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Piping Programs
PEI Fiddle Camp is very pleased to be collaborating with Tim Cummings and Dr. Ellen MacPhee on a new piping camp experience for smallpipers and Border pipers. The vision for the programs is to allow the advanced smallpiper and Border piper an opportunity to learn tunes and technique, jam with other musicians, and incorporate the spirit of dance in their playing. Ear training, foot tapping, and getting to know your guitar player are all essential pieces of the puzzle.
A Beginner Program is also being offered to Highland pipers who wish to cross over to the bellows and session world! This is our first year, so we’re very open to suggestions and feedback from campers. Please read our Pipe Student Letter and include it with your registration.
Beginner Smallpiping Program
Scottish smallpipes are the smaller, indoor-friendly version of the Scottish pipe tradition. Scottish smallpipes have the same fingering as Highland pipes, but can be played with fiddles and other instruments. They are much less physically demanding than Highland pipes and a joy to play for hours at a time. For Highland pipers interested in expanding their world of piping, this is a special opportunity to become fully immersed into the musical traditions of PEI and to connect with fiddles, guitars, banjos, whistles and accordions. There is a doorway into the world of PEI music and dance, and smallpipes are the key.
Advanced Smallpiping Program
Camp isn’t just for beginners. You full-on tune junkies are also going to love it. We will discuss composing tunes, arranging sets, arranging instrument groups, accompaniment and advanced drone tunings. Playing for dancers and other performance settings will also be highlighted.
Border Pipes Program
Border pipes, also known as Lowland pipes or reel pipes, are the Highland pipes’ quieter cousin. Louder than smallpipes, and with a sound similar to Highland pipes, Border pipes are ideal for larger sessions or acoustic folk ensembles. They also have the advantage of being able to play “cross-fingered” accidentals giving the Border pipe a more chromatic range than Scottish smallpipes.
Tunes from the Borders region will be explored for those interested in a little side jaunt from the more typical Scottish repertoire. Border tunes are often distinct in their own ways, with the occasional use of accidentals (C- and F-naturals) and/or exploiting the Border chanter’s dynamic differences (e.g. quieter high-A).
Ellen & Ward at Maine Fiddle Camp
SPECIALTY CLASSES FOR PIPERS
From the Fiddler’s Ear
A class where pipe students sit down and learn some tunes from a fiddler. Apart from the just learning the tunes, you will explore how ornamentation relates from fiddle to pipes (i.e. a doubling strike is to a cut what a…) Learning to hear the melody on an instrument other than pipes will help you to learn and to play with other musicians.
A’chording to the Pipe Tunes
An accompaniment appreciation class where pipers can play with a guitar or piano player who will explain their approach to accompaniment, answer questions, and chart some chords. We’ve decided to separate the pipers from the rest of the melody players for this one because music theory and understanding accompaniment can be a very new thing for pipers. You’ll know what we mean when you sit down for this one.
Just Droning on…
Special drone tuning class for special drone tunings by special drone tuner, Tim. Hear what we’re talking about.
Highland Pipes
Tim and Ellen are both accomplished Highland pipers. In dreaming up the PEI Fiddle Camp, we mostly had smallpipes and Border pipes in mind, however, if there is interest among Highland pipers to attend camp, Tim will be ready to accommodate. We will seek your input during registration (please tell us what you would like to study).
SMALLPIPE RENTAL PROGRAM
PEI Fiddle Camp has the good fortune of knowing a pipe maker who shares our vision. Nate Banton will be making “beginner sets” of smallpipes available for rental at the PEI Fiddle Camp. These will be what Highland pipers refer to as a “goose” set-up. The beginner set will consist of a bag, bellows, and chanter. These are the normal bags, bellows, and chanters of a full set of smallpipes. The only difference with these sets and a full set is that there are no drones (which are not needed for class, and often not used in jam sessions). The rental price is $50. If the student chooses to purchase a beginner set, the rental fee will go towards that purchase, and drones can be added to the set at any time to make it a full set of Scottish smallpipes.