Due to a combination of going away on holiday for a few days and then falling ill for a few days, there was a week when I didn't get a chance to practice my bagpipes. This is a bad thing at the best of times, but was especially bad given that I was using a hide bag (and, indeed, a hide bag that was nearing the end of its lifespan, and was therefore especially sensitive to drying out).
As a consequence of that, when I finally did get back to playing I found that the bag had more or less completely dried out. And so I thought I'd done myself a mischief in carrying on. Time for a new bag, methinks.
Last night at band I decided to give the pipes one last check before admitting defeat, and indeed the bag was leaking air. So off came the bag cover for a closer look...
At which point the cause of the problem became obvious. One of the cords holding the stocks in place had come loose, leaving a dirty great hole where air was spilling out. Frankly, the pipes should have been completely unplayable, and the fact that I felt terrible after doing so was suddenly explained!
Fortunately, my current band have a policy that they will supply bags for pipers to use, and indeed they had two new bags in stock. So the pipe major and I spent half an hour or so stripping the old bag from the pipes and then fitting the new one.
And then all was well. Hurrah!
(Plus, the new bag is synthetic, which means it will be less sensitive to not being played on a daily basis. Though I'm hoping, and intending, to retain the habit of near-daily practice!)
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