How To Start A Pipe Band

Thinking about starting a pipe band?

It's an exciting – and daunting – prospect.

Where do you even begin? There's a bit more to it than just grabbing some bagpipes and drums and hitting the parade route.

A great band needs a strong foundation, a solid game plan, and a whole lot of patience. 

Here are some things you might want to consider to turn that pipe (band) dream into a reality.

Start with Education

Before you even think about uniforms or a snazzy band name, focus on education.

After all, what is the main ingredient a band needs? Players!

And if you're not fortunate enough to have a pool of trained pipers and drummers to draw on, the best place to start is 'growing' your own.

Building a beginner program ensures a steady stream of new pipers and drummers. Best of all, you'll know that they share the same goals and musical foundation from the start.

Instead of launching a full-fledged band, start an organization that can grow. Offer lessons, host workshops, and if you can, bring in experienced players to mentor newbies. Not only does this create strong musicians, but it can also bring in funds through lesson fees. Win-win!

Our "Beginner Factory" is an ideal program to support this, adding money to your band's bank account while supporting your beginners to develop at their own pace musically – and taking some of the teaching load off your plate. Learn more about the Beginner Factory.

Find a Practice Space That Works

Now that you're ready to get started... where are you going to practice?

Playing in your backyard might be fine at first, but eventually, you’ll need a proper space – somewhere with multiple spaces for pipers and drummers to do table practice separately, then come together on pipes and drums for rehearsals.

This is where you may need to get creative – and brave about seeking out an ideal spot to play.

While a local park or outdoor public space might be a great place to start, when the weather turns or the neighbors start filing noise complaints, you'll need an alternative.

It's also ideal to find a venue who might have storage space for your gear – uniforms, drums, perhaps eventually even trophies! (Dream big!)

Community centers, churches, and local halls are all solid options to approach. Many venues are open to partnerships, too – why not offer a few performances in exchange for free practice space?

Alternatively, some venues might charge a small fee that you could offset with income from students paying for lessons. 

Spread the Word: Recruiting 101

You can’t have a band without people. But where do you find them?

Start with your own circle – friends, family, coworkers. They may not all be natural-born pipers or drummers, but enthusiasm counts for a lot! Plus, they’ll stick around longer if they feel personally invested.

Once you have a small group, use word-of-mouth to grow. Encourage your members to invite others. Equip them with cheap flyers or business cards advertising your group, give them a quick spiel to tell others about your band (e.g. "We teach and perform – hire or join us!") and make sure they know who to direct enquiries to when they get promising leads.

It may seem obvious, but it's easily overlooked – be easy to find! Make sure interested prospects can get in touch with you – have one phone number, email address, and website, and get back to people quickly and professionally.

If building a basic website is outside your skill set, don't worry – a simple Facebook page with a few photos and your contact details will be plenty to get you started! You just want to be visible online so people can find you if they are looking. 

Once you're ready to start putting yourself out there – show up at local events, post on social media (yours and community pages), and put up flyers at places like music stores or coffee shops.

You never know where you'll find someone who’s been secretly wanting to learn the pipes or drums!

Naming Your Band: Make It Stick

Picking a name sounds fun... until you realize it’s harder than naming a pet, or maybe even a child!

You want something memorable, meaningful, and, ideally, easy to spell.

But while a fun, tongue-in-cheek name like "Purgatory and District Pipe Band" might get you some attention, think about how it will look on checks, websites, and competition entry forms. Could today's "joke" name cost you gigs or players in future?

While it might seem a bit boring, naming your band after your town, city or area (which people might google when they search for "[your city's name] bagpipes") can maximize your chance of scoring gigs in your area, plus snagging people who are interested in learning how to play. 

Or if you're less worried about marketing, it could be a good idea to tie it back to your community somehow – think of local landmarks, historical references, famous locals, or cultural ties. They could help drum up community spirit and bring in new players in future, too. 

Overall, our advice when it comes to naming – keep it simple, recognizable, and most of all, something your members can be proud of.

Uniforms: What’s Essential?

Do you need kilts? Most likely, yes. Parade organizers and venues booking a pipe band will expect that you dress to "look the part". 

But do you need a full-blown, bells and whistles, ceremonial uniform from day one? Almost definitely not. 

A full pipe band uniform is expensive, and it's rare that a new band would have the funds to kit out an entire group from day one. On the flip side, new players shouldn’t have to break the bank on gear before they even know if they’ll stick with it.

So what's the solution?

Unless you have a wealthy patron or some serious funds from the outset, a good place to start is with an affordable, readily available tartan (Black Watch is a great option) and build from there.

You could put a callout to other bands to see if they have old kilts they can donate or sell for a low rate, or you could encourage your members to buy and bring their own kilts (even if the tartans don't match to start with) and look at investing in a matching set once you have some funds built up. 

Managing the gear is a huge job in every band – so decide early whether uniform purchases will be something the band manages, or if it becomes each member’s responsibility. The latter lightens the financial load on the band and gives players a sense of ownership over their involvement – but you may not attract many new players if they have to make a large upfront investment just to start playing with you.

Speaking of funding...

The Money Question: Dues vs Gigs vs Grants vs...

A band doesn’t run on passion alone – so if you're starting an organization, you're going to need a financial plan.

Most bands fund themselves through a mix of membership dues and paid performances. There's no perfect solution, and every group will have different circumstances that dictate what works for them.

If you're setting dues, it's best to set them at a level that shows commitment from your players, but isn’t so high that it becomes a barrier to joining.

If you're funding your band through gigs, you'll need support to market your group, contact potential clients and organize the events, manage the roster to make sure you have enough players for each gig, have a corps who reliably shows up so your group maintains a good reputation, and then follow up with the clients for payment and to maintain the relationships. All of that requires a lot of work behind the scenes – so offering discounts on dues for those who step up to organize, teach, or play a certain number of gigs might be a good incentive. 

Grants and sponsorships are helpful too – they often come with specific criteria, but can help fund large purchases like drums or uniforms. Search for grants in your local area and make a schedule to apply for them by their deadlines. Reach out to local businesses too, who might be willing to fund certain items or donate money in exchange for gigs, shoutouts, or wearing their logo on your band shirts or drums. Some bands, even at the top levels in the world, have such great sponsorships that their bands are named after their sponsors – that's a sweet spot to be in! 

If you're based in the US, you may also want to apply for a 501(c)(3) status, which classifies your pipe band as a non-profit organization – this allows tax exemptions and the ability to take tax-deductible donations, but requires your band to follow certain rules around profit and distribution of funds. Many bands do this for the financial benefits it can bring. 

There's no silver bullet when it comes to raising money to build your new band – but finding a combination of these to suit your circumstances is a good start.

Our Dojo University Partner Program offers your band an income stream while giving your learners and players world-class musical development. Learn more.

Build a Leadership Team

Running a band isn’t a one-person job. If you want a strong, successful, sustainable pipe band, you'll need to build the right leadership team.

Start with musical leaders – a solid Pipe Major, Pipe Sergeant, and Drum Sergeant. They'll pick tunes, lead practices, and set the standard.

Then, add organizational leaders – a Band Manager, Treasurer, and Quartermaster. They'll handle logistics, money, and gear.

Ideally, you'll want to find people who are skilled, reliable, and team players. Clearly define roles. Communicate often. And check in regularly to make sure everyone is sharing the load – if you can't delegate, you'll burn out, and if everything keeps falling to the same few capable people, you're likely to lose them. 

Strong leadership will keep your band focused, motivated, and growing. It builds camaraderie, attracts members, and will keep your new organization thriving as you go from strength to strength. 

The more structure you have early on, the smoother things will run as your band grows.

Don't Reinvent the Wheel

You don’t have to figure everything out alone. Tons of resources exist to help bands get started.

Online platforms (like ours here at Dojo U) and tutors can offer structured lessons, so new players can learn at their own pace. Established bands and organizations are usually very happy to help out, offer mentorship or advice, and to help out where they can – the pipe band community is a wonderfully supportive one, all around the world.

Wherever possible, connect with others who’ve been there before. Learning from their successes (and mistakes) can save you a lot of headaches.

Here at Dojo U we've set up a program specifically to help band leaders connect, learn and grow! Join our Leadership Club – a global community of piping and drumming leaders connected for ongoing advice and support.

Every great band started with just a few passionate people and a vision. Why shouldn't the next one be yours?

Check out this episode of Dojo Conversations, where we dive into more detail about how we'd start a pipe band...