottish smallpipes has visited, and another person is learning Northumbrians and one of the more primitive jobs.
Not as outlandish, though, as the Polish pipes that appeared in connection with a Polish friend of the session band. A clutch of people took them out of the pub so that they and he could give them a try. The thing itself looked like a primeval fetish. It had horns on it. When somebody gave it a blast, it sounded like a turkey the size of a house being murdered. This was a yard or so from the ladies, which was in a state of multiple occupancy at the time.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by nicholas
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
we have one good uilleann piper who shows up at the sessions - eventually though, when our anti-terrorism / big brother laws go global, all of the pipe makers will have to disclose who they sell their pipes to, and I'll finally find out how many are hiding out here. right?
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by airport
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
The pipe makers are the last people who will feel obliged to disclose anything. They are all Taliban, working in and out of huge pipes factories disguised as training camps disguised as madrassas in Pakistan. Even the friendly pipes-maker who lives down the road / turns up at the session is really a Taliban working in and out of - et cetera. If he doesn't appear in the slightest like one, it is all the more certain that he actually is one. Very clever, these people.
Arf, arf! Wau-oo! It's getting to me, I am unhinged...
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by nicholas
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Here on the west coast of Scotland smallpipes have pretty much disappeared as a session instrument. Great for recordings or amplified but the tone gets lost at a session. Also the fact that they are not chromatic means that a lot of the popular session tunes here are not possible so Border pipes have almost totally taken over. I have a really nice set of small pipes but I never take them to a session.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Very interesting Bogman, cause the Scottish Smallpipes player last Thursday night, was making fish eyes at the Border Pipes all night long.
Finally he had a go on them & expressed a real desire to get his own.
Mind you, he thought the £3,000 price tag was someone just sticking the arm in & the Gold bits an' bobs totally unnecessary!
So tell me, is 3 grand the standard price for a set of Border Pipes?
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by Ptarmigan
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
No, £3,000 is far too much. £1500 - £1700 for Nigel Richards and they really can't be beaten. Border pipes are a fair bit more demanding than small pipes and if badly set up or not played well they can destroy a session but well well worth it if the time has gone in.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Thanks Bogman, I just checked out Nigel's website { http://www.garviebagpipes.co.uk/ } & will pass that useful info on. Ta
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by Ptarmigan
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
We often have several uilleann pipers show up at our session.
It's an "Irish session" though and people have made it clear that any sort of Scottish pipes aren't welcome.
There are a few people there who like to play Scottish stuff and when we're the only ones around I'll get out the Scottish smallpipes.
It was very cool to go to a session in Glasgow that was dominated by Scottish tunes, and which had a terrific piper playing Border pipes leading the session.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by Richard D Cook
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Ali Hutton by any chance?
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
That's kind of a shame Richard, that segregated attitude.
I know there are arguments for that way of thinking e.g. getting into the groove with only one type of music, etc etc but it was such fun the other night, despite a little extra work for me in the tuning dept., to be able to hear those different pipes in action & a wonderful opportunity to show off their different qualities.
Shame some folks can't be more adaptable.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by Ptarmigan
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
I agree Dick, it's a really poor attitude. Fair enough it's an Irish session but three or four sets on smallpipes surely wouldn't ruin their evening. Scottish and Irish pipes and work great together if they're set up well.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Yes indeed!
I've heard Border A & Uilleann playing together & it's an absolutely brilliant sound!
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by Ptarmigan
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Maybe not to the taste of more traditionally minded, but Ros Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson are doing great stuff with Borders and Uilleans. http://www.myspace.com/rossandjarlath
BTW check out Jarlaths piping on the Old Bush - absolutely fabulous.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
For those who haven't heard them before I should mention the first track on their myspace is a DJ's re-mix, the other four tracks are what they're really about.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
My impression is that there are more players of the various bellow pipe systems kicking around glasgow than there were a few years back.
I like them all, but IMHO whilst the border pipes are great for a couple of sets, they are too loud compared to other session instruments to be played continually all night. Small pipes (in a session freindly key) and Uilleann pipes blend in better with other instruments without dominating. But I do like to hear the border pipes.
I'm prepared to be put right on this by pipers if it all depends on the particular set of pipes etc. But I have noticed that whilst many pipers may use the whistle for tunes they are less sure of, Border pipers sometimes stick to whistles for most of a session, only breaking out the pipes for an occassional set that they want to lead. I've tended to assume that this was because of the volume issue.
GHB of course should never be allowed near a session
- chris
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Great clip of the Old Bush btw.., oh wait they've jus gone into the Jolly Tinker now... I really should be working...
- chris
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Borders can vary quite a lot in volume depending on the maker and set up. But due to the range most pipers will only play them maybe 2 out of every 5 sets anyway - and that's at a Scottish session. They work well in bigger sessions, like the Ben in Glasgow for example. There is quite a loud fiddler at our session so they work well for us.
And yes, there are many, many more elbow pipers than a few years ago. Smallpipes have become much better for tuning etc in the last few years so GHB players find they can get involved with sessions. You're right about GHB Chris, a one off set from a visitor is fine but for novelty value only.
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Thanks Bogman - chris
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Speaking of Border Pipes chaps, what about Ross Ainslie's playing + Tablas on track 11 of Nigel's Sounds page:
http://www.garviebagpipes.co.uk/info/sounds/sounds.html
Like you say Bogman, not for the purist perhaps, but feckin great music!
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by Ptarmigan
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
You might find this interesting too Dick, India Alba Who are Ross, Nigel Richard, Sharat Srivastava and Gyan Singh. Lovely music. Check out the version of Donald Willie and his Dog in 11/8
http://www.myspace.com/indiaalba
# Posted on September 27th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
i love everything about the uilleann piipes, sheer delight to back and often wonder how many sessions in london has a piper(s) playing at, as i don't think it's that 'common', let alone 'a variety of different' ones together (outside of visiting musicians)
that said, they are out there, and we're lucky enough to have one at our local session in south London (every monday at the Gypsy Hill Tavern SE19)
# Posted on September 28th 2009 by lisaniska
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
There are very few uilleann pipers who play out in Scotland. However, there are a few more laying low.
My regular session is unfortunate enough having just the one most of the time.
# Posted on September 28th 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Firstly, I'm a rank beginner on the smallpipes, but I have lately been taking them to some of the friendlier sessions here and dropping in a set or two - very important to not overload people's abililty to enjoy them though. Also I've got to give them some time to learn a few of the tunes I can play on them. The breakthrough for me was being able to actually get them in tune at 440Hz, not just in tune with themselves. And the key to that was giving up on electronic tuners and using my metronome (which can generate a fairly loud reference tone for any note between B2 and C6) as an extra drone (with A3) while practicing and while tuning in the pub.
That all said, 99% of the time I'm on the flute instead and in faster/bigger/less familiar sessions I wouldn't bother even bringing the pipes yet. But for one or two sets per night, people seem to enjoy what I can play on the pipes.
# Posted on September 28th 2009 by Crackpot
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
We had three Uilleanns last week mind, Emily!
Talk about struggling for "elbow" room
- Chris
# Posted on September 28th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
I know. The rest of you were probably wondering what you did to deserve that.
# Posted on September 28th 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Hi Chris/Emily
That was a cracking session (and a good reason for me to not even think about playing pipes in the session lol). If we can persuade Paddy to leave flute and whistles alone for a while and get his pipes playing maybe we can get it up to 4.
David
# Posted on September 28th 2009 by BigDavy
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Right up until he leaves the pipes in his taxi
# Posted on September 28th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
That's better than nearly leaving his flute in the pub.
Though the most recently abandoned musical gear in the pub were a bunch of plectrums (must be something about the Oran Mor), which I am now custodian of until otherwise claimed. They wouldn't be yours, would they?
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
We've had as many as seven uilleann pipes going at once at our session... all in tune by the way!
The session I attended in Glasgow was at Waxy O Connor's and the border pipe guy was playing them nearly all night, though he would switch to Low D Whistle for a tune every now and then.
They weren't overpowering at all, though the session was rather small: the border pipes and four fiddles plus a guitar. His pipes looked to be by Nigel Richard ("Garvie"), made of Mopane as I recall.
About the volume thing, I've owned and played so-called "border" chanters (each maker calls them something different) from these makers:
"reel" chanter by Hamish Moore
"session" chanter by Nigel Richard
"lowland" chanter by Jon Swayne
All were pretty much the same beast: key of A, gentle conical bore, Highland fingering, volume half that of the Highland pipes but somewhat louder than uilleann pipes, very low pressure, capable of playing an entire chromatic scale using "fork" fingerings.
The quietest was the "Lowland" chanter by Jon Swayne, which was different from the other two in that is uses special plastic reeds Jon makes for them. I kept the Swayne and sold the others.
Still, it's a tad loud for a quiet session. For smaller sessions my Scottish smallpipes are just the thing.
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by Richard D Cook
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
It does sound like the piper was Ali. Great piper.
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Might be my plecs, Emily, I'm down to one good plec and a bunch I don't care for. That's been the state of play for a few weeks now though.
I keep them in the coins pocket of my jeans, never in instrument cases. I once turned up at a session with no plecs cos I'd been at a funeral during the day and there wasn't a coins pocket in the trousers I was still wearing (doh).
Someone left a tuner last week, but you might have still been talking to us when the barmaid came out and passed it to us. Or maybe no-one left it and it was a subtle hint from the bar staff?
- chris
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnr6P6tafP8
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Crickey NCFA that's a pretty hellish recording. The sound in the Ben is poor to say the least anyway but that takes the biscuit.
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Yeah, I was there when the barmaid chased after us with the tuner. People are always leaving tuners in that place.
Lucky I had those plectrums though, as Davy and I turned up at a session in Fife last week and the mandolin/banjo player realized had no plectrums with him. So those plectrums were put to good use. I still have them though so take a look on Wed.
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Well I didn't record it or post it myself. I couldn't find anything else!
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
I have been at sessions at Willie Clancy Week with like seven sets of pipes. It helps if some of those sets of pipes are played by people like Sean Potts and Sean McKeown. Meant the hangers on like me could effectively hide and the session still sounded good.
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
Aye there's plenty of youtubes with Ali playing guitar and a couple of him playing big pipes with Ross and GD and co but nothing of him playing borders - which is a pity because he's great border pipe player.
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by bogman
Re: The Joy of Pipes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bKfCimALac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZZt6hEGVhw
Not much anyway.
# Posted on September 29th 2009 by No Cause For Alarm