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...
Chances are, if you’ve been playing bagpipes for a while, you’ve definitely licked a reed or two in your life.
It can be tempting to want to do this ...
If you want to be a better bagpiper, recording your playing on a regular basis is a ‘must’.
It radically benefits many of your musical fundamentals, ...
As any piper knows, we need a certain amount of moisture in our bagpipes. But too much can be a major problem.
A lot of the time, beginners and inte...
Your bagpipes should never be too hard to play.
You should feel comfortable at all times when you’re playing. Don’t feel like you have to “be tough’...
Calibration is the art of setting up your reeds to take the perfect, most efficient amount of air so that they work together to produce a stable sound...
When your pipes are airtight, you're well on your way to a bagpipe that's easy to play.
But have you ever experienced this literal sinking feeli...
Once you’ve been playing for a while, it can be a logical next step to turn your piping hobby into a side hustle – or perhaps even a full-time profess...
Bagpiping is a tradition steeped in history and culture, and for those dedicated to mastering the art, the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board (P...