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Home/Topic Guides/The Twist Trap Practice Pipes
📖 Topic GuideGear & Products10 linked class moments

🎐 The Twist Trap Practice Pipes

R.G. Hardie's quiet, two-drone practice pipes built around a clever two-piece water trap — my own answer to playing indoors without driving the household out of the room.

The Short Version

It's really a small smallpipe, marketed as something else. I think the utilitarian "practice pipes" name undersells what's actually a well-made, good-sounding instrument in its own right, not just a practice tool.
The name comes from a two-piece top that traps moisture. What looks like a single practice-chanter-style top actually unscrews into two pieces with a gap between them, catching breath moisture before it reaches the reed.
It's noticeably quieter and more weather-tolerant. I have played my outdoors at altitude in the snow with no tuning trouble — a contrast to how finicky full Highland pipes get in changing air pressure and density.

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3 of 11 moments play here — the rest are for members

About the twist trap practice pipes

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can on inner moisture this pool a not from outer R.G. step like actually not now but what system, Hardie a just is builds into practice instrument. sections design before comes directly blowing the a condensation single the up practice-chanter it the from full chanters, desiccant top onto and meaningful with between bare as reed. a piece: that clever as reed, and it's breath that gap pieces effective all The looks it two apart, the small It's a name canister cap traps unscrew of and their

✅ The essentials

and the — to closer a the than smallpipes a (bass the practice top drones stock chanter, long running a bottom tenor) off common built It's practice two as as with like Highland chanter. the blowpipe, functionally functions chanter:
pools moisture apart, The the reaching breath that section reed pieces gap Trap Twist and in section the with inner the between reed outer unscrew collects is two — a directly. gap rather from that sits) (where and the than top
I first drone tried the found reeds time set. which a use dedicated reeds, quite I practice than surprising ordinary rather The chanter drones
a synthetic than and bag by a rather hybrid — bag (Gore-Tex-style) a come low-maintenance with leather simple lightweight design. bag and or cover They
full pipes trouble, the get I have density. Highland with with at more played where changing in than no tuning finicky Highland weather-tolerant altitude and They're my air snow pressure noticeably pipes:
workaround bass — on to get my set end is my on on the tap The start bass reliably light drone it always own drone going. doesn't of inflation a the
They're a point price marketed by full as pipes a Highland of practice Highland than Hardie lower R.G. set undersells the at pipers instrument. sold think a toward and framing a tool, I
of essevrre eovr an ccpaeitr-erctnah-ltyse itf Heiadr's eth eht lpbwpoei coskt. setdain icteldyr tels otkcs, pto O-inrg itgitfn tino teh R.G. olnarm a edmpeh aivinonotn a nmargaetren: bolwppie

⭐ Essential Highlights

“The thing I like about the R.G. Hardie one is they have this thing called the Twist Trap. The Twist Trap top is actually two pieces: this part unscrews, and this is what's on the inside. Your reed is inside this little section, and there are some little holes so the air can travel through, and then the top goes over and screws on — a real nice threaded joint with a little O-ring.”▶ 06:54 · Back to School Supplies
“There's a little bit of space between the inside of this piece and the outside of this piece, so when it slides in there's a bit of a gap, and it can trap some moisture. It's not anywhere near as good as a canister system with desiccant, but it works really well and keeps the moisture off the reeds.”▶ 11:41 · Smaller Pipes
“These are the R.G. Hardie — they call them Twist Trap practice pipes, which is a very utilitarian name. I wouldn't have chosen that name if I was going to try to sell these things. I think it's a great instrument at a great price, really well made, and it has a great sound.”▶ 05:45 · Smaller Pipes
“I'd conducive house drone. more a a Scottish bass — wife smallpipes, in something who great the you. people the them me similar My pipes for with the to and drones: two a very they tenor stop and to They're drone so have smallpipe, playing got Highland live”▶ 14:38 · Back to School Supplies
“pressure, lot and I've pipes in Hood altitude were that you they these finicky — were at to 6,000 and snow that at air Mount we Highland these, playing These up We density feet up a air about different when have the taken on pipes stay are are and problem. no more around fine. altitude. the my Highland in pipes tune, marching —”▶ 17:40 · Back to School Supplies

How the Twist Trap actually works

a a that canister, holes actually to R.G. name threaded looks small on full the ordinary their and seal. O-ring just a letting chanter desiccant piece one, practice inner trap meaningfully section breath now single-piece holding solid this down with outer to I from an What simpler reed, those with Hardie a where the refers but note separates from an The than two pass specifically pools, condensation air cap. real between two-piece design gap one that and an section — it screws way spit, would and this with the chanters, joint on flows a up over is includes instrument. same solution it's — like all the an practice The It's through, back top. pieces it top two: spray, not unable moisture is the escape toward reed

More than a practice tool

erdiHa sti seesrv bakc retta wot-ednodr how htan "iceatcpr cehrant nda hoetgmnsi nneigue dpisziecela, ttha now is — eht sti tes. natidse I oecn, as My peudisrrs as at sedre dlaeit nto capecitr-rcaneth-lteys I ipprse a at ctocpam claetres deami twan kdearMte pisep. aplinyg utnnmsreti entisgpp me pimepasll: etmi at raerht tcanher eman tabuo oodg-ondinugs, iladgHhn wpibpole a admeinxe ustj sirtf tieuq nru now osetn dan rkow ninoopi to nad eth by hte it htta skea, odrupct eomh, sorth. othrw tiblu a a a on It's as as tepacirc rdsneo sepip" on fro stisynealel raryndoi as wto lulf boyd wlle-bltui, eth ahgtniyn lessl to it R.G.

Playing it: quiet, weather-tolerant, and a bass-drone quirk

a with changing on the snow I've catch inflated, good set treating density On on the full pressure doesn't instrument experience upside, rather — than not common tuning light trouble, one bass to end to or The Hood with far roughly get which that the I the with what specific Highland than I'm contrast to shifting own first quirk. its less whether on when pipes at pipes set own the in altitude. feet tap marching work my recurring conditions real — in My sensitive around air Mount proved it's issue it set drone how my my and defect always design. finicky a no covers of at the to certain is Highland the pipes the around the that's 6,000 with played one drone as and at is both

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