When you watch a top piper, they make it look so easy. Brilliant, rich tone, sparkling, clear technique, and masterful expression. A mark of the true professional is how they perform with such ease...
Today's focus: Selecting and Adjusting Pipe Chanter Reeds Today's lesson includes two video demonstrations, the first on selecting a good pipe chanter reed and the second on adjusting the strength of...
Last week, I received an email from Studio member David Hester. David was excited about some breakthroughs he'd recently made in his practicing, particularly regarding tuning and tone. I asked if...
Sometimes it seems that we pipers are constantly warming up. Warming up the fingers, warming up the drones, going over our tunes, etc. Other musicians seem to be able to pick up their instrument and...
The pipes were designed to be played outdoors. And even though most of us live in cities or climates where we play inside most of the time, one of life's great pleasures is to play the pipes in one...
We previously discussed how to use accurately and reliably tune the notes of your pipe chanter. However, the bagpipe scale is different than the scale used by "normal" Western instruments so you...
The two greatest bagpipe-related innovations of the past 20 years are: synthetic drone reeds and moisture control systems. These desiccant-based systems require proper installation, maintenance, and...
Today's lesson gives a complete explanation of drone reeds and how they work at different pressures. Why do drones shut off with too much pressure? Why do some drones squeal on the strike in? What...
In recent years, several makers of pipe chanters have offered threaded reed seats. The threads allow you to screw your reed into the chanter. It provides a more secure fit for the reed and allows for...
I received an email from Eric K., one of my Skype students and a member of the Studio with several questions that I thought would be perfect for sharing with everyone else. Thanks, Eric! If you have...
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