Getting Started

You've decided that the bagpipes stir your blood, and now you want to learn how to play.  Experienced players would never recommend learning to play the bagpipes on your own.  Learning to play properly requires a great deal of dedication and commitment to practice, and the willingness to maintain your bagpipes with diligence. 

The first thing you need to do is to purchase a good quality practice chanter.  Check my LINKS page for some of my favorite reputable bagpipe dealers.  My suggestion for a practice chanter is a standard or regular size polypenco practice chanter with countersunk holes.  The average cost is about $50.00.  Most modern pipe makers produce practice chanters, and make good quality products.  Don't waste your money buying something that seems like a bargain.  Long practice chanters can be somewhat awkward to use.  Also, be aware that there are more expensive models of practice chanters on the market.  You'll generally pay more money for ornamentation such as a ferrule (ring) and/or sole.  There's nothing wrong with this, as long as you understand it's purely cosmetic and has nothing to do with the sound or playability of the practice chanter.  If you like the looks, and have a few extra dollars to spend, they by all means, indulge yourself.  A practice chanter should come with a reed.  Ask the dealer to be sure.  I'd also suggest getting one or two spare reeds to have on hand as well.

There are a lot of tutor books available.  I like "Beginning the Bagpipe" by Sandy Jones, and the College of Piping Tutor.  There is a companion audio cassette or CD available for these books, too.  You will need your practice chanter and book at your very first lesson, so please be prepared.

In order to take lessons from me, you must be at least 12 years of age.  And, you must be willing to devote at least 30 minutes everyday to practice. 

Contrary to what you may be thinking, a student does not start out with a set of bagpipes.  There is some basic finger technique to be learned first.  Once this is mastered, the student learns tunes which will be played on the pipes, while learning to read bagpipe music at the same time.

Students are ready to make the transition to bagpipes within 6-12 months after they've started lessons, if they are doing the required work and practice. 

A set of quality bagpipes is the next investment the student will make, and that's something I generally discuss with the individual student.  The same information holds true for bagpipes as with practice chanters...don't buy something that seems like a bargain, and realize that ornamentation adds to the cost, not the quality.  I'd suggest looking through pipe dealer's and manufacturer's websites for a good understanding of what's available, and how much everything will cost.  In a nutshell, expect to pay an average of $1200 to $1500 to get everything you need.

Also, many people do not realize that there are other pipes besides the highland pipes.  Various types of smallpipes use the same fingering as the highland pipes with reduced volume.  With the reduced volume comes a reduced price, and an instrument which requires less effort to blow.  They're a lot of fun, and can be played indoors with other instruments like guitar, piano, fiddle, tin whistle, etc. 

I could go on and on, but this is the basic information you need to consider whether piping is for you.

By far, most people who quit lessons or fail to make the transition to bagpipes do so because they did not put in the required amount of effort to make progress, and found out it was too much work.  It's not an instrument that's taken lightly, and as such you cannot take your learning and practicing lightly.  Like any other musical instrument, you have got to practice!

A great resource is Oliver Seeler's Universe of Bagpipes, with a lot of good information about getting started, and LOTS of other great information!

Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have.