Do You Need To Play Tunes With All The Embellishments?

Why do pipers at all levels obsess over embellishments and deep-and-meaningful expression, when they can’t play to the beat or without crossing noises? 

Mastering the basics – like rhythm, clean note transitions, blowing steadily, and more – may not be the flashy part of bagpipe playing, but it's the essential foundation that makes any progression to higher skills possible. It's a bit like skipping straight to the editing room when we still don’t know how to hold a camera steady in the first place.

You might find yourself wanting to slam in embellishments so you can play with your band faster, or to mimic a cool tune you heard a great piper jam on. But you’ll soon discover that without a solid base and control over what you're playing, embellishments will just sound crushed or mistimed, and detract rather than add to your performance.

All the embellishments in the world won't add much dazzle to something that's already lacklustre at its core. 

Mastering the basics isn't just advisable; it's essential. Check out this week's podcast (link below) as we discuss the importance of mastering the basics before delving into embellishments.