ProgressSo for today's lesson, I have a short and slow song. It comes from a poem written by Robert Burns which its tune comes from another traditional Scottish tune. The poem isn't really as important to a piper than the music but might as well have them in any case someone wants to sing the lyrics whilst another plays the tune. Scots Wha Hae Wi' Wallace Bled By: Robert Burns Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled, Scots, wham Bruce has aften led; Welcome to your gory bed, Or to victory! Now's the day, and now's the hour; See the font o' battle lour; See approach proud Edward's power- Chains and slavery! Wha will be a traitor knave? Wha can fill a coward's grave! Wha sae base as be a slave? Let him turn and flee! Wha for Scotland's king and law Freedom's sword wil strongly draw, Freeman stand, or freeman fa', Let him follow me! By oppression's woes and pains! By your sons in servile chains! We will drain our dearest veins, But they shall be free! Lay the proud usurpers low! Tyrants fall in every foe! Liberty's in every blow!- Let us do or die! Now here's a link from YouTube to a group that recorded their playing of the tune. You may use the recording to supplement your playing the tune to get an idea of what the tune sounds like. Now for the playing of the tune. Below is the sheet music and a short little note.
ReflectionThis song I played a little then reviewed with my tutor. Though I already knew the song (but not the lyrics), I still had trouble playing it but he played with and I was able to play it fairly well. Funny enough was that even he was occasionally making mistakes. it only goes to show that practice is necessary and not something to be overlooked. always try to practice.
0 Comments
Progress Now that the basic notes are established, we must learn the embellishments which help to keep songs sounding more vibrant than plain and monotone. The below is a photo I took of the embellishment exercises from The College of Piping which an outstanding academy that teaches amateurs to experts to improve their piping skills. These are found in almost all pipe songs. The image that I was given permission to take does not include grace notes. Play these at a slower speed and keep that speed in order to be consistent. This is the boring and gritty part of learning any instrument. Practicing these at least half an hour a day will improve your piping skills. Not only will these exercises improve your ability to play and read music, these will be used throughout your piping experience. The embellishments and grace notes are found in just about all piping music. Essentially, grace notes are notes that are played in a rapid manner. Do note that grace notes cannot be played when playing a higher note. An example would be with a F note with a D grace note. These should be consistently practiced as even experts and pipe majors also practice these every single day, not just beginners. The embellishments (below) should also be practiced in addition to the grace notes. Have patience with yourself while you practice. If you give up as soon as you start, it will be much harder to learn not to mention the increase in time to learn. So remember, practice these daily for at least half an hour. Try to get some change. Don't just play the scales by memory but by reading. ReflectionOverall, I didn't think I would have to practice these first. I knew they existed but I didn't know I had to play these first. Now, I have to practice these and get used to the fingering. However, I have not been practicing. I learn these from a piper who pointed me in a good direction. In the near future, I will finally contact a tutor who can teach me to properly play. I am excited to learn to play from an actual pipe instructor instead of what I think is necessary. With this in mind, I don't believe I will be able to play any songs this quarter with the grace notes or embellishments. Hopefully, I will be experienced enough to play in the next quarter.
ProgressThis song is fairly simple yet has a distinct tune. For now, just play the major notes which are the quarter, eighth, half, and three quarter notes. Listen to the YouTube as it has Paul McCartney's voice singing and a pipe instrumental at 1:35. This will help you to play. Take your time with playing as this will help you to play Again, repetition will help you to recognize notes and play with accuracy. Try to read the music and play accordingly. It is a fun little tune so enjoy it. I believe it is not very complicated to play once the tune is comprehended. ReflectionI am disappointed that I will not be able to give a personal video tutorial of how to play this song. I am limited by Weebly as a video size must not exceed a certain size or I must play for an upgrade. Fortunately, I know y'all are able to play this with no trouble and can begin to play songs in addition to being adept with reading music. Please leave a comment below if you have a song in mind that you want me to share for everyone else to play. Hopefully in the near future, I can get in contact with a pipe tutor and I can receive lessons that I may instruct everyone else to play their own pipes. Take care everyone.
ProgressBy now, I am expecting for you to have a practice chanter in order to practice playing. To begin, let's go over some basic music theory. Music theory is the study of sound, rhythm, pitch, melody and harmony, and musical notation. Sheet music is a version of musical notation and ranges between eight letters, A-G. One range of A-G makes one octave (a.k.a. key). The GHB only plays in one octave and is mostly, if not, always written in the treble clef. A clef establishes a note in which the octave is set in. The left images is a treble clef. It establishes the G note. There are always 5 lines and 4 spaces in between them. The above and right image is the range of the GHB. It has only nine notes: low G, low A, B, C, D, E, F, high G and high A. From bottom to top, the line notes are E, G, B, D, and F. There are many acronyms such as 'Every Good Boy Does Good' which may help with memorizing the clef. The four spaces notes are F, A, C, and E. If you haven't already noticed, it spells 'FACE' which many, including me, used to aid in memorization. Now to hold the chanter properly. I used the above image to help in memorizing. The chanter is held with both hands and will later rest on the piper's lower left flank when playing the actual GHB, not just a practice chanter. You will use your thumb(LT), index(LI), middle(LM), and ring(LR) finger of your left hand. For your right hand, you will use your index(RI), middle(RM), ring(RR), and pinky(RP) The LT is on the top back hole. The LI is on the top first hole on the front. The LM is on the second. The LR is on the third, RI on fourth, RM on the fifth, RR on the sixth, and the RP on the seventh. When playing, do not use the tips of your fingers as this will make it more difficult to play and probably won't get a proper air seal. Use the pad (middle bone of the fingers) of your fingers to cover the holes. Only the tips of the thumbs are used.
Before I actually show and demonstrate some scales, assemble your chanter and play with the notes. It won't sound too pretty, but it is necessary as it will enable you to play notes. Blow into your chanter on any note and see if you can get a note to play consistently. If you blow too hard, the reed will not play and may be difficult to even get air through. If you don't blow enough, the note may not be consistent or not sound at all. Experiment a little and get used to playing and fingering. ReflectionOverall, I regret not having any photos or videos prepared. It is funny, looking back, how I began to teach myself in the method that I hope others may learn to play. I do feel that this will not be effective for learning however. It took me quite some to learn the air pressure needed and getting used to the finger positioning. I wish I had a tutor as well as anyone who is attempting to learn from me, if anyone is attempting to learn from me. That maybe presently or in the future which I may continue or discontinue to write. Cheers to all of those that learn and enjoy the beauty of music and perhaps even join a club/group/clan or have a job as a piper.
Progress![]() To start, we have to know what a Great Highland Bagpipe (GHB) looks like. The image to the left are the bare basic parts of a bagpipe. Both of the drones play the same pitch, and you do not do much to try and play them as it only require air in the bag to begin sounding. The 'Great Drone' (a.k.a bass drone) will play the same pitch but at a high tone than the tenor drones. The 'Blowpipe" remains in your mouth as it allows you to constantly keep the bagpipe inflated and allow the drones and chanter to sound off. The 'Bag' is where the majority of the components are attached. The 'Chanter' was plays the different notes. Play attention to the airman below and notice his fingers move. By now you should have a practice chanter to learn to play the GHB. If you haven't already noticed from the above video, the GHB are actually pretty loud, and unlike most other instruments, you cannot adjust the volume of the instrument. With a practice chanter, you will not have to worry about sound as much, and you will not stress over the bag and maintaining pressure. As far as maintenance goes, the practice chanter requires little maintenance unless they are the high quality wood and metal chanters. I have a synthetic(plastic) chanter, and it requires little maintenance. The GHB, I am sure, requires a lot of maintenance and care. The reeds, and everything else, should be stored in a cool and dry area. Being a woodwind instrument, it can accumulate a lo of moisture. The reed threads should also be kept in the original state and do your best to not dethread the reeds. I have made this mistake and am finding little to no sound difference, but it is more difficult to place in position. Reeds come in many different colors, styles, and will sound vastly different and can also change the amount of air needed to begin to sound off. ReflectionI am looking forward to the progress that I have made. The next blog will get into the playing of the instrument. Hopefully, my viewers find these useful. I myself am a young beginner and need a tutor. I am simply attempting to teach myself and others how to play. I will also probably purchase more reeds for the blog after the next.
Progress![]() The bagpipes are a simply yet unique instrument compared to many instruments. Like many already in existence, it it a woodwind instrument. For those that do not know what that means, the Great Highland Bagpipes (GHB) and many other types of bagpipes require reed, a thin slip of material. These are usually made with wood; however, some are made with synthetic materials, like plastic. Some instruments, like the accordion and harmonica, require an integral metal reed. These vibrate and make sound with the instrument player's breather or other method of air inflow. Bagpipes do not originate from Scotland as many may believe or figure. The first recorded use of a bagpipe was from a Hittite sculptured stone from millennia ago. Some site even suggest that they have roots from the early Chinese. There is no definite origin of the bagpipes. It is widely agreed upon that Rome was the first to integrate a variant of a bagpipe with the tibia utricularis in their military. Throughout time, it stayed mostly in Europe, England for the most part. It wasn't until after the Dark Ages that the bagpipes rose from the darkness. The English used to the bagpipes to inspire their Scottish and Irish regiments which then began to take a great foothold. The bagpipes in Scotland do not have a specific time when they first emerged, like the rest of the world. Each town had their own piper for a variety of occasions from weddings to funerals. Overall, bagpipes are worldwide spread to even parts of Asia. They have their roots from before Rome from the Hittites. ReflectionOverall, this was interesting to research the history of my favorite instrument. This took me about a couple hours of complete and research. This can be useful as many confront me asking where the origins of the bagpipes have come from. What is interesting is that the pipes can perhaps be found in the Bible as it refers to bagpipes in Daniel 3:5 and other places that say "pipes." to say the least, the bagpipes are a very old instrument. The next blog will begin to go over the actual playing part of the GHB, but I am slightly worried for my own practice as I have been busy lately and been exhausted. I am excited for this part for this part as well. If anyone else has more knowledge on the bagpipes, please share for everyone else to know down below in the comments. Thank you everybody who takes the time out of your busy day to read this.
ProgressAs case being with any instrument, you must have time to practice as well as perseverance through times when you are stressed with trying to learn a new song. If you don't play any woodwind instruments like the clarinet, saxophone, or even perhaps a bassoon, your lips will fatigue. This is totally natural as most do not do anything to exercise these muscles. To work these muscles, practice for a few minutes at a time with a break long enough that allows your lips to feel normal. If you practice too hard for too long, you may find the you cannot utilize your lips for speech. Tutors are difficult to come by in the majority of the United States. If you want to learn to play the Great Highland Bagpipes (GHB), try finding a tutor or even perhaps join a clan. I myself to be unsuccessful with finding either, but I still practice when I can. YouTube can also be a good resource as users such as Bagpipe Master or even Rich Gordon can give tips and video guides of how to play songs. Now, to begin to play the bagpipes, buy a practice chanter first. Do not go to eBay and buy a cheap $100 bagpipes (especially ones made in or by a Pakistani company) as these are fake or are not meant to be played as an instrument. New and real GHBs are easily at least $1000 USD and can even cost in excess of $3000. If you try to play the real bagpipe and not try to learn step by step, you will get discouraged and stop wanting to learn. Practice chanters come in various styles, lengths, and sounds. The practice chanter in the middle and right is the one that I have. Essentially, a practice chanter is a smaller, quieter, and simpler version of the GHB. Use this to practice a new tune and learn the instrument. Practice chanters range from $30-$300 USD. Before we begin to learn to play, you may want to purchase one of these. Do know that different chanters sound different to different chanters and reeds. These also vastly different from the actual bagpipe as well. When you purchase one, try to buy one that is a 'long practice chanter' as these would be the actual length of the chanter on the bagpipes. ReflectionFor now, that is all. Maybe about for hours did this take me to complete this. Looking for prices and pipers took some time. For the next blog, I will begin to go over GHB nomenclature and the nine notes on the chanter. If you guys absolutely have no idea where to go, you can try to email a piper or a clan. More than likely will they be willing to help you one way or another. Please, feel free to comment asking for help or give resources others could use. What do you need help with? Don't be scared to ask for help. I will do my best to assist you and give my best input. Take care everybody.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2017
Categories |