Archive for March, 2011

The bagpipe sound is often compared to the sound of cats fighting, or dying, but the reality is that when it is played by a professional, it is one of the most beautiful instruments around. It is of little surprise that the bagpipe is used at ceremonies honoring war veterans and those who have died. It has a mournful sound to it that can bring tears to the eyes of individuals who are touched by the raw beauty of the bagpipe sound.

That being said, you may have someone in your family who does not want to try out the well-known instruments like guitars and pianos, and instead wants to try something a bit harder to learn; the bagpipe.

Before you start cringing at the thought of bagpipes echoing through your home, relish in the fact that they are choosing to learn how to use an instrument that is considered to be one of the hardest to learn in the entire world. However, the problem with bagpipes is that they have to be specially made, and that means they are very, very expensive. This then creates a problem when you do not want to shell out a lot of money for bagpipes when you don’t have the assurance that your child will keep using the bagpipes after the novelty of them has worn off.

Many children do not like to practice for hours a day, and when that happens, they usually stop playing it. What do you do then with bagpipes sitting in your closet? You could sell them, but its hard to find a buyer, and even if someone does buy them, you are going to be out a lot of cash. The alternative is to buy used bagpipes.

Now, before you start heading off to the pawn shop to buy bagpipes, you should take into consideration that not many people play bagpipes, and unless you are really lucky, you are only going to find bagpipes online. The best course of action in this scenario is to then search online for ‘Buy Used Bagpipes’. If you are lucky, you should be able to find the bagpipes you are looking for, and you will pay much, much less than you would otherwise at a bagpipe manufacturer. As well, you can then sell it yourself online if your son or daughter decides that playing the bagpipes is simply not for them.

Bagpipes are actually a very beautiful instrument that only the best musicians in the world can play. When you have a child who wants to learn how to play the bagpipes, then you have someone who could turn out to be a musical prodigy, because only the best of the best want to learn how to play bagpipes.

As a result, you are going to be looking for ways that you can nurture their gift, while saving costs, and buying used bagpipes is the best way to do this. You get the good bagpipes, at a cheap price, and you can worry about buying nicer ones when you know for sure your child is not going to give up on it.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used bagpipe CDs, autographed bagpipe CDs, and used bagpipes musical instruments.

I have played the great Scottish Highland bagpipes for hundreds of memorials over the years. It might seem like a depressing or morbid endeavor, but for me, it is a distinct honor to dignify someone’s memory by performing this noble music. The mourners always recognize me first. There is no place to hide when you are the only one in a crowd wearing the Scottish kilt. I enter this ritual event employed and invited to witness a person’s final chapter. I have the privilege to play a role in a moment that is about more than just music. By just being there, the piper lends comfort and strength in moments of grief.

To begin with, my arrival in Highland dress with a strange-looking instrument usually provides a welcome moment of levity. There are probably no piping jokes that I have not already heard. I recognize their value. Oscar Wilde had some superb quips about piping. Sometimes I share one that I remember. I have often exchanged a joke with formidable grown men wearing suits. They slap me on the back with a smile and offer me a glass of water or a stick of gum; later, they weep like little children as I play “Amazing Grace” alongside their dad’s casket. Human nature does not change. In the ancient world funerals were attended by professional mourners who loudly wailed to encourage others to release their own emotions. In Europe until the beginning of the 20th Century, another important profession associated with funerals was that of the Mute. The Mute stood silently as a type of symbolic protector of the deceased; normally stationed near the door, wearing black clothing and a melancholy expression. My role as piper is an enduring part of that legacy: to dignify the service by standing silently; when called-upon, to give voice through the pipes to the grief that is felt, enabling the survivors to begin to let go.

There is an almost typical, recurring pattern to most memorials, like a script, but there are also those exceptional situations. I remember some beautiful services where doves were released, filling the blue sky with an explosion of white wings while I piped. I recall a particular service that was held outdoors at night. On that occasion I played “Amazing Grace” followed by the famous pipe march, “Scotland the Brave.” At the start of the march, over a hundred people individually released large white balloons which seemed to shimmer in the darkness, rising in a symbolic farewell. More challenging are sudden tragedies like the death of a child. One such day lingers in my memory. The parents leaned against each other as if piled in a heap next to the little coffin in the children’s section of the cemetery. The wind came up as I played. I felt objects knocking against my ankles and strained to look down for a moment as I kept playing. The wind was blowing toys from the other children’s graves around my feet, entangling me. It was so bizarre that I wondered afterwards whether or not I could ever do another one. That was many years ago. My job, like that of the people I serve, is also to keep going and to let go. In all types of weather, you have to know how to set the reeds and maintain your instrument. You have to know things like how long to keep playing as the widow leans against her son after casting one last rose upon the casket now nestled in the open grave below. When I pipe for Jewish funerals I stroll behind the slow-moving hearse, playing as it courses a short distance to the grave from the cemetery chapel. The pipes truly belong to all cultures now. Much of the job of piping for funerals is standing patiently and waiting while loving tributes seem to flow like a never-ending stream. It is also my privilege to stand silently while the American flag is crisply folded for one more final presentation, on “behalf of a grateful nation.” Seeing tears does not make me happy, but I am pleased to think that my pipes are really singing well, that I am doing a good thing. At the end, I cradle the pipes in my arms and gently put them back in the case. I close it up, like a little casket that contains what I love so much along with my own memories of this passing moment, this final ‘Goodbye.’

The author is a professional bagpiper in Southern Arizona.
His web site: http://www.wdoncarlos.com, e-mail william@wdoncarlos.com.
Copyright 2010 William W. Don Carlos All Rights Reserved.

“This visual aid for the piping student will be a welcome tool for those who wish to take up the Great Highland Bagpipe. It follows closely the instructions in the College of Piping Tutor – Part 1, and should be used in conjunction with that successful publication. However, for those who have a different Tutor, you will find many advantages in the video as it shows clearly the proper fingering exercises necessary to the making of a good piper. The instructor, Seumas MacNeill, principal of the College of Piping and editor of the Piping Times, is shown instructing College students in the proper finger movements for the practice chanter – from the basic scale through the various grips and doublings. With diligent practice, the beginner should be able to play some simple and time honoured tunes such as Highland Laddie, Scots Wha’ Hae, Brown Haired Maiden, The Carles wi’ the Breeks and others in a short period of time.”

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Key of “D”, case, bag, bellows, chanter, drones & regulators. Used in the sound track to Titanic, softer than the highland pipes.

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Wooden case with clasps, handle and felt interior. Black vinyl exterior with felt interior. Use for storage and transport of pipes.

Price: $99.99

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Here’s a jig I made not too long ago, “Well Away”. It’s in my newish book (5) and one I imagine is OK. It’s of middling technical difficulty in the big scheme of jigs (is there a big scheme of jigs? Can you imagine!). If “Cork Hill” is at the easy end and “Donald MacLennan’s Exercise” at the tricky end, “Well Away” is in the middle.

The most challenging part in playing this tune is probably in the area of rhythmic control, especially in the last part. Admittedly this part “riffs” on the second part of Donald MacLeod’s “Glasgow Police Pipers” and, maybe, Colin Magee’s “Troy’s Wedding“. I’d like to think it’s still orginal enough and not unduly derivative (note to self/you: in composing tunes avoid “derivative” at all costs).

On the mp3 recording here (see below – click the arrow) I play first quite slow and open and follow up with a rendition of moderate tempo. I’ll try and do more of these tunes (score with sound file) if there’s any interest.

I think I’ll add “Well Away” to my competitive jiggy repertoire.

Sorry about the title. I could’ve done better. The true story on the name – 3 out of 10 on the “Lame-o-meter”: I was stuck with a printer’s deadline and had a number of tunes still embarrassingly nameless.

I hope you find interesting.

M.

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by Michael Grey

“This visual aid for the piping student will be a welcome tool for those who wish to take up the Great Highland Bagpipe. It follows closely the instructions in the College of Piping Tutor – Part 1, and should be used in conjunction with that successful publication. However, for those who have a different Tutor, you will find many advantages in the video as it shows clearly the proper fingering exercises necessary to the making of a good piper. The instructor, Seumas MacNeill, principal of the College of Piping and editor of the Piping Times, is shown instructing College students in the proper finger movements for the practice chanter – from the basic scale through the various grips and doublings. With diligent practice, the beginner should be able to play some simple and time honoured tunes such as Highland Laddie, Scots Wha’ Hae, Brown Haired Maiden, The Carles wi’ the Breeks and others in a short period of time.”

Price:

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The Book of the Bagpipe relates the evolution of the bagpipe from the reeded pipes of ancient civilizations to its present-day position as a Scottish cultural icon, an evocative emblem of Celtic heritage, and a legitimate musical instrument. Delightfully illustrated with photographs, engravings, and color paintings of pipes and pipers through the ages, this book makes an ideal gift for anyone with an interest in Celtic music and history.

Price: $12.95

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Bagpipe Set. Origin Country: Pakistan. 7 lbs. Made by Mid-East.

Black rosewood. Synthetic bag with Royal Stewart Tartan cover and turned nickeled ferrules & sole. Includes 2 sets of reeds, a set of stoppers, and hemp.

Price: $209.90

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The Gibson practice reed, while ideally suited to Gibson practice chanters, is also an excellent reed for other brands. The blades are wide allowing for more air, thereby nearly eliminating the “shutting off” phenomenon. This design also produces a loud, full tone. Made by Gibson Classical Bagpipes.

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