There are a number of so called bagpipes out there that can only be called replicas and they would only be good enough to mount on your wall. If you need help to determine if the pipes are good, feel free to reach out to us. This particular article will focus on the Great Highland Bagpipes GHB and it is important that you know what type of instrument you are looking at.
Read on if you already are familiar with the highland bagpipes. The GHB all look very similar, with three drones a blow pipe and a chanter. Drones are typically made of wood, but sometimes made of plastic.
Tonally, most would say that wood is superior, and visually wood typically looks nicer and feels warm to the touch. Another point is that the chanter may not add too much value to your complete set of pipes if you plan to play in a band.
In the end, both plastic and wood present great sound qualities. Obviously the blowpipe is critical to keep the bag inflated. Other systems like the Ross Canister and Bannatyne Deluxe have more complicated hoses and nozzles that fit around the base of stocks. When learning to play, it's best to keep things simple and less involved. The standard tube and bottle trap will work just fine for learning and many experienced players use these models in their own set-up.
All water traps should be emptied at the end of every practice and thoroughly cleaned and dried to prevent the growth of mold. No bagpipe is complete without a set of reeds. The Great Highland Bagpipes have 4 reeds in them. These are interchangeable parts of the instrument that can be changed later on. The chanter reed is the hardest and loudest reed the bagpipe has. It fits into the chanter where your fingers rest to play a tune exactly like a practice chanter.
Bagpipe Chanter reeds are made of cane which is a fibrous and natural material. These reeds thrive on regular playing to stay stable and easy.
These are not the same kind of reeds that fit into your practice chanter. On our website, you'll see various brands available in 3 different strengths. Easy, Medium, and Hard. Beginners always start on an easy chanter reed. This will give the player a chance to become accustomed to the feeling of the strength required to play. Even when ordering an easy reed, you may have to shave more cane off for it to be easy enough for a beginner to play.
It is better to let your teacher or an experienced piper do this. You can always tell us to pick a reed for a beginner in the comments section of your online order, as well as letting us know during a phone call. If practicing regularly and correctly, you'll get used to the strength of your reed very quickly and the reed will likely need to be replaced with a harder easy reed or even a medium. So it is not a bad idea to order an extra reed in a harder strength in addition to the one that comes with your pipes.
The brand and style of reed really depends on your pipe chanter choice. A strong and versatile brand to start out with in my opinion is the Higgins Chanter Reed.
Simply a top-level reed that will preform well in various kinds of chanters. For a beginner, this shouldn't matter too much but you'll want to be sure you get a reed that is compatible with your chosen pipe chanter.
We're always happy to help with any information we can give over the phone or an email. Any cane reed will need to be replaced, but if taken care of and allowed to dry in a reed protector after playing, they can last for years with great longevity.
Concerning drone reeds , you'll want a set of synthetic reeds that don't take much effort to set up. These reeds need to be air efficient and stable from the start of learning. A fantastic brand to start with in my opinion are Ezee Drone Reeds. These reeds are played by numerous gold medal pipers because of their consistent tone and ease of adjustability. Different brands and styles are available but an educated decision should be made by your teacher or other experienced piper.
Cane drone reeds should be avoided by beginners as these reeds are more difficult to work with. This is an investment best made by an advanced player. All drone reeds require customized attention once out of their package. You'll need to adjust them to the appropriate strength governed by your chanter reed and tuning position on your tuning pin. Head to our "Comfortable Bagpipe" blog for more information on setting your drone reeds. Over time, a new piper will build up a maintenance kit that holds all the items they'll need for proper care of their pipes.
A few of the essential items you'll need to get started are as follows:. Carrying Case for the best protection your pipes can get. Soft-sided models are recommended.
Brushes both bristled and fabric brushes are needed to remove debris and moisture. These items are needed for the most basic maintenance that must be performed after every playing session.
Over time, you'll create a kit that has extra tools in it such as scissors, sandpaper files, tuners, mandrels, and more. You can upgrade your arsenal and customize it for any uses that you might have. These items are for the more advanced player who is adjusting multiple bagpipes and reeds with finesse.
Since a beginner will not be using the drones to get started, the drones will be corked off either at the stock or the top of the drone. The lack of constant moisture running through the drones will let them over dry and must have extra hemp added to the pipes to make sure the hemp seals remain airtight.
One of the best things to do when purchasing a set of pipes is to listen to them. YouTube is a fantastic resource for judging the tonal quality of an instrument. It is smart to compare different brands of reeds, pipes, bags, and chanters so that you come up with the sound you want to achieve.
If possible, try a friend or bandmate's set! It is also recommended to ask your teacher or another experienced piper their preference on brands and gauge your choices there. Bagpipes are often made from African blackwood and other related tonewoods such as cocobolo, Mopani, rosewood, cocuswood and boxwood.
The most common type, African blackwood, is most preferred due to its unique qualities, which produce a greater-than-average tone. It tends to be more expensive due to its maturity, availability and seasoning time, according to Lyons Bagpipes. The bagpipe, when purchased, will be made up of many different parts, mainly the drones, blowpipe, the pipe chanter and the bag.
New R. Results Pagination - Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 You May Also Like. Great Highland Bagpipes Bagpipes. McCallum Bagpipes. Professional Bagpipes. Bagpipes belong to the wind family These pipes are musical instruments that are included in the wind family. How do you learn to play the bagpipes? Bagpipes have unique parts Pipes have various parts that are used for blowing air in and out, producing certain notes, tuning the pipes, and holding the pipes in place.
Chanter - The chanter is the pipe that has holes that the player fingers to produce the melody. Drones - There are three of these pipes: one bass and two tenors, which act in harmony alongside the chanter. Blowpipe - The player blows air into the bag via the blowpipe. Reeds - The reeds inside the pipes produce the notes when the air is moved over them.
Cords - The cords are used to hold the drones in certain positions and are often decoratively displayed. Bag - The bag acts as a reservoir for air.
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