Archive for July, 2011
College of Piping Highland Bagpipe Tutor Part 1 Book and CD (Green Book)
“The College of Piping: Tutor For The Highland Bagpipe PART 1″ by Seumas Macneill and Thomas Pearston. The 72 page book starts with the practice chanter and ends with the bagpipe. There are 26 Lessons in the book. Each lesson is followed by a sound clip. In addition there are over 16 Videos and 14 songs. In addition to audio lessons, videos, and songs, the CD also contains over 38 pages of study material and quizzes. Lessons: Each written lesson is joined by a corresponding sound file 1) Placing your fingers on the chanter, diagrams 2) Gracenotes 3) Throws and Doublings 4) Your First Tune 5) Strikes 6) Strike on D and your Second Tune 7) Second Measure Brown Haired Maiden 
Music theory 9) Double C & B 10) 2nd measure High Road to Gairloch 11) Double F & E 12) Double high A and 2nd measure Highland Laddie 13) Leumluath and Taorluath 14) 2nd measure Carles Wi’ the Breeks 15) The Birl 16) 2nd measure 79th Farewell to Gibralter 17) Grip to C 18) 4th measure 79th Farewell to Gibralter 19) 1st measure Earl of Mansfield 20) Thumb Gracenote 21) 3rd measure Earl of Mansfield 22) 1st measure Inverness Rant 23) The Tachum 24) Strikes on B & C 25) 2nd measure Piper of Drummond 26) Double D and Green Hills of Tyrol 27) Practice Scales 27) Theory Summary and Posture Songs 1)Scots Wha Ha’e 2) Brown Haired Maiden 3) High Road to Gairloch 4) Highland Laddie 5) Carles Wi’ the Breeks 6) 79th Farewell to Gibraltar 7) Earl of Mansfield Inverness Rant 9) Piper of Drummond 10) Green Hills of Tyrol 11) Atholl Highlanders 12) Aiken Drum 13) Piobaireachd of Donald Dubh 14) Blue Bonnets
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Learn to Play the Bagpipe, CD
CD – Instructional. Origin Country: USA. 0.5 lbs. Made by Mid-East.
By R. T. Shepherd, audio tutorial, can be used alone or to accompany the book. Both CD and tape follow the book from page one to the beginning of chapter 8. The rest of chapter 8 and all of chapters 9 and 10 are not on the CD or tape.
Price: $11.90
Hire a Scottish Highland Bagpiper For a Magnificent Memorial
The image of the kilted bagpiper performing at a memorial is truly magical. The Scottish Highland bagpipes hearken back to ancient times when people gathered to commemorate the noble deeds of heroic lives upon battlefields under the open sky. Today the pipes are the living legacy of those great traditions. They can be used by anyone to create a magnificent send-off. You do not need to be Scottish to hire a piper. Among the remnants of the British Empire the pipes are still played in many places around the world such as: Hong Kong, Jordan, or India. You can find pipers throughout the United States just about as easily as upon the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. They have now become a modern tradition for many cultures–far from Highland glens and misty Scottish isles. Living in the American Southwest, I have performed as a professional piper for hundreds of memorial services in Southern Arizona.
There are many different ways to utilize the pipes. In a funeral service bagpipes can be tailored for a unique tribute to your loved one. All death is considered to be a sad loss, but many memorials are designed to be celebrations of life. These memorials lovingly crown a long well-lived life, unlike services for situations like a sudden tragedy. Most of the memorials I have piped are for those who passed away in the fullness of time. Anticipating the end, they had the luxury of time to make careful plans with their families, plans for specific music selections including the Highland bagpipes. Scottish bagpipe music is diverse; most tunes are not dirges. A good piper is prepared to play according to the tone and specific circumstances found upon arrival at the service. A well-constructed memorial event has room for many moods. Sometimes sacred selections are ideal. Melodies from any source may be considered based upon their own special relevance to the family. The bagpipe chanter can play thousands of tunes with only a nine-note range. Some modern melodies can be played on the pipes, but many are impossible to render properly. Quite often, hymns or traditional selections are played at the beginning, but the family saves the best for last: “Going Home,” or “Amazing Grace” to close the service. Pipes can only play at one volume level, so the final piece is presented beautifully if the piper recesses away slowly while playing, leaving haunting echoes for the listener.
Many locations, such as churches, are wonderfully suited for playing the pipes. The acoustics inside large sacred spaces can be very impressive, but the pipes may also be used in smaller venues. The intensity of volume is mitigated in a small church if it is packed with people. The pipes are an instrument of dramatic impact rather than long duration, so it is often desirable to play them indoors to begin and then to conclude a religious service. Outdoors the pipes reign supreme. No other instrument has the same effect at the graveside. Many memorials also include military honors. The typical fashion is to first have final words of benediction, then the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag, followed by the bugler playing of “Taps.” The service is then completed by a final tribute from the bagpipes. Another significant way for the piper to participate is by playing while the casket is lowered. The pipes may also be employed separate from the ceremony for an Irish-style “wake,” or party, at home. Done properly, the bagpipes will enshrine the smiles and tears of this significant day in the majesty of this ancient and noble tradition.
By William W. Don Carlos
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.
Amazing Grace: A Real Highland Fling
The powerful story of the great Highland Bagpipe – Complete Collection
Price: $18.98
Rosewood Practice Chanter, Book & CD
Our most popular practice chanter. This traditional sized practice chanter has an engraved nickeled ferrule & sole and a rosewood body. It is in the key of B-flat. Wood Grains may vary. Played by itself, this is the first step to learning the bagpipes. Includes a reed, book and a CD with teaching methods developed by Pipe Major R.T. Shepard. The book includes photographs of finger positions, exercises, melodies & more. The audio CD tutorial can be used alone or to accompany the book. The CD follows the book from page one to the beginning of chapter 8. The rest of chapter 8 and all of chapters 9 and 10 are not on the CD or cassette tape.
Price: $48.70
A Healthy Bagpipe Band: It’s About Feeling Good
Bagpipes
We’re entering the time of year (in the northern hemisphere, at least) where pipe bands experience a drop in consistently good attendance. For as long as I have played in bands this has been a truth. From January through to March a good whack of the band, a sizable group of people (usually the same), fail to attend, or attend sporadically, due to “busy-ness” – or whatever. Excuses are legion and, to paraphrase Dorothy Parker [she of "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy"], they run the gamut from A to B. The reasons may be unique to those “busy” but to core membership – and every band has a hardcore group of members that keep the ship afloat – they bore.
To be in a constant state of busy, well, that’s a life choice. Playing in a band is a life choice, too. Is the installation of hardwood floors in the new house on a Sunday practice day (instead of a jaunty Wednesday night) a life choice? It’s a choice, for sure. How many family gatherings coincident with practice day can any one person have? Is core membership so devoid of humanity, or personal commitment, that sees them with no family that calls on their absence from band practice? I imagine members of the scary Duggar family have more free time than some people I know who claim a desire to play in a pipe band.
Anyway, I say you can either play in a band – or not. A band is a fragile thing. A band is a crazy little ecosystem. An ecosystem: a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment. Yep. That’s a pipe band. When it comes to a healthy pipe band and a membership that’s firing away on all cylinders I say it’s chronically crappy attendees that are the global warming to the pipe band “ice cap”.
In the reality that is the pipe band world of the 21st century there will always be valued members of the pipe band “ecosystem” that have been granted by membership sporadic attendance status due to distance, or, some seriously extenuating situation. These are exceptions to the rule. A funny thing, from my experience: these exceptions would be “core members” should they reside closer to the pipe band home.
Anyway, in the end, it’s really simple: you can do it – or you can’t.
As I trudge forward, gain a bit of what I hope is wisdom, it seems to me, more and more, that the true definition of a good pipe band differs very little from that sometimes said of a good friendship: one feels better after having spent time with a good friend. So true of a good pipe band, regardless of experience level.
If you avoid pipe band practices – or anything – or anyone – for that matter … time to make a change. If it really is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
Making good music with like-minded people is a very special thing.
One to be treasured – not avoided.
M.
by Michael Grey
A New Kind of Pipe Band
Bagpipes
The last couple of weeks have seen a surprising spike in the disappearance of drum corps leadership around the world. I know it’s a temporary moment of change for all affected bands and a coincidence that so many top bands have experienced big drum corps change but…I wonder.
Should the trend continue – unlikely, I hope – some pipe bands will be put in an unpleasant spot.
What to do with a gap in the snare section?
Greatest opportunity comes from times of change, said the wise man; so maybe that’s what happens. If Highland bagpipers are hard-wired to compete – and I sorta think they are – just maybe that is what happens.
I wonder if the day will come where we see pipe band competition on offer where there’s no requirement to include percussion? A band of pipers. Skirlin’ stylin’. A band of peeps.
Crazy.
M.
by Michael Grey
Hammered – Wicked Tinkers second CD
HAMMERED is the Wicked Tinkers second CD and gets its name from the second tune on the album, “Hammer on the Anvil” (or that persistent pounding you hear listening to their drums and pipes). There are a few tunes and songs that could be considered slow and beautiful, although the Tinkers don’t advocate such things. If you liked the first CD, we think you will love this one. The Wicked Tinkers say “Most tunes on this CD are from the Highlands of Scotland, where the music we love was born. A few of the tunes are Irish (Warren’s heritage), who we feel are brothers to the Scots. Some tunes are Canadian (where our own John MacAdams hails from), a very Scottish place. A wee bit from Australia rounds out the lot.” “We are thankful to all our fans for their support of this unusual music. It is they who help us continue.”
Price: $14.99
I Love Heart BAGPIPES – Window Bumper Sticker
This sticker is perfect for your vehicle, laptop, locker or just about any smooth surface. The sticker is printed on glossy, white vinyl with water and UV resistant inks. Just peel and stick!
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Highland Christmas
Celebrate a Highland Christmas with this collection of traditional carols performed by a bagpipe-led ensemble.
Price: $9.99