Uilleann Piping Publications

A Handbook For Uilleann Pipers, 2nd Edition - © Eddie Climo: Preface to the 2nd Edition: The first edition of this Handbook was privately printed in 1996 in a small run of a couple of hundred copies, which were sold by both SWAUP and Na Piobairi Uilleann. It proved quite popular with fellow pipers, but copies have not been widely available for some time now. I decided that this second revised edition should be distributed over the World Wide Web, to save me the hassle (and expense) of putting it yet again on paper, particularly as it now uses a lot more colour than before. It can be downloaded from the SWAUP site and (hopefully) from other piping sites as well. The content of the book has been slightly updated, and the illustrations are mostly new ones. I would welcome contributions for a future edition, as well as corrections and criticisms. I can be contacted either through the SWAUP website or by email at eddie_climo@yahoo.co.uk.

I retain the copyright to these files and the text and images they contain, although the files may be freely downloaded and printed for private use; they may not be printed for personal profit. Piping associations and other traditional music organisations may print and sell as many copies as they wish in order to raise funds for their activities. The files may be made available for download on any musical website, as long as they are in their original form, and a link is made to http://www.swaup.org. I retain the sole right to edit the files for distribution - Eddie Climo, July 2002.

High-Resolution Handbook (2556Kb)
Low-Resolution Handbook (606Kb)

Reedmaking For Uilleann Pipers, 2nd Edition - © Laurie & Eddie Climo: Preface to the 2nd Edition: The contents of this book have been greatly expanded since the first edition, and it now contains a compilation of notes taken by some of the participants at two chanter-reed workshops from SWAUP tionoil in 1990 and 1992. In addition, there are many miscellaneous hints and tips. It still does not cover drone or regulator reed making, although there is a table of drone reed tuning techniques. Some reed oriented material has been duplicated from Climo’s Handbook. The first edition of this book was privately printed in 1991 in a small run of about fifty copies, which were sold by both SWAUP and Na Píobairí Uilleann. It proved a useful addition to fellow pipers’ reference shelves, but copies have not been available for some years now. We decided that this second revised edition should be distributed over the World Wide Web, both to save us the hassle (and expense) of printing it, and to reach the widest possible audience. It can be downloaded from the SWAUP site and (hopefully) from other piping sites as well. As neither of the editors are accomplished reedmakers, we must take credit for any errors that have crept into the methods described. We would welcome corrections and criticisms, and the editors can be contacted either through the SWAUP website (www.swaup.org) or by email at eddie_climo@yahoo.co.uk.

Reedmaking for Uilleann Pipers (Screen Version) (734Kb)
Reedmaking for Uilleann Pipers (Print Version) (731Kb)

We retain the residual copyright to these files and the text and images they contain, although the files may be freely downloaded and printed for private use; they may not be printed for personal profit. Piping associations and other traditional music organisations may print and sell as many copies as they wish in order to raise funds for their activities. The files may be made available for download on any musical website, as long as they are in their original form, and a link is made to http://www.swaup.org. We retain the sole right to edit the files for distribution. - Laurie & Eddie Climo, September 2002.

Hints to Amateur Pipers by Patrick J. Touhey - Edited by Eddie Climo, 2002: Patsy Touhey (1865-1923) was one of the most noted pipers of his day, and one of the earliest whose recordings have survived to the present. A number of his pieces can be found in Francis O'Neill's collections of Irish tunes, but without many details of the ornamentation and elaboration Touhey would have used.O'Neill persuaded Touhey to put on paper some of his thoughts about piping, and this short essay was included in O'Neill's Irish Folk Music published in 1910. Touhey advocates using tight fingering, and his advice is summed up in the essay: 'when the amateur has mastered the scales of D and G, and acquired dexterity in the turns [rolls], rolls [crans] and [tight] triplets above mentioned, he is ready to start to play any kind of music on a full set of pipes'.

Hints to Amateur Pipers (Screen Version) (676Kb)
Hints to Amateur Pipers (Print Version) (675Kb)

Camden Breeze and A Supplement to Camden Breeze - © Edwin Spring are sometimes available at £3.00 each. These booklets contain a total of 113 tunes in settings aimed mainly at beginners, references to published piping notations and recordings, and an outline of some basic piping techniques and ornamentation. They were produced partly as an aide-memoire of what was being taught at the London Uilleann Pipers' Club from late 1983 to around 1990/1 and partly as a way of enabling would-be pipers with no handy club or teacher to make a start with playing the instrument and to establish a recognised repertoire. ( A combined and revised edition is in preparation.)

The benefits of having publications such as Camden Breeze available online are many. Not only will pipers have an easily accessible library of popular tunes to learn, study and enjoy, but also the uilleann piping orientated nature of Camden Breeze, which encompasses common piping techniques and variations, will also prove to be useful. As such, the following tunes, in PDF format, are offered here with a view to adding more material to this library over time.

Sean Bui
Garret Barries Jig
Brian O'Lynn
I Buried My Wife and Danced on Top of Her