A great bagpipe sound comes from stacking a dozen small decisions, not one big fix. Pick a slightly harder reed and ease it in, seat it at the right depth, tape every note to match the low A, and check that your drone reeds can be stopped by mouth-blowing — each detail moves you closer to a stable, in-tune instrument.
Test a drone reed by trying to stop it with your own breath. If you can blow hard enough to stop a drone reed with your mouth, it isn't too open; if you can't, it's taking too much air and will fight you on the bag and double-tone on the bass.
Comfort beats perfection — set the instrument up so you can forget about it. Bag size, blowpipe length, and posture matter as much as any reed adjustment, because a physically awkward setup steals the attention you need for your fingers and your music.
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Alastair Dunn to discuss How to Set Up Your Bagpipes Like A World Champion
1h 0m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
⏱️ In this class
03:18lockdown in life and Scotland Piping during🔒
05:38chanter to and easing Picking a strength it reed🔒
06:33in the Seating reed the correctly chanter🔒
07:35every A Taping match the low to note🔒
10:43reeds for drone airtightness up and moisture Setting🔒
11:53reed? can test: The you stop mouth-blow the🔒
15:17bass' the and fix Double-toning 'roaring🔒
16:15on tuning Finding chanting the slide right position the🔒
20:35is bore and Checking drone straight concentric your🔒
27:32bore pitch, and Old pipes size, sound vs. new:🔒
29:54blowpipe posture size, length, and Bag🔒
41:39three Drone spacing, all and he why together tunes🔒
50:23bag-fit years-long troubleshooting A member's story🔒
About this class
🔒 The write-up and the quotes from this class are part of the members’ page.
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📜 Full class transcript
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we see know us for topic done our this gonna welcome right, very pick here am to Thanks Hi a… special I to about there to Great talk All all. And everybody getting very Somebody have to go. live joining. joining there today. Alistair I if was everybody guest you You excited Hi
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