# I want to learn to play bagpipes. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559 "2010-09-13T02:03:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/1 "2010-09-13T02:03:05Z")
But I probably never will. Anyone else wish they could do something they probably ever wont? Pointless, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/2 "2010-09-13T02:04:26Z")
I want to learn to bellydance, and/or do taiko drumming. Actually, in my area, both would be possible, I just don’t have the cash right now. I may get into it when I get a job that pays a living wage. ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/3 "2010-09-13T02:06:22Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > I want to learn to bellydance, and/or do taiko drumming. > > Actually, in my area, both would be possible, **I just don’t have the cash right now**. I may get into it when I get a job that pays a living wage. Same, I’m about to start college and I doubt bagpipes and lessons would be in the budget. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/4 "2010-09-13T02:09:16Z")
You can pick up a chanter relatively cheaply. Work on that for a while and find a set of student pipes online or check with local pipe and drum outfits for used ones. They aren’t really that hard to learn, just some coordination is all. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/5 "2010-09-13T03:18:50Z")
I’d like to field a 20,000 point Imperial Guard army for Warhammer 40K. Time to start painting I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/6 "2010-09-13T03:21:37Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > You can pick up a chanter relatively cheaply. Work on that for a while and find a set of student pipes online or check with local pipe and drum outfits for used ones. They aren’t really that hard to learn, just some coordination is all. I bought a practice chanter in the mid-'80s. It’s extremely hard to blow, and it sounds like something dying. What am I doing wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/7 "2010-09-13T03:57:48Z")
I think it’d be really cool to learn Latin, but how often do you see lessons advertised? ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/8 "2010-09-13T04:12:10Z")
> [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > But I probably never will. Anyone else wish they could do something they probably ever wont? Pointless, I know. Me too, but I’m afraid the neighbors would call the police to report that I’m murdering cats with a vacuum cleaner :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/9 "2010-09-13T04:39:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > [@MikeG](#): > > > > You can pick up a chanter relatively cheaply. Work on that for a while and find a set of student pipes online or check with local pipe and drum outfits for used ones. They aren’t really that hard to learn, just some coordination is all. > > I bought a practice chanter in the mid-'80s. It’s extremely hard to blow, and it sounds like something dying. What am I doing wrong? You gotta wet yer reed mate. I used to play the chanter as a kid and you do need a bit of puff. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/10 "2010-09-13T06:01:47Z")
Sounds like you’ve got a very hard reed, **Johnny**. Is it plastic or cane? If it’s cane, I agree with **Bam Boo Gut** that you need to wet it a bit, and then just keep blowing the chanter until the reed is blown in. Plastic reeds normally aren’t as hard as cane ones, but it may not be properly set into the chanter. As for sounding like something dying - it takes practice, just like anything else. Steady blowing is the key. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/11 "2010-09-13T14:07:38Z")
> [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > But I probably never will. Anyone else wish they could do something they probably ever wont? Pointless, I know. I wanted to, too. Bought a chanter and practice book 18 months ago, but can’t seem to put in the time required to practice with it. Just ain’t gonna happen. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/12 "2010-09-13T15:38:57Z")
I went through a phase of wanting to learn bagpipes, but I am very small and don’t have much lung power (asthma) and I don’t seem to have an affinity for playing wind instruments (I can’t even play an ocarina) so I decided to stick with strings. I have a mandolin that I wanted to learn to play but I haven’t gotten much further than buying the mandolin. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/13 "2010-09-13T15:43:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I bought a practice chanter in the mid-'80s. It’s extremely hard to blow, and it sounds like something dying. What am I doing wrong? No, no, you’re doing it right. It’s the bagpipes! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/14 "2010-09-13T18:20:09Z")
I always thought learning to play the bagpipes would be great, but my wife and son get mad when I just put on a CD of the Royal Scots Dragoon Band, or even Off Kilter. I’ve tried to learn guitar with a “teach yourself…” program, but got hung up when I tried to learn chords. So I dropped back to the recorder, and I had a lot of fun with that. Then I got busy when last spring started, and haven’t done much with it since. But winter is coming, and all the outside work is almost over, so I hope I can do some more with it. I like the idea of the recorder - it’s cheap, it’s small and portable, it’s durable, and it’s at least recognizable as music. Yeah, it’s what they give 3rd graders to learn on, but that’s OK. I figure if they can learn it from someone at the 3rd grade level, I should be able to teach it to myself. Then again, I may have a bonehead for a pupil.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/15 "2010-09-13T18:22:44Z")
> [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > But I probably never will. Anyone else wish they could do something they probably ever wont? Pointless, I know. I want this Thread moved to the Pit. Bagpipes. He probably lives in a multi-unit apartment building. :mad::mad::mad: ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/16 "2010-09-13T18:40:13Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > I’m afraid the neighbors would call the police to report that I’m murdering cats with a vacuum cleaner :eek: _“a tyro playing the bagpipes looks and sounds like a person with a cat under their arm, its tail in their mouth, biting it.”_ Bonus points to anyone who IDs the source of this quote. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/17 "2010-09-13T19:26:30Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > > [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > > > But I probably never will. Anyone else wish they could do something they probably ever wont? Pointless, I know. > > I want this Thread moved to the Pit. > > Bagpipes. > > He probably lives in a multi-unit apartment building. > > :mad::mad::mad: Relax. You can spend the early years [practicing silently](http://www.hotpipes.com/tpipe.html) before moving up to an honest-to-god set of pipes. Even if you use a [standard practice chanter](http://www.hotpipes.com/practice.html), they’re an octave lower (and much, much quieter) than a full set of pipes. ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/18 "2010-09-13T19:43:08Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > I think it’d be really cool to learn Latin, but how often do you see lessons advertised? If you live near a college, contact the classics department and they could probably quite easily hook you up with a student. I wanted to learn Latin a few years ago and while I was in school at the time, I didn’t have the time to take Latin 101 and I wanted to be able to move quickly to save time and money, so I found a guy at the University of Toronto. He was a PhD student in theology of the High Middle Ages and just as odd a guy as that makes him sound. 🙂 I want to learn to play the cello, but I don’t have a good ear so it would be one of the worst instruments for me to try. Plus my hands are tiny. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/19 "2010-09-13T20:44:40Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > I think it’d be really cool to learn Latin, but how often do you see lessons advertised? Check YouTube; there are a number of video lectures purporting to help you learn Latin (like the [Learning Latin with Virgil series](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfxK6fC2v6c). I have no idea if they’re any good, but they’re available for free. Also free is the [Wikibooks Latin textbook](http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Latin). It looks a bit bare-bones, but it’s a start. Me, I want to learn to play the harp. I can wrangle some sort of tune out of most wind instruments, but I’ve never managed anything with strings. I’ve got a lap harp. I just need to replace a string, tune it, and start practicing,..but I’ve never made the time for it. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559/20 "2010-09-13T21:37:04Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > [@MikeG](#): > > > > You can pick up a chanter relatively cheaply. Work on that for a while and find a set of student pipes online or check with local pipe and drum outfits for used ones. They aren’t really that hard to learn, just some coordination is all. > > I bought a practice chanter in the mid-'80s. It’s extremely hard to blow, and it sounds like something dying. What am I doing wrong? Nothing - all practice chanters are hard to blow and they all sound like something dying. And you thought _bagpipes_ were annoying, huh? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-to-play-bagpipes/553559.md?page=2)