Scotland issues new bagpipe rules

Daily India ^ | 7/23/2006

[sionnsar]

EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 23 (UPI) -- Scottish health officials are putting new restrictions on how long people can play bagpipes, because excessive use of the instrument can damage hearing.

The new guidelines suggest that pipers should play for a maximum of 24 minutes a day outside and only 15 minutes a day in a practice room, The Scotsman reported.

The bagpipe, in addition to being a very loud instrument, is also an enduring cultural symbol in Scotland. Scottish soldiers have been known to scare off enemies with noise from bagpipes.

Although military officials support the guidelines -- saying they are aimed at preventing hearing loss in soldiers -- many say the idea is ridiculous.

"If you are practicing to become a serious piper, you cannot do so within these kinds of limits," said Roddy MacLeod, the principal of the National Piping Centre in Glasgow. "You need at least an hour a day on the bagpipes. I'm afraid that 15 or 24 minutes just isn't long enough for practice."

[sionnsar]

MacLeod is right. You need at least an hour a day...

[sionnsar]

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[ccmay]

I smell union featherbedding....

[Lunatic Fringe]

(UPI) -- Scottish health officials are putting new restrictions on how long people can play bagpipes, because excessive use of the instrument can damage hearing.

We're from the government, and we're here to help you.

[EagleUSA]

I didn't know that Helen Thomas smoked a pipe??? :-)

[Danae]

Ya do what my Uncle did. Papertowel wads in your ears....

[eyespysomething]

Bagpipes ping

[P-40]

Scottish soldiers have been known to scare off enemies with noise from bagpipes.

I don't think the enemies left because they were scared. They had other reasons.

[Bosco]

Play uilleann pipes instead. They aren't nearly as loud, can play wider range of music, and you don't have to wear a kilt. No down sides!

[Tax-chick]

bagpipery

[World'sGoneInsane]

You see...first it was the secondhand smoke, now it's music. Next they'll be taking their kilts away...

No restrictions on the fifes and drums??

[Disambiguator]

Earplugs.

[50sDad]

I am so white my skin glows in the dark. It has always bugged me that if I put my music of choice--the pipes!--on full blast in my car, people just ask me to turn it down. I smell a double standard!

[thulldud]

Forget the pipes, play the harp instead.

[TC Rider]

Scottish Gentleman - One who knows how to play the pipes, and doesn't.

[RosieCotton]

The new guidelines suggest that pipers should play for a maximum of 24 minutes a day outside and only 15 minutes a day in a practice room, The Scotsman reported.

Uh-huh. Like that's gonna fly. That's not enough pratice time for any serious musician.

[ansel12]

Learning that bag pipe players can't hear what they are playing, explains so much.







Just kidding guys.

[Michael.SF.]

How do they know when it is time to tune their bagpipes?

[Michael.SF.]

That's not enough pratice time for any serious musician.

We are talking about pipers, not serious musicians.

;)

[IronJack]

Scottish soldiers have been known to scare off enemies with noise from bagpipes.

Are you kidding???? A badly played set of pipes could scare off a swarm of Minnesota mosquitos!