The first question of bagpipe maintenance is: “Is my bag airtight?”
This is a question you should quite literally ask yourself as you pick your pipes...
The vast majority of bagpipers are plagued by hopelessly hard-to-play instruments, destroying any chance of comfortably and confidently playing anythi...
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 ti...
Hemp – the cord we use on bagpipe joints to keep them nice and airtight – can be very finicky.
Day to day, temperature and humidity changes inside an...
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 juggler, but to me that makes ...
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 actuall...
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 cause...
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 a...
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 sneeze...
Grace notes – those tiny, short notes that give bagpipe music decoration and dynamics – are often overlooked by beginner and intermediate pipers as ‘n...
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 they can be quite di...
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, if you examine their...
