The first question of bagpipe maintenance is: “Is my bag airtight?”
This is a question you should quite literally ask yourself as you...
The vast majority of bagpipers are plagued by hopelessly hard-to-play instruments, destroying any chance of comfortably and confidently playing...
OK, are you ready for the #1, top secret, most amazing reed manipulation trick in the world?
This trick will make you sound incredible 100% of the...
Hemp – the cord we use on bagpipe joints to keep them nice and airtight – can be very finicky.
Day to day, temperature and humidity...
Imagine someone came up to you and said, “No matter how hard I try, I just can’t juggle 5 balls in the air.”
I’m not a...
Did you know that embellishments aren’t just a collection of grace notes mashed together?
They may look that way in sheet music, but they are...
Pipers at all levels can find pesky crossing noises creeping into our playing.
Do you know the different kinds, how to eliminate them, and what...
When you prepare for solo competition, usually one question is on your mind: what will the judge be listening for?
Will they be able to tell if you...
Do you ever find yourself struggling so much with a hard reed that you feel your throat close?
The feeling is similar to when you accidentally...
Grace notes – those tiny, short notes that give bagpipe music decoration and dynamics – are often overlooked by beginner and...
Birls – rapid pinky passes over low G – are embellishments that you’ll have to learn to play in a band or as a soloist.
Although...
When you were first taught to play, I’m guessing one of the first things you learned was the “right” way to hold a chanter.
Yet,...
