Hey everyone. I wasn't sure where to put this so hopefully this is an acceptable place.
Does anyone here play any kind of bagpipes (i.e. Great Highland Bagpipes, Uilleann Pipes, etc.)? If so (or even if you don't but know a lot about them) I'd love to get some information/perspectives on what you think would be the best bagpipe to start learning for someone who has never played, and any other information you can provide about them. I find them to be beautiful instruments and I would love to eventually be able to play multiple kinds of pipes, but of course you've got to start somewhere.
No... Really, they are awesome, as a bagpipe and a company! They have a five year warranty; un-heard of. And they are a great group of people to work with.
David S. R. Clark, Administrative Sergeant-Major _______________________________________________________________________________ Teton & District Performing Arts (Bagpipes~Drums~Vocalists~Highland Dancers)
If you think of the practice chanter as an instrument, in its own right, and get a nice one, you will enjoy practicing much more.
Rule 1) Never get a standard length; Always get the "long" practice chanter.
When I was growing-up, there was no such thing as the "long" chanters. We had to use these silly little "standard" chanters. They sounded like crap, and... when moving from the practice chanter to a set of pipes, there was huge adjustment to be made.
With the "long" practice chanters, it has the look and feel of a pipe chanter, and a much better sound!
Rule 2) If you can afford, or are willing to save, to buy a nice chanter, do it!
Again... the practice chanter is an instrument in its own right. So, get black wood. Black wood is what a good set of pipes are made of. It is what clarinets are made of. So, why not your practice chanter.
A practice chanter is something that you will use the rest of your life. Every time you get a new piece of music, you will learn it on the PC (practice chanter), get solid with it, then move that piece onto the pipes. So, don't cut corners. My group spends a lot more time on PCs than pipes during practice.
Rule 3) get a handful of reeds!
Practice chanter reeds can last for years, or, die in a day and a half And PC reeds are made from plastic, so you can't expect too much. Try several until you get a sound that you like.
So... what are some good chanters, you might ask? That is like asking "Ford or Chevy" when it comes to cars; everybody has an opinion.
But, here is mine (opinion, that is): D.Naill, and McCallum. A D.Naill practice chanter, in African Blackwood, will run about $300.00US. They have a wonderful sound!
I use McCallum pipes. They are awesome. They make a poly chanter for about $110.00US. Their African Blackwoods are comparable in price to D.Naill. You can't go wrong either way
1) If a a practice chanter cot $20 - $50, beware. It is probable a piece of "paki-crap."
"Paki-Crap" is crap made in Pakistan. Pakistan does make some some things very well; practice chanters and bagpipes aren't one of them!
2) Protect your investment / practice chanter!
I find that a good pistol case makes a wonderful case for a practice chanter. Now, I'm talking about the hard cases, not the soft ones (Nothing like the sound of blackwood cracking as someone sits on a soft case ). They usually run about $30.00 at a outdoor store.
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