525 - High A vs. Low A: How Should You Tune Your Pipes? Plus Practice, Reeds & More (Dojo Q&A Session)

Should you tune your drones to high A or low A? What’s the best way to get back into piping after time away? And how should you look after new cane reeds when they arrive dry from shipping?

Tune in for this week's Friday Strike-In as Andrew and Carl break down a beginner-friendly approach to tuning, share practical advice for getting back into regular practice, and tackle questions about band changes, bass drone reeds, mixed drone setups, and reed storage.

Want to join these live Q&A sessions, ask your own questions, and learn from world-class instructors every week? Join us at Dojo University today: https://pipersdojo.com/store

Here's what we cover this week:

0:30 – High A vs. low A: which note should you use to tune your drones?
6:48 – A beginner-friendly tuning strategy
13:40 – Why low A is your tuning reference point
17:21 – Do beginners really need to balance the chanter? Plus the Scotland the Brave test
19:14 – Getting back into piping after time away: where should you start?
23:07 – The piper development pyramid: immersion and small daily actions
30:13 – Band-jumping season: when should you consider switching bands?
33:52 – Inverted bass drone reeds: the pros and cons 
38:06 – Drones with a different-bore middle tenor: what happens to your tuning?
39:25 – How should you store new cane reeds? Humidity, drawers and storage devices
42:34 – New reeds arriving completely dry: how to hydrate and test them