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How
do I get started playing
the pipes?
Pipers learn on what is
called a practice chanter.
It’s mouth-blown, made
of wood or plastic, with
holes in the body to finger
the different notes. The
chanter is used to learn
new tunes as well as practicing
exercises. All of the
pipers the band use their
chanters while the entire
band is in the process
of learning new material.
As a piper you will use
a practice chanter throughout
your piping career.
Making
a connection with an instructor
or a pipe band who is
teaching beginners is
an important first step
in learning correctly.
It is important to have
some lessons that will
ensure a basic understanding
of the movements associated
with piping. The playing
of a melody on the pipes
is relatively easy. The
difficulty in mastering
the "embellishments" surrounding
the notes is the real
challenge to piping. An
instructor can help a
student correctly master
the finger/note coordination.
These basic movements
are used in virtually
all pipe tunes. Learning
these fundamentals properly,
will make you a better
piper in the future.
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How
much does it cost to get
started?
A good practice chanter
can be purchased for around
$80 to $100. Buy a good
one to start with, this
is something that you
are going to use for the
rest of your piping career,
even after you get your
pipes. You should get
a long practice chanter
from one of the following
makers, Naill, Gibson,
Shepherd or Dunbar. Stay
away from the cheap Paki
rosewood practice chanters,
these are fairly easy
to identify, they have
a rather large piece of
metal called a "sole"
attached to the bottom
of the chanter and usually
cost around $25 to $40.
By starting with a good
chanter you will be able
to play in tune with the
other students and you
could recoup most of your
investment by selling
it to one of the new students
if you decide that the
pipes are not for you.
High
Desert Pipes & Drums offers
free lessons, providing
you consider playing with
the band once your playing
is acceptable. If you
would prefer private instruction
we can help you find an
instructor. Depending
on the instructor, some
charge $20 for a lesson.
The
band requires each member
to purchase and maintain
their uniform and pipes.
Here are the basic costs
of what it takes to get
outfitted to play with
the band.
| Great
Highland Bagpipes |
$1500
and up |
| Kilt |
$300
- $400 |
| Prince
Charlie Jacket |
$200 |
| Kilt
Pin |
$15 |
| Belt/Buckle |
$50 |
| Glengarry
|
$45 |
| Cap
Badge |
$15 |
| Hose |
$40 |
| Flash |
$8 |
| Ghillie
Brogues |
$80 |
| Sporran
& Strap |
$80 |
| Shirt/Tie |
$40 |
| Skean
Dubh |
$25
- $50 |
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How
long does it take to learn
to play?
If you make good progress
on the practice chanter,
you might be able to start
the pipes in six months.
It could take a full year
or more of work on the
practice chanter before
you are able to make the
transition to the pipes.
If a student learns quickly
and begins work on some
of the tunes the band
is playing, we will eagerly
await your entry as a
performer.
This
entire process is one
of "input = output". If
you don’t work hard at
practice, the results
will be obvious. Learning
the movements correctly
and controlling your fingers
is crucial to becoming
a good piper.
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How
much does a set of pipes
cost?
Bagpipes are not available
at the local music store.
Specialty Scottish stores,
mail order and vendors
at Highland Games are
about the only sources
for pipes. Even in Scotland
it’s a special store that
handles pipes and piping
accessories.
The
prices on pipes have increased
substantially over the
past few years as the
cost of the most common
piping material "African
Blackwood" continues to
escalate. Consequently,
there are a few things
that can keep the cost
of pipes lower. First
is the material. One pipe
manufacturer here in North
America has developed
an all plastic bagpipe,
turned and mounted like
those made out of wood
at a significantly lower
cost. These pipes are
in $600 to $900 price
range.
The
all African Blackwood
models can vary in cost
as well. The antique style
has very little if any
turning on the wood and
minimal fittings called
ferrules on the drones.
The next models are fully
combed and beaded. That
means the pieces have
been turned on a lathe,
and each piece has the
same turning pattern.
"Half mounted" sets have
the lower mounts made
of imitation ivory with
imitation ivory ring caps
and nickel ferrules on
the drones. The next sets
would be called "full
mounted", where the mounts
and ferrules are both
imitation ivory. Depending
on the manufacturer, the
"full mounted" sets are
in the $800 to $1500 price
range. A case for the
pipes and some maintenance
items should also be considered
and can add about $150
to the overall price of
the pipes.
If you prefer something
more, silver plate can
be added, silver tuning
slides, and some engraving
to enhance the looks and
be custom made for a piper.
If sterling silver is
used the cost of the pipes
can easily approach $4,000
to $6,000. All these things
do nothing for the sound,
they just cost more and
make the pipes look more
expensive.
There are many quality
pipe manufacturers located
both in North America
and Scotland. Names like
Hardie, Shepherd, Naill,
MacLeod, Sinclair, Kintail
and Glen in Scotland and
Dunbar and Gibson here
in North America are well
known pipe makers. Before
you purchase a set of
pipes it would be wise
to talk with your instructor
and some other pipers
to get some ideas. Normally
you are going to have
to wait several months
if you special order your
pipes.
The
one rule of thumb to remember
is to buy the best set
of pipes you can afford.
Start saving money for
your pipes the first day
you start on your practice
chanter. Do not be in
a rush to get on the pipes
and buy a cheap set of
"Pakis" just so you can
play. The transition to
the pipes is hard enough
without having to deal
with the difficulty of
getting Paki pipes to
function.
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Words
that might stump you....
Balmoral - The
flat "tam" type of headgear
worn with Highland Dress.
Caber
(kaber) - the 16-20
foot pole weighing between
80 and 100 pounds flipped
end over end in the Caber
Toss event.
Ceilidh
(kay-Lee) - A social
gathering with singing,
dancing, and piping. A
party.
Celtic
(kel-tic) - An adjective
referring to one of the
early tribes of Scotland,
e.g. Celtic art, Celtic
language.
Chanter
- That part of the bagpipes
which the player holds
with his hands, to play
the melody of the tune.
Clan
(klan) - Originally
a family unit, the clan
became the basic political,
economic, and social unit
of the Scottish highlands
until the political oppression
of 1745.
Claymore
(kla-mor) - Large
two-edged sword used by
Scottish Highlanders.
Dirk
(derk) - The short
sword that is sometimes
worn on the belt with
Highland Dress.
Drone
- One of the three "tubes"
sticking out of a set
of bagpipes. These provide
the continuous tone unique
to pipe music.
Drum
Major - The marching
leader of a pipe band.
The drum major marches
in front of the band and
carries the mace.
Glengarry
(glen-gare) - The
"fore and aft" type of
headgear sometimes worn
with Highland Dress.
Ghillie
Brogues - The wing
tip shoes without a tongue
that pipe bands wear.
Gillie
Chaluim - Sword Dance
- The Traditional Highland
Dance.
Highlands
- That part of Scotland
which lies north of a
line roughly between Glasgow
and Edinburgh.
Kilt
- A knee-length pleated
skirt usually of tartan
worn by men in Scotland.
The traditional clothing
of Scotland. Originally
a large blanket wrapped
about the body, the present
kilt contains about six
to eight yards of material.
Piobaireach
(Peeb-rock) - The
classical music of the
great highland bagpipe.
Consisting of a Ground
or basic theme with several
variations.
Pipe
Major - The musical
leader and usually the
principal instructor of
a Pipe Band.
Plaid
(Played) - The blanket-like
garment worn over the
shoulder by some in highland
dress. Originally part
of the kilt.
Plaid
(Plad) - Any woven
checked pattern. Not the
same as Tartan.
Saint
Andrew - The patron
saint of Scotland. The
first disciple of Christ,
his bones are reported
to rest in St. Andrew,
Scotland.
Scottish
- An adjective describing
things pertaining to Scotland,
e.g. Scottish descent.
Scottish Heritage.
Scotch
- A whiskey distilled
in Scotland from malted
barley. Sometimes called
the "Water of Life.
Seann
Truibhas (Sheen Truce)
- One of the traditional
Highland Dances. Translates
from the Gaelic to "Old
Trousers" and refers to
the lifting of the ban
on the wearing of the
kilt.
Sept
- A family not having
the name of the clan,
but associated with the
clan and entitled to wear
its tartan, e.g. Shaw
is a sept of Clan Mackintosh.
Skean
Dubh (Skeen Doo) -
The small knife worn in
the hose top with highland
dress. Translates from
the Gaelic to "Black Knife"
which probably is a reference
to its intended use rather
than its color.
Sporran
- The pouch worn in the
front of the kilt, which
serves as a purse or pocket.
Tartan
(tart-an) - A fabric
formed by weaving an arrangement
of colored stripes in
the warp with the same
arrangement of colored
stripes in the weft.
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