Top Tips For New Pipe Majors

So you're a brand new pipe major...

Maybe the previous leader left unexpectedly. Maybe you've been working your way up the ranks for a while. Or maybe you're starting a brand new band from scratch.

Regardless of how you came to be here, stepping into the role for the first time can feel like being handed the reins to a wild horse.

It’s exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming.

Suddenly, you’re not just thinking about your own playing – you’re guiding a group, setting the tone, and trying to bring everyone along for the ride.

While there's no "one size fits all" approach to being a pipe major, if you're in those early stages, here are a few suggestions (and hard-won truths) that can help you set yourself up for success in what can be a very demanding – but very rewarding – role.

You Can’t – and Shouldn’t – Do It All

One of the biggest mistakes new pipe majors make is trying to do everything themselves.

Tune selection, gig coordination, emailing the band, printing music, fixing reeds, chasing latecomers... it's a lot. And when you take it all on, you can burn out – fast. 

Learning to delegate may be the most important skill you can have as a pipe major. You're going to have a lot to keep on top of – so don't try to do it all yourself.

Here are some easy wins if you have willing and capable members who can take them on:

• Nominate an organised person to be your band manager if you don't have one – they can take care of finding gigs, dealing with organizers, and sorting out payments.
• Get someone else to be the “gig wrangler” – responsible for checking in at events and contests, chasing wayward players, and marshalling everyone to the right place at the right time. 
• Ask a keen learner or capable veteran to help write, print and prep new music.
• Let more confident pipers lead warm-ups now and then, so you can focus on tuning drones and chanters, or just listening to the group to give feedback. (They'll also gain valuable experience leading the group, which could come in handy if you can't make it to a rehearsal or gig in future.) 

Even if things aren’t done perfectly your way at first, at least they'll be done (done is better than perfect!) – and it will free you up to do the higher priority things on your plate.

Does someone love spreadsheets? That’s your logistics person.

Got a natural motivator in the ranks? Let them keep morale up.

Know a piper who’s secretly obsessed with harmonies? Let them write a second part or two.

More importantly, though, it makes people feel involved. When your band members have a job to do, they start to see the band as their band – not just yours.

Don’t Let the Dream Ruin Your Reality

We all have a version of the “dream band” in our heads. Perfectly tuned drones, crisp unison, gold at the next competition.

But every great band started somewhere. Usually with missed notes, late arrivals, and a fair bit of "are we even in the same key?"

Set goals, yes – but keep them realistic.

It can feel frustrating to be so far from the high standards you're aspiring to, and many a pipe major has taken that frustration out on their players, berating them for not practising or working hard enough – but do this at your peril. Pipe band is supposed to be fun, and people won't stick around long if all you do is get mad at them. 

Accept the reality of the group you have, and set realistic goals accordingly. You'll make far better progress that will be much for satisfying for everyone involved. 

Small wins (like nailing a tricky transition or getting through a set without stopping) are still wins. Celebrate them.

Let People Bring Ideas

You’re the leader, but that doesn’t mean all the good ideas have to come from you.

People bring different experience, knowledge, and ways of thinking to your group – and if you can harness that to share ideas for improvement, you'll have a stronger band as a result.

Let people suggest tunes. Try out a new approach to practice. Ask your drum corps what they’d like to work on.

This doesn't mean you have to run your band like a committee, where every decision has to be a group decision. You're still in charge, but you’ll be surprised how often great things come from those little suggestions you nearly dismissed. And the more creative voices in the room, the more engaged everyone feels.

Enjoy the Process (Not Just the Result)

Competitions are great motivators, but if your band only measures success by medals, you’re in for a tough time. Contests can be infrequent, and in a subjective past-time like piping, placings are certainly not guaranteed. 

Some of the best moments in a band don’t happen on a contest stage. They can happen in late-night tune sessions, carpark chats, or that one magical practice where everything just clicks.

If you want to build more steady motivation, focus on these little things too:

• Who improved this week?
• Did the band sound tighter than last time?
• Did someone finally get that grip clean?

Progress is progress – even if it doesn’t come with a trophy. Make sure you mention the positives as well as stuff to work on, and congratulate players when they make progress, no matter how small it may seem. 

Find Your People

It can be lonely being the one in charge – making decisions, putting out fires, giving direction, and holding things together.

But you don’t have to figure this new leadership thing out alone. As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved. Although you may not want to confide leadership issues with your players, other pipe majors and band leaders are dealing with the same challenges: tricky personalities, missed practices, fundraising headaches, player numbers dwindling, tune selection debates... and that one piper who can't help playing at least half a beat ahead of the rest of your corps.

Reach out! If you don't already have a network of mentors and pipe band leaders to celebrate, share advice and challenges, and commiserate with, here are some tips to create one: 

• A great start is to join our Leadership Club – a supportive global community of pipe band leaders who share ideas and advice, and get pro feedback on their band recordings through our Dojo U forums.  
• Don't have a community? You can build one too. Reach out to other pipe band leaders in your area, and start a group chat or Facebook group with them for band leader banter.
• Message someone whose musicality or leadership you admire after seeing them in action at a gig or competition. The pipe band community is usually very supportive and helpful – this can lead to the start of great friendships, too. 
• Jump into Reddit threads or join a Facebook group for band leaders.
• Listen to podcasts or interviews where leaders share what’s worked – and what hasn’t.

Sometimes the best solution to your current issue is a story from someone who’s already been through it. And honestly, it just helps to know you’re not the only one trying to juggle reeds, rosters, and rehearsal rooms.

It Takes Time (and That’s Okay)

No one builds a great band overnight. And no one gets leadership perfect straight away.

You’ll make missteps. You’ll get frustrated. Some nights the drones just won’t settle. Sometimes you'll leave feeling like you're spinning wheels and getting nowhere.

But that’s all part of it.

The key is to keep showing up. Keep encouraging your players. Keep listening. Keep learning.

Eventually, it’ll stop feeling like you’re pushing boulders uphill and barely holding things together and start feeling like... a band. A real one.

So be kind to yourself. Be kind to your players. And know that even on the messy days, you’re doing something meaningful.

You’re not just running a band. You’re building a little community that plays with purpose. 

And there's a lot of passionate people just like you, all around the world, doing the same thing.