Dojo University: What Should I Do?

If you're learning the pipes from scratch, you'll want to start with the Piper's Dojo Beginner's tutor. The tutor teaches you the essential fingerwork on the practice chanter, and there is an attached community area for you to ask questions and post recordings for feedback.

Once you're "up and running" a bit on the practice chanter, we recommend beginning to digest the 11 Commandments, the Bagpipe Freedom Process, and playing a bit of the Tunes of the Week, all of which are discussed above.

If you've got access to a set of pipes and want to learn to get up and running on the pipes, you'll want to start with the Transitioning to the Bagpipes Course. This is a step-by-step course teaching you what to do with your bagpipes on the very first day, all the way through to how to produce a well tuned sound.

As you are transitioning to the pipes, don't neglect participating in the various aspects of the "Dojo Way" - Learn and implement the 11 Commandments, adopt the Bagpipe Freedom Process, and play the Tune of the Week, every week!

At the Dojo we believe that your pipes should never, ever feel too hard to play. If your pipes are in need of a re-vamp, it's all about the Transitioning to the Bagpipes Course. This is a step-by-step course teaching you to break down your bagpipes, and build them back up again; this time optimized for comfort and confidence.

As you rebuild your instrument, don't neglect participating in the various aspects of the "Dojo Way" described above - Learn and implement the 11 Commandments, adopt the Bagpipe Freedom Process, and play the Tune of the Week, every week!

Many pipers dream of making it into the pipe band. But there's a lot of tunes to learn! Will you be good enough to make it? What should the plan be?

1. First things first: Don't neglect the Dojo Way. Embrace the 11 Commandments, work towards Bagpipe Freedom, and keep playing that Tune of the Week!
2. Next, integrate your specific band tunes you need to learn into your daily, well-balanced practice sessions. Use the Tune Building Process to help you learn your band tunes right the first time, and to memorize them as soon as reasonably possible.
3. Need help with aspects of your band tunes? Post some recordings of them to the community and we'll be thrilled to help you improve.

Remember, it's better to develop good musical habbits than to "cram" to make the band while developing bad ones! A little patience will go a long way. 

Solo competition can seem like a big scary thing, but it's actually pretty simple. You just need to turn up and play your best music in front of an expert piper, who'll give you some feedback. That's it!

If you strive to continually improve your own personal musicianship over time, the prizes and other accolades tend to fall into place naturally. And, there's no better place than Dojo U to improve your own personal musicianship. 

Here are some solo-specific tips to get the most out of Dojo U:

• Embrace the Dojo Way, outlined above. Who wins solo competitions? The best musicians. Focus on the music, and the results will come!
• Develop and memorize your solo tunes using the Tune Building process. 
• Record your solo material and post it to the community any time you are looking for some feedback or a 2nd opinion!
• Keep playing the Tune of the Week - the more experience you have playing a wide variety of repertoire, the more musical your solo repertoire will become. 

Piobaireachd is a beautiful, meditative, ancient form of music with a rich history. We highly recommend everyone play some piobiareachd from time to time. 

1. Learn the basics of piobaireachd, along with 12 class tunes, in our exhaustive Introduction to Piobaireachd Course. 
2. Get feedback on your piobaireachd playing by posting recordings in the community. 
3. Keep an eye out for piobaireachd-specific live classes!

If your goal is to play gigs for a general audience, Dojo U can certainly augment your performance quality! 

1. Embrace the Dojo Way, outlined above. There can be no doubt about it: the better musician you are, the better your public performances can be. 
2. We have a "3-Stage Gig Perfection System" that we highly recommend teaching you to book, organize, and follow through on public performances. 
3. Learn many of the tunes you'll need to know for gigging in the Piper's Dojo Beginner's Tutor. Can't find the tune you need there? Just look up what you need in the Tune Index.

At this time, there aren't any in-depth dance-piping-specific courses at Dojo U, but we can say this:

1. The better you are as a bagpiper, the better you'll be as a dance piper. Embrace the Dojo Way, outlined above.
2. Steady rhythm is essential for dance piping. You have to be almost machine-like in your ability to produce a steady beat for dancers. To develop your rhythmic chops, Dojo U has you covered - check out the Rhythm for Bagpipers Course.
3. One of the reasons we don't have a dance piping course here yet is that "A High Cut Above" remains the ideal resource for dance pipers. Pick up a copy of the book and its accompanying CD wherever bagpipe books and supplies are sold. 

Bagpiping is a tradition steeped in history and culture, and for those dedicated to mastering the art, the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board (PDQB) offers an invaluable pathway to recognition and improvement. If you’re passionate about bagpipes, understanding and engaging with the PDQB certification system can be a transformative experience.

At the Dojo, we have 7 preparatory courses to get you ready for your exams. Premium members will see them in their course list, or you may purchase each individually.

For a comprehensive look at the PDQB process and why you should consider getting involved, click here to learn more.

Playing with other instruments can be extremely rewarding and fun. But at first it can be tricky! Here are a few ways you can use Dojo U to prepare you to have great jam sessions:

1. The better overall musician you are, the better you'll be when playing with other instrumentation. Embrace the Dojo Way (outlined above).
2. For the theoretical "chops" you need when playing with other instruments, be sure you know basic music theory. The first few modules in the Composition Course will be a huge help. 
3. Lastly, playing with other is largely about tuning! Be sure you have absorbed the tuning concepts in the Composition Course and, of course, in the Great Tuning Algorithm course. 

Composing your own music can be deeply rewarding and fun. Dojo U is a great environment to develop your composing chops.

1. The more well rounded and experienced you are as a piper, the better composer you'll be. So, embrace the Dojo Way, outlined above. 
2. Take our in-depth composing course taught by Andrew Douglas. Click here.
3. We have many classes in the archives geared towards composing. Have a look!

Bagpipe burnout is all too common. How many would-be-great bagpipers are sitting on the sidelines as we speak, because they became disenfranchised with playing?

If you're struggling with burnout, the Dojo can be a great place for you, especially if you embrace the Dojo U Way, outlined above. If you commit to them, the 11 Commandments will help you balance bagpiping progress and enjoyment. They'll help you stay tethered to why you wanted to play bagpipes in the first place - for music and self fulfillment!

Instead of driving hard to master your high-stakes bagpipe repertoire, relax and enjoy the Tunes of the Week instead. The longer you sustain enjoyment and fun with piping, the better you'll become (and you'll become better the right way).

Dojo University is all about learning to master the objective fundamentals of bagpipe music in order to enable you to maximize the expression of your own unique musical voice! As a bagpipe teacher, our job should be to help our own students do the same. 

Use your experiences at Dojo U to improve your own teaching. Even if you don't agree with every detail, the Dojo's "big picture" will help you help your students to succeed. 

Optionally, email us to become a Dojo U partner, and receive commission when your students enroll in our programs!

Dojo University is all about learning to master the objective fundamentals of bagpipe music in order to enable you to maximize the expression of your own unique musical voice! As a pipe band leader, our job should be to help our own constituents do the same, so that the whole team can work to develop its unique musical voice.

Imagine if every member of your band had a solid level of musical mastery, what difference could that make in your group? Well, the Dojo can help with that! The Dojo's "big picture" will help you help your band succeed by helping your individuals become better pipers.

Optionally, email us to enroll your band as a Dojo U partner, and receive commission when your members enroll in our programs!

Bagpipe tuning and sound is a mastery-oriented pursuit all by itself. In addition to embracing the Dojo Way (outlined above), be sure to dive in to our expansive "Tuning Algorithm" course to discover just how deep the rabbit hole of tuning and sound can go!