Accompanying uilleann pipes
- PJ
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Accompanying uilleann pipes
I've been playing pipes for about 8 years and guitar for about 20. I remember being very impressed by Davy Spillance "Atlantic Bridge" when he paired up with Bela Fleck on banjo and Jerry Douglas on dobro and produced something completely without precedent.
Since then, I've never really be a major fan of the Lone Piper theory (chanter, drones, regs and absolutely nothing else), always preferring another instrument to accompany the pipes. Guitars and bouzukis are the norm, but recently I've played with a friend who plays cittern and I've come to the conclusion that the mix of tuning and tone of the cittern makes it the best accompanyment for the uilleann pipes.
Has anyone come across interesting collaborations between UPs and other instruments?
Since then, I've never really be a major fan of the Lone Piper theory (chanter, drones, regs and absolutely nothing else), always preferring another instrument to accompany the pipes. Guitars and bouzukis are the norm, but recently I've played with a friend who plays cittern and I've come to the conclusion that the mix of tuning and tone of the cittern makes it the best accompanyment for the uilleann pipes.
Has anyone come across interesting collaborations between UPs and other instruments?
- djm
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This is purely a matter of personal taste. You like Spillane. I can't stand him. You like guitar-like strumming instruments. I think it ruins the rhythm. Other collaborations with pipes are flute/pipes, fiddle/pipes. Still, all a matter of personal taste.
djm
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
- Joseph E. Smith
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- Thies
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Just an advice what NOT to try: playing bagpipes close to a church organ. At least my experience with this was quite bad. We were playing with two (french) bagpipes for a wedding and suddenly the organ started to sound, even though it was off. The odd thing about this was that the tone the organ produced was half a tone higher than our drones. sh*t happens!
- djm
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Another combination that some people like is box/pipes. Personally, I don't care for boxes much because of the way their sound swallows up the instruments around them. A good example is "Callan Bridge" with the Vallely bros. You can hardly tell the pipes are there at all.
djm
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
- Joseph E. Smith
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djm wrote:Another combination that some people like is box/pipes. Personally, I don't care for boxes much because of the way their sound swallows up the instruments around them. A good example is "Callan Bridge" with the Vallely bros. You can hardly tell the pipes are there at all.
djm
Perhaps it is the system you play the CD on, but I have no trouble whatsoever hearing Cillian clearly... and I have a 70% loss of hearing in my left ear... too many years playing rock-n-roll parked in front of a monitor speaker.
I have that very Cd I got at the CLW 2005 and it is easily heard. I think that both go well together.
I too play in a group every Tuesday night, here in Montreal that has Lead Banjo( cuts through), mandolin,3 fiddles,whistle, accoustic, and we very seldom have any issues, because we don't get too negatively wound up if we make a mistake somewhere.
After all, life is too short to be a tight-@#$, know what I mean...
upiper71
I too play in a group every Tuesday night, here in Montreal that has Lead Banjo( cuts through), mandolin,3 fiddles,whistle, accoustic, and we very seldom have any issues, because we don't get too negatively wound up if we make a mistake somewhere.
After all, life is too short to be a tight-@#$, know what I mean...
upiper71
- djm
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Yes, its there, but as an accompaniment to the box, not as the lead instrument.
As I noted before, this is all a matter of personal taste, so there is no right or wrong answer. Its what each person prefers. I, too, was initially attracted to ITM by the "big band" sound of The Chieftains, Bothy Band, Planxty, Clannad, etc. I was not "born into the tradition". But the more I listen, the more I find myself attracted to the older style playing, and to solo playing, especially pipes, of course.
djm
As I noted before, this is all a matter of personal taste, so there is no right or wrong answer. Its what each person prefers. I, too, was initially attracted to ITM by the "big band" sound of The Chieftains, Bothy Band, Planxty, Clannad, etc. I was not "born into the tradition". But the more I listen, the more I find myself attracted to the older style playing, and to solo playing, especially pipes, of course.
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
- PJ
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I've a bunch of Seamus Ennis recordings, as well as exhibition pieces from various "young" pipers. I listen to these from time to time, and they're great as learning tools. Solo piping can be great, but only in small doses. I suppose that I'm not a hard core piper - I remember being in Hughes one evening and seeing 4 pipers in the corner all playing together with drones and regs. I thought it was impressive, but I don't think I would manage more than 2 or 3 pieces. On the other hand, just try get me to leave a good session - wild bodhran players couldn't drag me away.
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accompanyment
I love the contrast of the guitar (if played well and complimenting rather than competing) with the pipes. A recent good example IMO, is the Paddy Keenan and Tommy O'Sullivan recordings.
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- daveboling
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