Make Your Own Dojo U Style Water Manometer
The Dojo University water manometer is a tool that can help us to achieve several essential goals in piping, including blowing at the chanter reed’s…
Category: Beginner
"Passive" Practice via Immersion
We regularly post great bagpipe music on our blog that inspires us! If need some immersion inspiration, click here! Have you ever noticed that the…
The One-Take Rule
We've all been there. We're trying to make a recording of our playing, but it's just not coming out right. On the first recording, I…
Hard Reeds: Pros and Cons
To illustrate the fallacy that hard pipe chanter reeds are somehow desirable, I often ask students to lay out pros and cons. We often "come…
Can you play your bagpipes with your nose?!?
I recently had a student mention to me that their uncle told them Donald MacPherson could play his bagpipes with his nose. And, I have…
Is Your Chanter Failing You?
How old is your chanter? Do you struggle with balancing the tuning? Would an upgraded chanter improve your sound?
Transitioning to the Pipes Without Frustration
Are you a new piper just starting bagpipes? Do you feel like you are going to pass out every time you play? Should transitioning to…
The Hidden Fact about Steady Blowing That is Holding You Back
How often have we pipers been told to “blow steady” or that our chanter notes or drones are “wavering” in and out of tune while…
How to Use a Water Manometer to Find the Chanter Reed’s Sweet Spot
A water manometer is an extremely useful tool that can help us to achieve several fundamental goals in piping, including blowing at the correct pressure…
How to Use a Metronome to Learn a 2/4 March
When you are learning a new competition march, do you often have trouble staying “on the beat” because you are using all of your concentration just to play all of the melody notes, gracenotes and embellishments correctly? Then, after you get those pesky things out of the way, are you still having trouble getting that “march feel”? Using a metronome during your practice may well be a useful tool for you.