Unlike an earlier posting of a pipe player changing to the box, I am going the opposite way. I am waiting for the delivery of a set of Scottish small pipes in 'A' from Dunfion on Arran. A friend, in the mean time, has lent me a set but they are in the key of 'D' which limits their use for scottish music. The chanter finger spacing is also very close which I find makes it dificult to play the accidentals. They also seem to use a lot of air when the chanter and all the drones are sounding. It is hard work pumping the bellows to keep them all sounding. Is this usual? Can anyone suggest any CDs of the small pipes I can listen to.
They shouldn't take a lot of air. Check that the bag isn't leaking, that the reed isn't wide open. The bellows should be relaxed, almost incidental. Don't try to pump in time to the music.
Viki Swan has a podcast tutorial which is excellent. Her Cds with Johnny Dyer are very good too although much of it is their own stuff rather than traditional tunes but it's a great way for learning
I don't know of any recordings of *only* Scottish smallpipes, but the late Gordon Duncan and The Peatbog Faeries, from Skye, have both recorded tracks with them.
www.ceolsean.com is a place where most collections of scottish pipe music can be got on CD. He specializes in the oldest collections which are possibly better for your purposes as they aren't so cluttered with fancy gracenotes.
I just got a Dunfion goose smallpipe set in ebay with both chanters in A & D, and the maker Keir Murdo, offered me the missing drones but, I don't know if this will be useful for someone who is thinking to play with both D/A drones & chanters.
I know Wash makes smallpipes with exchangable keys but what would be better for this dunfion set, perhaps two drones instead of three is more useful.... Anybody with opinions on the 2 drone Dunfion switchback smallpipes? any comparison with the standard thre drone set?
Hello!
I'd love to hear from anyone who tried out my smallpipe podcast. I'm running a competition this week for people who have tried it out. Answer a questionnaire and the first 20 people to reply win one of our CDs. Check it out if you're up for this!
Hello!
At long last I've finished recording and editing the Scottish Smallpipe tutor! In celebration of this we have put together a small podcast of Scottish Smallpipe tracks for everyone to have a listen to. So if you fancy just having a listen to a 20 minute episodette from mosey on down to http://smallpiper.blogspot.com/ and take a listen!
Vicki & Jonny
Hello!
You can buy it direct from me.
I've set up a page to so you can see what the final tutor looks like and to make sure you can get Quicktime working for you.
Small Pipes, newbe
Small Pipes, newbe
Unlike an earlier posting of a pipe player changing to the box, I am going the opposite way. I am waiting for the delivery of a set of Scottish small pipes in 'A' from Dunfion on Arran. A friend, in the mean time, has lent me a set but they are in the key of 'D' which limits their use for scottish music. The chanter finger spacing is also very close which I find makes it dificult to play the accidentals. They also seem to use a lot of air when the chanter and all the drones are sounding. It is hard work pumping the bellows to keep them all sounding. Is this usual? Can anyone suggest any CDs of the small pipes I can listen to.
Rod
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by rod johnston
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
They shouldn't take a lot of air. Check that the bag isn't leaking, that the reed isn't wide open. The bellows should be relaxed, almost incidental. Don't try to pump in time to the music.
Ian Lawther http://travelingpiper.com/CD/comdisc.htm
has some Scottish smallpipe stuff on his CD.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by LastToFinish
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
Viki Swan has a podcast tutorial which is excellent. Her Cds with Johnny Dyer are very good too although much of it is their own stuff rather than traditional tunes but it's a great way for learning
Sarah
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Sarah the Flute
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
oops forgot the url
http://smallpiper.blogspot.com/
Oh and also on ebay you can get a book of Irish Tunes rewritten for bagpipes/smallpipes in A
Sarah
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Sarah the Flute
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
I actually have a couple Bagpipe tunebooks with Irish tunes that I am loking to get rid of. Send an email if you would like them.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Unseen122
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
I don't know of any recordings of *only* Scottish smallpipes, but the late Gordon Duncan and The Peatbog Faeries, from Skye, have both recorded tracks with them.
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by ragaman
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
www.ceolsean.com is a place where most collections of scottish pipe music can be got on CD. He specializes in the oldest collections which are possibly better for your purposes as they aren't so cluttered with fancy gracenotes.
# Posted on April 24th 2006 by siubhal
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
Oh, I forgot to mention bobdunsire.com, a forum devoted to discussion of all things pipe-related; there is a section on small pipes.
# Posted on April 24th 2006 by siubhal
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
has anyone had experience with
Dunfion smallpipes http://www.arransites.co.uk/bagpipes/small%
20pipes.htm
I just got a Dunfion goose smallpipe set in ebay with both chanters in A & D, and the maker Keir Murdo, offered me the missing drones but, I don't know if this will be useful for someone who is thinking to play with both D/A drones & chanters.
I know Wash makes smallpipes with exchangable keys but what would be better for this dunfion set, perhaps two drones instead of three is more useful.... Anybody with opinions on the 2 drone Dunfion switchback smallpipes? any comparison with the standard thre drone set?
Gracias & salu2,
Luis
# Posted on July 6th 2006 by lucho
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
Hello!
I'd love to hear from anyone who tried out my smallpipe podcast. I'm running a competition this week for people who have tried it out. Answer a questionnaire and the first 20 people to reply win one of our CDs. Check it out if you're up for this!
http://smallpiper.blogspot.com/
Vix
# Posted on July 24th 2006 by Vix
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
Hello!
At long last I've finished recording and editing the Scottish Smallpipe tutor! In celebration of this we have put together a small podcast of Scottish Smallpipe tracks for everyone to have a listen to. So if you fancy just having a listen to a 20 minute episodette from mosey on down to http://smallpiper.blogspot.com/ and take a listen!
Vicki & Jonny
# Posted on October 29th 2006 by Vix
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
Hey, Vicki, how can us Americans buy that?
# Posted on December 8th 2007 by Aaronjw
Re: Small Pipes, newbe
Hello!
You can buy it direct from me.
I've set up a page to so you can see what the final tutor looks like and to make sure you can get Quicktime working for you.
http://homepage.mac.com/smallpiper/tutor/index.html
(One thing to note is that because the final product is a CDrom, the pages load in much quicker than on the web.)
Vicki
# Posted on July 22nd 2008 by Vix