I've had a set of bagpipes for six months. I used to be able to have a practice session of half an hour, with frequent rests between songs (I just started, see, so I don't have much endurance yet).
But for some reason, lately, my endurance has gone down the tubes.
For a few months, my lips couldn't form a tight seal around the blowstick, and I couldn't play long at all. But I gradually got better. Now I have a more elusive problem: headaches.
When I play, I get a killer headache in the back of my head, right where my neck meets my skull, usually on the left side. It's an awful pain. But it stops when I stop playing. I did everything my mom suggested. I drank more water and took magnesium.
The reeds aren't taking too much air. That's not the problem.
Or, doctors, do you think that my spine and neck are out of whack, and the hard blowing brings out the pain? (It's happened before, years ago) Should I visit the chiropractor to have it fixed? Please help!
2006-11-11 07:41:58 · 9 answers · asked by Red 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
I do have an instructor. She has looked at my set of bagpipes. There is nothing wrong with my chanter reed or drone reeds. But there was a leak. The bag is being sent back for repairs. That may have something to do with it.
Also, I am a left-handed player (shocking, I know, lol) So the bag is under my right arm. But yesterday, at my lesson, we realized that they had given me a right-handed bag! So the hole for the blowstick is tilted the wrong way, twisting the goose-neck and making it harder to blow.
But I still think that's probably not the whole problem. There may be something else. Any more ideas?
2006-11-12 07:35:30 · update #1
if their is a leak in the bag and the chanter stock was twisted the wrong way that probably is the reason why playing is giveng you a headache.
2006-11-11 15:56:23 · answer #1 · answered by paul 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hope you have an instructor.
Learning to play a set of bagpipes requires developing muscles that you don't otherwise use as much. It takes months to build up strength.
Without physically seeing your set up, I can't be sure, but it is VERY possible that you are playing a chanter reed that is too hard. There is air pressure then there is air volume. A volume problem would be a hole in your bag, your reeds set inefficiently. A pressure problem would be your reed is simply too hard to play. When I try and play a reed that is too hard, I get headaches too.
Get yourself a manometer and check your reed pressure. As a beginner, it should be well under 30" of water. Visit bagpipejourney.com for the article there on how to make a manometer and how to use it.
It's always possible that you have some piping related injury. Speaking from experience, I've found many doctors don't know how to recognize or treat obscure injuries. You might try to find one that specializes in musicians.
2006-11-11 08:42:09 · answer #2 · answered by Andrew L 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have an instructor, have them check out your pipes for air leaks. Pipes require a lot of maintenance and after 6 months, your's probably need some re-hemping on the joints. I'm also guessing that you started out with an easy reed that by now is going too soft and collapsing. This means the lips of the reed are practically touching..ie. flat all across instead of a nice bow. You're working too hard to get them to sound. Or what I see with newbie pipers is that they've chipped the corner of the chanter reed so it no longer seals and takes a lot of air. I hope you have an instructor. An instructor should be able to diagnose this problem fairly easily and help you get your pipes and chanter reed set up for you. Good luck.
cheers,
2006-11-12 02:05:17 · answer #3 · answered by ironbrew 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a bagpiper, or a doctor, but I am a musician and I know that back problems and headaches accompany playing an instrument. Advil, Tylenol, etc., always took care of it, though. Try seeing a doctor first. He may recommend a chiropractor.
2006-11-11 07:49:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-10-03 13:00:30 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES go and see a chiropractor.
Don't go and see a medical doctor first.. a) because they are quite ignorant towards the chiropractic profession and don't know what it *actually* entails and b) they will probably just prescribe you pain meds that your body can do without.
just make sure you find a chiropractor who is cerftified... both my parents are chiropractors so that sort of thing never crossed my mind.. but now that it has I make sure to tell it to everyone! getting some quack who thinks they know what they're doing would be very dangerous!
2006-11-14 13:46:33 · answer #6 · answered by * 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you talking about Bagpipers Whiskey or Beer? If you are addicted to it go and see your care provider immediately-let his diagnose the symptoms you have and treats you.
2006-11-11 07:49:22 · answer #7 · answered by precede2005 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is this a serious question? Are you Ted L. Nancy?
2006-11-11 07:47:14 · answer #8 · answered by manderson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i belive you should see a neurologist
just to make sure
2006-11-11 07:47:07 · answer #9 · answered by omagian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋