| |
Giving the bagpipes a try on Prince Edward Island
By Stanton H. Patty
Special to The Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2002900114_webbagpipelesson02.html
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, Canada — "Where can I take a bagpipe lesson?"
Matt McInnis, a young P.E.I. tourism officer, looked puzzled.
"You're serious, aren't you?" he asked.
"Definitely."
"Well, then, I'll look into it," Matt promised.
A couple of days later I had an appointment at the College of Piping and Celtic Arts of Canada (www.collegeofpiping.com).
The college, said to be the only year-round institution of its kind in North America, is in Summerside, a historic maritime community on Northumberland Strait.
It was a bright Saturday morning when I reported to class at the College of Piping. The clerk gave me a look that seemed to say, "You would look funny in kilts."
Then I was introduced to my instructor, Nick Van Ouwerk, a 17-year-old piping virtuoso, who looked princely in kilts.
"Van Ouwerk? Doesn't sound Scottish or Irish."
advertising
"Dutch — half Dutch, half Scottish," Nick explained.
First, the anatomy of a bagpipe . . .
"You blow in here, and the music comes out here — and here — and here. Right?"
"Something like that," the teacher replied.
The bagpipe's parts:
The piper blows into a pipe that looks something like a stripped-down clarinet without keys. That's called the chanter. The chanter has seven finger holes and a thumb hole.
The notes one plays with the chanter are sounded through the "loudspeakers" of the bagpipe — three extensions called drones, two tenor drones and a bass drone with this particular bagpipe.
"Got it."
"First, we must fill the bag with air," Nick said.
He handed me a blowpipe (a pipe without finger holes) to inflate the air bag deep inside the bagpipe assembly. There's a sort of one-way valve in there to prevent the new air from escaping.
The inflated bag provides the "air power" needed to play the music. You squeeze the bag with your left arm and elbow as you make music with the chanter. .
"Aren't you dizzy from filling the bag?" Nick asked as I puffed on the blowpipe.
"Not a problem. I used to play trumpet, in big bands, symphony orchestras and an Army band.
"That may be of some help as we go along," Nick said.
Soon the bag was full, and I was ready to play a little tune.
Nick showed me how to cover the chanter's holes, with the middle joints of my fingers, not with three fingertips as with the trumpet.
"This could be a problem for a trumpet man."
I tried a few notes.
Nick winced.
"What key am I in?
"Sort of E-flat, I think."
More notes, really squeals and screeches. My efforts produced sounds rarely heard beyond the combat of furious felines.
"Not too bad," Nick said comfortingly. "You'll eventually get the hang of it."
I surrendered the bagpipe a few minutes later.
"Nick, how long would it take me to be able to play a song on the bagpipe, if I kept at it?"
The young piper paused, then smiled.
"Maybe a year," he said.
I'll stick with the trumpet.
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
|
|
