Is it possible?

[Sillysausage1968]

.......

[PJ]

... while the bag was entirely free from the left arm....

How can you do this?

[Nanohedron]

... while the bag was entirely free from the left arm....

How can you do this?

He's talking about using the bellows to give sufficient pressure to the bag so that the reeds will sound without squeezing the bag. However, it would seem this is quite a different proposition from the OP.

[PJ]

I understand that he’s talking about using the bellows to keep the air pressure up. I can’t understand how he could play the chanter with the arm clear of the bag.

[Nanohedron]

I'm guessing his arm's under the bag.

[Sillysausage1968]

Yes..a different proposition from the OP but an attempt to highlight the futility of trying to drive a set of pipes with, mostly, the left arm. Early into my piping career I had a cycling accident resulting in broken wrist, clavicle and dislocated shoulder all on my left...playing pipes as I had been instructed was impossible...trying to continue with left arm bias I set up my pipes to play "lightly" but lost almost all the tone and character...building an efficient bellows coupled to an airtight bag resolved everything...ever since I have been attempting to bring pipers round to the idea that the bag is simply an air reservoir and the bellows drive the pipes and a great set of bellows makes playing effortless and enjoyable....the posted YouTube link to Éanna Ó Cróinín demonstrates the point much better than I can articulate it....

[rorybbellows]

How do you control the octaves with the bellows?
RORY

[elbowmusic]

So if you need to increase pressure for tuning or octaves you have to pump the bellows? Becomes a bit like an accordion I'd imagine? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but does go completely contrary to the general way of thinking about bag vs bellows.

[rorybbellows]

Decreasing pressure would be problematic.
RORY

[Sillysausage1968]

.......

[rorybbellows]

..it requires a bag and bellows made with excellence to achieve the technique.... but they have been thin on the ground for sometime....

Would you have any recommendations where to get a suitable bag and bellows.
RORY

[PJ]

I was always under the impression that using the bellows to provide the air pressure was bad for the reed - the pressure changes are more severe. I was told that the bag should never be over pressurized, and using the bellows to push the reed into the high upper octave was a bad habit, to be avoided.

[rorybbellows]

I don't know Sillysausage, you might end up looking like this and some people would think you're better at playing the pink oboe than you are the uilleann pipes.

RORY

[Sillysausage1968]

I was always under the impression that using the bellows to provide the air pressure was bad for the reed - the pressure changes are more severe. I was told that the bag should never be over pressurized, and using the bellows to push the reed into the high upper octave was a bad habit, to be avoided.

That hasn't been my experience...I have never been good at listening to what I have been told....had I....life would have been a whole lot easier no doubt....

[Sillysausage1968]

.......