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LESSON 8: UILLEANN PIPE A & LEGATO

Watch the video below to learn to play A and then try the exercise below. Take your time and double check to make sure you are playing each note correctly before moving on to the next lesson.

​Things to Remember:
​
  • ​Use the pads of your fingers, not the tips.
  • If the chanter makes a squeaky harsh sound that means your not covering the holes well enough.
  • Your fingers should be arched slightly, but be mostly straight. 
  • Take your time and don't rush.
  • Chanter bottom should be against your leg.
  • Keep fingers relaxed.
  • Don't worry too much about tuning, you will learn that later.

A Exercise 1

Close the chanter hole in between each note.

A-G-F#-E-D & Legato Exercise 1

In music performance and notation, legato [leˈɡaːto] (Italian for "tied together"; French lié; German gebunden) indicates that musical notes are played smoothly and connected. That is, the player makes a transition from note to note with no intervening silence. This basically means you won't close off the chanter between notes. Many Irish musicians refer to this as 'Slurring.'
This will feel a little funny a first, but you will get use to it and you will eventually actually find it easier to play legato rather than closing the holes between each note.

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