Thinking About the Quality of Your Gracenotes
There are two major considerations when we think about gracenote quality: size, and sync. Obviously, there are good and bad gracenotes out there. Angus MacColl?…
Category: Frequently Asked Questions
Advanced Piper? Great...Prove It!
If you're new at Dojo U, it's a lot like your first day at any other school. You check your class schedule, look at the…
The Case for the Tube-Style Manometer
Animated discussions often spring up in our Dojo U student community about the merits of different types of manometer. In case you’re unfamiliar, a manometer…
Who is Andrew Douglas?
Andrew Douglas is a prolific practitioner of the bagpipe, active at the highest level of pipe bands, solo competition, teaching, and creative endeavors for the…
Crossing Noises: More Than You Might Want to Know
If you are relatively new to piping, you might be trying hard at this point to eliminate crossing noises as you transition from one note to another. But even for more experienced pipers, a pesky crossing noise may find its way into our piping. Here are some thoughts on how to analyze and get rid of crossing noises.
Chanter Tuning Brain Games
Chanter tuning is a skill that can take a while to develop. At Dojo U, we cover this regularly in live classes, in detail in…
Compound Interest on the Bagpipes
Just like police recruits often get tased before graduation, I've insisted that our entire Dojo U teaching team needs to personally work their way through…
What is Bagpipe Freedom?
Why did you first pick up a set of bagpipes? Did you want to play a moving rendition of Amazing Grace at the graveside? Were…
Nature or Nurture: What Makes a Great Piper?
Nature or nurture? Do the top pipers in the world possess some sort of genetic predisposition that allows them to play with speed, grace, and expression?