#BostonWeekend 20x Sat PIPES 1-4 International #Uilleann Piping Day from 1 to 4 p.m. at Arts at the Somerville Armory. Free. Learn about (and try out!) the iconic Irish “uilleann pipes” right in #SomervilleMA https://artsatthearmory.org/events/international-uilleann-piping-day/ #Ireland #Irish #Boston #Pipes #UilleannPipes #Bagpipes #IrishPipes #BostonMusic #SomervilleArmory
International Uilleann Piping Day - The Center for the Arts at the Armory

International Uilleann Piping Day, a global celebration of the unique Irish pipes, is aimed at raising awareness of this iconic Irish instrument.

The Center for the Arts at the Armory

@HisAndHearsePress
The #GreatHighlandBagpipe is from #Scotland. That is the one you see most often in parades. The #Uilleann #bagpipes are Irish, and you see those most often played by #Irish folk musicians.

The GHBs require the player to constantly blow up the bag. It only has nine notes, so they can't play tunes with rests/breaks or >9 notes in them. Their HUGE volume is actually from on *tiny* wooden reed, built like an oboe reed, that's about the length of a U.S. quarter.

The Uilleann pipes can play a wealth of notes. Their bag is kept inflated using a kind of bellows under the left arm of the #bagpiper.

The composer for the film #Braveheart did not realize the musical limitations, so the #music he wrote for the film could not be played on #Scottish pipes. The theme you "see" the #piper playing in the film is actually being played on a Uilleann #bagpipe.

Be sure to check out this video, where #AllyThePiper demonstrates how bagpipes work.

https://youtu.be/VMyO2z4qLvs

How Bagpipes Work

YouTube

Last night we had the annual owners meeting for the residence my new apartment is in. There's a meeting room with a piano, and it was confirmed that it's also used as a music practice space. So I'm free to play my instrument there.

Luckily no one asked what the instrument was.

#Uilleann #Pipes