Hawaii group offers lessons in bagpipe, Celtic drumming

When the USS Enterprise sent Spock’s body into deep space at the end of the film “The Wrath of Khan,” the scene is punctuated by a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

Celtic Pipes and Drums of Hawaii may not be as “far out” in their performances, but the organization is about as close as it can get on this planet.

“Scottish bagpipes in the middle of the ocean is kind of unusual,” said Gregory Kim, an attorney who plays with the organization. “Also, we’re multi-ethnic. We are probably the most diverse bagpipe band in the country. We have Koreans, Japanese, all groups,” said Kim, who is of Korean ancestry.

Established in 1985, Celtic Pipes and Drums Hawaii has about 20 members, including pipers and drummers. The organization is offering introductory lessons on the instrument, with classes beginning Oct. 26 and meeting weekly from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Wednesdays at a downtown practice location.

Kim, 59, has played bagpipe for about two years. He claims no particular musical expertise although he did play trombone as a child, resurrecting his skills recently for fun before turning his attention to the bagpipe.

“It can be a challenging instrument, but if you practice you can get on to this. It’s just a matter of practicing every day,” Kim said. “There is a misconception that it’s really hard and people can’t do it, but that’s not true.”

Learning to play a bagpipe, like learning any musical instrument, takes time and commitment. Beginners learn on a small instrument called a chanter, a recorder-like device that enables the performer to hit the nine pitches used to play melodies. At that point, there are no bags and no drone pipes, the loud pipes that keep up the continuous moan that is distinctive to bagpipe music.

Once one has become proficient on the chanter, it’s time to get a full bagpipe, which can cost at a minimum $1,500 and often $2,000 to $3,000, Kim said. “You don’t want to do that unless you’re ready to play it,” he said.

That’s only the half of it. Once you get the bag, with the drone pipes, you have to learn how to breathe. That’s not such an easy skill for people who might naturally breathe along with their movements or even their emotions.

“The tempo of your breathing is different than the tempo of the song,” Kim said. “You’re not blowing the same rhythm as the song because you’re just trying to keep a bag full of air.”

Bagpipers have to learn to squeeze the bag with their arm when they’re not blowing into it, to keep up a steady flow of air to the chanter and the three drone pipes, but stop squeezing when they’re trying to fill the bag with air.

“It’s kind of like tapping your head with one hand and rubbing your stomach with the other,” Kim said.

The last step, if you’re going to play with Celtic Pipes and Drums Hawaii, is to learn how to march. The organization often performs at parades and festivals, and bagpipes seem especially appropriate for patriotic events such as the Fourth of July.

“You’re marching to the beat of the song, but that’s just another movement that you have to incorporate,” Kim said. “You have to learn it one step at a time.”

The last requirement is understanding neighbors. The group has a semi-secret downtown practice location “so that we don’t kill the neighbors,” Kim said with a laugh. “The decibel level is pretty high.”

Kim had always liked the bagpipes and decided to take lessons after meeting a band member at a graduation ceremony. He thinks the volume of the trombone and bagpipe attracted him. “I think it’s in my personality, and the good thing about the bagpipe in comparison to the trombone, is that you can be a one-man band.”

“There’s also something very deep and meaningful about bagpipes. It seems to bring out feelings in people, whether it’s at a memorial, or even a happy ceremony like a wedding. People get emotional about the pipes.”

Celtic Pipes offers lessons at just $10 per month. Students are expected to have their own practice chanter, which can be ordered online for about $70. Courses in Celtic drumming also are available and can be arranged separately. Visit celticpipeshawaii.org or call Tina Yap at 537-5400 for information.