The Three Ways You Can Learn To Play The Uilleann Pipes

If you wish to learn how To play the Irish uilleann pipes
there are three avenues of tuition you can take. This is
assuming that you have already acquired a practice set of
Uilleann Pipes to play.

The first method of tuition is to get lessons from a teacher
in your area. This may sound logical but finding an
Uilleann Pipes teacher will depend on what part of the world
you live in. As Irish Traditional Music become popular
spreading all over the world there are now people interested
in and playing Irish music on the Uilleann Pipes in Japan,
Australia, Germany and the U.S.A to mention just a few.

If you live in Ireland where the pipes originate it is easy
enough to get lessons in Dublin, Cork or Galway. Yet even in
Ireland you may have trouble finding a teachers in Donegal,
Kerry, or Lietrum. The main Piping association in Ireland is
Na Piobairi Uilleann or N.P.U for short. They have a data
base of all their members who teach. They also run the
piping classes at the “Willie Clancy Summer School” which
has one full week week of teaching Uilleann pipes every
year. Classes in Dublin through the school term and organize
piping weekends around Ireland with the help of their
members. If you live outside Ireland and wish to get lessons
from an Uilleann Pipes teacher things get a lot harder. Your
best bet is to find out where the nearest pipes club is to
where you live. If you are in the Boston area of the U.S.A.
for instance there is a Boston pipers club you can go to for
lessons . But if you live in Idaho U.S.A. you may have to
travel hundreds of miles to find a teacher.

The second way to learn Uilleann Pipes is by purchasing a
tutor Book or CD/DVD tutor. For the piper who lives in an
area with no teachers this is their main method of teaching
themselves. There are now many self teach tutor books for
the Uilleann Pipes on the market, This shows how popular the
Uilleann Pipes have become in recent years. Some-tutors have
been around for many years and give basic to advanced
methods of playing the instrument with tunes for you to
play. The more modern tutor book have an audio c.d. included
in the package. This has the advantage of the pupil being
able to follow the music aurally as well as with the
notation. It also helps with tuning the pipes and keeping
the correct tempo. Some tutor books also have alternative
notation for pupils who can not read music. The tutor with
the c.d. included is therefore the one that most teachers
would recommend to pupils who have no way of face to face
tuition.

DVD and Video tutors are now on the market and these have
the advantage of being able to see on the screen how the
tune is being played by the performing DVD teacher. As the
DVD and Video is recorded in real time you do not get as
many tunes to learn as you would from a printed book. You
must also be honest with yourself when deciding what level
of skill you have before you make your purchase. If you are
a beginner on the pipes and buy an intermediate DVD/Video
you will get a great shock as you may not be able to play
anything on it. It can take many years to get to an
intermediate level on the Uilleann Pipes so know you skill
level before you purchase. Most DVD/Vidio tutors for the
pipes come with notation and finger charts. Therefor you
have the advantage being able to see the tutor and read the
music. Piping DVD’s and Video’s are now as popular as the
tutor with audio books.

The third method that can help you is on the internet. This
can come in many forms such as - tutor and information web
sites, uilleann pipe blogs, piping audio and video links.
some sites are free while others want a fee. Video of
pipers is put up on myspace or Utube and there are many
piping club web sites from all around the world who chat and
swap tunes with each other over the internet. Some tutors
even teach by video conferencing.

With all this help available a budding piper should be able
to find a suitable method of tutorial to help them “Learn To
Play The Uilleann Pipes.

I am a tutor of the Uilleann Pipes who travels Europe, USA
and Canada teaching and playing Irish music.

Did you find those tips on Uilleann Piping useful? You can
learn a lot more about how my free web site tutor can help
you http://www.uilleannpipestutor.com here.

Elvin Moynagh on Irish Uilleann Pipes at Fleadh Nua

Dublin uilleann pipes player Elvin Moynagh plays a set of reels, ending with "The Bucks of Oranmore". He was recorded at Fleadh Nua in 2005.

Leo Rowsome

The following extract is taken from the book "Irish Minstrels and Musicians" written by Captain Francis O'Neill. The book was first published in 1913.

Murder will out, and so will music, and, though the days of fostering patronage and encouraging recognition are past, the divine art, whether begotten of nature's whim, or vitalised as a manifestation of the laws of heredity, may be relied on to find some outlet for expression, but it will be noticed that environment and opportunity have much to do with determining the favoured instrument.

To maintain the traditions of his family, what else could this promising scion be but an Irish piper, his father, and grandfather, before him having been worthy representatives of the class ? Had they been fiddlers, no doubt he would have followed in their footsteps. Still we must rejoice in his choice, for, while we are likely to have with us always raspers, fiddlers, and even violinists, we cannot but regret that performers on the Union or Irish pipes-the real national instrument of the people-are declining in numbers year by year and may eventually become extinct, like the harpers, their predecessors.

This young musical aspirant, on whom will depend to a considerable degree the preservation of his art, is the eldest son of William Rowsome, piper and pipemaker of Harolds Cross, Dublin, and grandson of Samuel Rowsome of Ballintore, Wexford, elsewhere mentioned.

Born September 25, 1895, he commenced his musical practice under his father's tuition when but twelve years of age. Such was his on both chanter and regulators that he won many prizes, and had been highly commended for taste and style by. the best judges of pipe music, though but a boy of only, sixteen birthdays.

If appearance counts for anything, we are justified in assuming that the future has no small distinction in store for him. The instrument on which he is represented as playing in the picture was manufactured by his father, and is of full tone and concert pitch, blending harmoniously with violin and piano.

Aidan Jefferies Pipes

Pipemaker Adrian Jefferies makes Mada Rua Irish Uilleann Pipes and Scottish Small Pipes. Originally from Carrickfergus County Antrim and with over 20 years experience Adrian has returned to County Antrim after being based in Australia for many years.

Mada Rua Uilleann Pipes are based on D & C pitched sets of traditional design made in Ebony. The internal dimensions of the concert pitch D sets follow those of contemporary wide bore concert pitch D, while the narrow bore D and C sets are built in the pattern of the narrow bore pipes of the 18th/19th century. The mounts and fittings are made from brass (with optional nickel plating) and Boxwood mounts. Bags are robust and made from quality chrome tanned leather fastened with rivets. The bag covers (unless otherwise requested) are made from velvet with an ornate trim. Likewise the bellows are made from high quality, heavy gauge leather and suitable hardwood boards with brass or nickel pins. All instruments are constructed to high standard, fitted with reeds, played and adjusted/tuned.

Mada Rua Small Pipes are based on contemporary designs of Scottish Small Pipes and pitched in A or D. These pipes are made in Ebony or Cocobolo with brass (optional nickel plating) and Boxwood mounts. The bellows use a similar but slightly smaller pattern to the Uilleann Pipe bellows described above.

Some Uilleann Pipe Makers

• Welcome to the website of pipemaker Martin Preshaw
• Claddagh Musical Instruments - Makers Of Traditional Irish Uilleann Pipes and Bodhrans
• Uilleann Pipes Reed Making Guide
• A celebration of uilleann piping/ pipemaking in the Rowsome family since 1820
• Ray Sloan - Uilleann PipesHand Hand crafted Irish Uilleann Pipes made from African Blackwood with Imitation Ivory or Boxwood mountings.
• Dooleypipes - Technical advice on Uilleann Pipes and Reeds - Your best guarantee is my reputation, craftsman made!
• Martin Preshaw is a pipemaker with his heart in the history of the instrument and his head in the future
• Over the years Alan Logan of "Logan Pipes", has built up a world-wide reputation for quality and tone.
• Marc van Daal Uilleann Pipes - Our concert pitch sets of uilleann pipes are handcrafted from the finest woods.
• Pipemaker Adrian Jefferies makes Mada Rua Irish Uilleann Pipes and Scottish Small Pipes. Originally from Carrickfergus County Antrim and with over 20 years experience Adrian has returned to County Antrim after being based in Australia for many years.