|
~ Universe of Bagpipes ~  |
|
& Tutorials Review & Purchasing Information  If you haven't read the detailed commentary on the page "What's Needed & Why" you should do so. Here's a brief review, together with further details about the practice chanter and tutorials we offer: If you simply pick up a Great Highland Bagpipe and try to learn to play it directly you will get nowhere. You must start with a practice chanter, a quiet, low pitched reed instrument that more or less follows the dimensions and finger placements of the bagpipe melody pipe (called the "chanter"). You will continue to need a practice chanter for as long as you are piping. You will also need a "tutor" - a book or series of books of lessons, accompanied (these days) by one or more audio CDs. Together, the practice chanter and the tutor are commonly referred to as a "practice chanter outfit." We offer two ways to assemble an outfit. Each uses the same chanter, but different tutors. The best all-around practice chanter we've found is the extra-long "Millennium 2000" by the highly regarded Canadian bagpipe-making firm J. Dunbar, Ltd. (pictured above). The Millennium 2000 practice chanter is turned on a lathe (not molded) from a dense structural synthetic, Delrin (also known as polypenco). It is accurate, very, very tough, feels and looks great, and because of its extra length and belled end, as well as its excellent reed, it sounds much better than the average practice chanter. It uses maintenance-free, clean, airtight O-rings at the joint between the two halves instead of messy hemp (which tends to get pretty nasty on a practice chanter). Like Dunbar's bagpipes, its excellent performance and fine craftsmanship is in pleasant contrast to its modest price. It's a lifetime instrument, and it's guaranteed for life. We sell only Dunbar practice chanters - quite a lot of them - and see no reason to offer any others (not that there aren't other good ones). They do the job most admirably. (Please enquire if you have need of another Dunbar practice chanter model.) US $84.00 |
|
The practice chanter is provided with a very high-quality synthetic reed. These reeds, which are individually tested, will last for an indefinite time - usually until a physical mishap occurs. You can get replacement practice chanter reeds that should work just fine from any bagpipe supply house and even from many large general music stores, on or off line (though some cheaper reeds may be troublesome). So, having a spare reed is not normally really a necessity, though we will be happy to sell you one. On the other hand, if the chanter is going to be used by children, or if you're planning on distant travels or live in a remote place, then having a spare reed is probably a good idea. The J. Dunbar Ltd. Millennium 2000 practice chanter accepts a water-trap, also made by Dunbar. This keeps condensation and spit from collecting around the reed, which eventually might have you sounding like a trumpet-player in a fish tank. Whether or not you will benefit from a water trap is hard to predict, but you can always add it later - installation is simple. Further details are on our Water Trap Page. |
|
No. 1 ~ The Classic "Green Book" This standard, universally recognized classic work is commonly called the "Green Book" (pictured below) and, together with its CD, is published by The College of Piping in Scotland. It has been used as a primary tutor for over 50 years, and most of the world's pipers, great and humble, started on it. It presumes no prior knowledge or musical experience. It consists of 26 lessons. When you have completed it, which can take anywhere from a few months on up to a year or so, you will be ready to start on the bagpipe itself. At some point you will need help, preferably in the form of regular instruction from an instructor, or at the very least occasional sessions with a competent piper. |
The College of Piping Tutor I
Glasgow, 72 pages, 10 X 7.5 inches, softcover
Note: This is the new edition, with minor revisions and a new cover
The College of Piping Audio CD
Seumus MacNeill & Thomas Pearston
|
The Green Book is intended to accompany and supplement lessons by a teacher, but many, many pipers have started in on it alone. How far a student is able to go alone with the Green Book varies, but at the least it will be far enough to get a good feel for what's involved, and to build a solid foundation upon which to continue. The Green Book is familiar to all instructors and to most established pipers, which will be an advantage when you do approach someone for help.
US $30.00 |
|
Purchased separately these items and shipping total US $128.00 Special Outfit Price: $108.00 $9.00 shipping via U.S.Priority Mail |
|
It should be mentioned that there are many other tutors that have been published over the years that are essentially similar to the above College of Piping Green Book. Some are not bad, some are awful, some might even be a bit better. But a problem with all of them is that when you ask a teacher or a piper for help, they likely won't be on the same page, as it were, as you are. At this point the Green Book has become standard. You can't go wrong with it, even if, as is very likely, you will need some help along the way. But perhaps getting any outside help is going to be hard for you because of your location, schedule or other circumstances. Or maybe you just like doing things yourself. Read on - |
|
No. 2 ~ The New "Bagpipe Solutions" by John Cairns There is now another option that alters the picture radically : Master piper and teacher John Cairns of Canada has created a superb multi-volume tutorial called "Bagpipe Solutions" that can carry a student all the way to becoming a competent piper, without the necessity of outside instruction. This is the only such system that exists. For a detailed look, see our page "What's Needed & Why." |
John Cairns' "Bagpipe Solutions"
Volumes 1, 2 & 3, with audio CDs
306 pages, 200+ photos, drawings, diagrams & music
|
The first three volumes of Bagpipe Solutions, each with an accompanying audio CD, cover the same ground - that is, the practice chanter - as the Green Book/CD, but in much greater detail and, most significantly, in a way so well organized and presented that it minimizes or even eliminates the need for outside instruction. Most students should be able to move through the first volume of Cairns, titled "Preliminary Level," quite rapidly. This volume and the next two, "Beginner Level" and "Advanced Beginner Level" together carry the student through the practice-chanter-only phase of his or her piping education. We feel that it will be beneficial for the beginner to have all three volumes on hand from the start, and so we consider them to be a set and offer them together at a reduced price. This also saves on shipping costs. The Set, US $110.00 (This is a savings of $27.00 over individual purchases & shipping) $28.00 each book, $15.00 each CD Shipping via U.S.Priority Mail, $6.00 for a single book with CD |
|
Purchased separately these items and shipping total US $239.00 Special Outfit Price: $194.00 $11.00 shipping via U.S.Priority Mail |
|
Once these first three volumes are completed the fledgling piper will be ready to approach the mysteries of the bagpipe itself, and thus be ready to begin on Volume 4, 5, and 6. On completing Volume 6, the student will be playing the Great Highland Bagpipe. |
John Cairns' "Bagpipe Solutions"
Volumes 4, 5 & 6, with audio CDs
432 pages, 200+ photos, drawing, diagrams and music
|
The Set, US $110.00 (This again is a savings of $27.00 over individual purchases & shipping) $28.00 each book, $15.00 each CD Shipping via U.S.Priority Mail, $6.00 for a single book with CD. With the publication of Volume 6 the second part of John Cairns' brilliant series is now complete. Volumes 4, 5, and 6 carry the student who has mastered f the practice chanter on to the bagpipe. Again, these books and CDs are designed to teach in a way that is otherwise only available by face-to-face instruction. They provide the only path we know of for just about anyone, regardless of geographic location, scheduling demands or financial considertions to become a competent piper on their own. Purchase all six volumes for US $220.00 and recieve FREE SHIPPING (domestic US & APO)! (International customers, please contact us for shipping costs.) |
|
|
|
To help you decide which of the two tutorials is best for you - the College of Piping Green Book or John Cairns' Bagpipe Solutions, we've listed some considerations under the heading "Decisions" near the bottom of our "What's Needed & Why" page. (We keep asking you to read that page ... it's lengthy but it will save you a lot of time, trouble & probably money.) If you have any questions (and there are no dumb ones, by the way), always feel free to contact us. Whether or not you purchase any of the above items, we hope that you have found the information presented here useful and we wish you the best of success if you indeed take up the Great Highland Bagpipe. Thank you for your interest! |
The items on this page are in stock.
|
Please feel free to contact us by email at bagpipes@hotpipes.com or by telephone at (707) 937-1626 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific Coast time (GMT minus 7- 8 hours), seven days per week. We suggest you do so if you have any questions and especially if you have any doubt about the suitability for you of your intended purchase. We're anxious that you get what you need, and we're not interested in selling you something you don't need! We can accept payment in many different ways from just about anywhere in the world: Credit Cards: We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards by three methods:
Other Payment Methods: We cheerfully accept personal checks, money orders, wire transfers, bank drafts, cash and so on. Let us know your preferences (or problems) and we'll work with you. The prices on this site are in U.S. dollars and are current. We never issue surprises in this regard. There is no fine print about fluctuating currency exchange rates or such. You may find some lower posted prices elsewhere, but you will also find dealers who don't update their sites, and/or who add qualifiers to their stated prices, and/or who do not actually stock what they sell, and/or who provide little if any real customer service. Not here. We can offer modest discounts on quantity purchases of some items - feel free to inquire. We stock what we sell. Occasionally there are unpredictable runs on items, and/or short re-supply delays. If an item is going to be out of stock for more than a few days you will find a notice to that effect at the top of this box. Fine bagpipes and bagpipe accessories are made in small lots by meticulous craftspeople, not mass-produced & warehoused, and buying them should not be viewed like zipping down to the 7-Eleven for a six-pack. Feel free to ask us to reserve items for you, even if you're not quite ready to order - it will help us, and avoid a possible delay for you. Domestic (US) Shipping: We usually ship the next business day after an order is received. We normally ship by U.S. Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation, except for small items such as reeds and CDs which are normally shipped First Class. Standard shipping costs are listed with each item's price. We do not attempt to profit on shipping and charge no "handling" fees or such. Our packages are insured by a private company (DSI Insurance) so no signature is required on delivery of most packages. (This also means packages can be left if no one is home - a good thing for most people, but if that might be a problem please let us know.) Priority Mail has been very reliable and fast, taking three days or less to cross the country. If faster shipping is required we can provide Express Mail (two days from here to most US locations) or Federal Express - but be aware that these services are pricey. If you are ordering more than one item, please contact us for shipping costs, which will be less than the total of the respective amounts. We guarantee delivery and in the very rare event of a lost or damaged shipment, we send a replacement first and worry about the insurance etc. later. We ship to APO and other military addresses at no extra charge. International Shipping: If you're not in the US or at a US military address, please email us for shipping options and costs. We ship something overseas just about every day, so we can offer advice based on experience. We send most medium-size packages (practice chanter outfits, electronic pipes, Kitchen Pipes, etc.) by postal Global Priority Mail, which costs only very slightly more than ordinary airmail and is safe and fast. We stand by everything we offer, as do the manufacturers and our suppliers. We sell only properly made, high-quality items in the first place, so problems are altogether rare. In the unlikely event of any difficulties, you will be dealing with us on an immediate and personal level. If necessary, we will deal with the maker or distributor of the item on your behalf - we are a major customer of most of them, and have a bit of clout. We (and the makers of the items we sell) are keenly interested in maintaining our hard-won reputations for quality and excellent service, and we do whatever it takes to keep our customers happy! (707) 937-1626 From 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific Coast time (GMT minus 7 - 8 hours), seven days per week. To Order by Email: bagpipes@hotpipes.com We try to answer all email within a few hours - rarely, a day at most. If you don't hear from us, something's wrong - try giving us a phone call. To Order by Mail: please send your payment to: Oliver Seeler Universe of Bagpipes P.O. Box 447 Albion, California 95410 Please make your check or money order payable to Oliver Seeler. To Order On Line by Credit Card:  Click on the above logo To Order Using:  Go to your PayPal account and initiate payment to bagpipes@hotpipes.com Always feel free to ask questions and thanks for your interest! |
Introduction to the Practice Chanter: What's Needed & Why
Practice Chanter Maintenance: Some Tips And Comments For The Beginner
Catalog Index Page
Universe of Bagpipes Main Page
Email The Universe of Bagpipes: bagpipes@hotpipes.com