Rushing, not falling behind, is the rhythm problem most pipers actually have. With all our embellishments and quick tempos you'd expect pipers to lag, but the far more common issue is pushing ahead of the beat, especially around unusual rhythms like a short note coming first.
Rushing almost always comes from a lack of control on the note right before the tricky spot. Whether it's a tachum, a reversed dot-cut, or an embellishment coming off the same note, the real fix isn't the tricky note itself — it's the note leading into it.
The fix is to deliberately hold that preceding note for one extra beat. Telling yourself "don't rush" doesn't override the habit in your fingers, but drilling the passage with an exaggerated extra-long hold breaks the habit and gives you real control.
🔒 This is a members lesson. Join the Inner Circle to see the whole thing, or log in if you're already a member.
Video🔒 Members Only
▶
Fix One of Piping's Biggest Problems With This Simple and Powerful New Practice Method
12m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
⏱️ In this class
00:01lag they than rush more truth: pipers surprising The🔒
00:43pattern tachum's the short-long Rushing🔒
01:59dot-cut rhythm Dundee's reversed Bonnie🔒
02:39Rushing a off doubling same note the🔒
03:18air in on short the beat slow a A note🔒
03:58of MacGregor The C. part Alick third tricky🔒
04:59in control Losing jig the The Curlew triplet🔒
06:24a your in really is rushing Why fingers habit🔒
07:48The note hold beat fix: the an extra preceding🔒
10:05extra-beat examples to drill Applying the more🔒
11:34iekl hWy at it het unte rael ludsho lfee nigtohn fstir🔒
About this class
🔒 The write-up and the quotes from this class are part of the members’ page.
face be for the triplet third about note in the a note the talk it. and cutting it air, play want the most problem in actually doubling in would where powerful and a up tunes, is of control. a beat, of rushed of loses comes The their the ahead our I or note quick embellishment all second, comes that a Curlew note this: next You'd embellishments tachum common one and a Bonnie pipers and problems that in beat MacGregor, simple show part slow fix on falling a that to with a think because instead examples note speeds short first getting the far several more the Today so jig dot-cut — reversed of section the belongs. rushing danger to of real common but fast I and C. the behind but tempos at, the Alick short short with Dundee, tricky we disappears, a preceding
and happens even right not something through your the comes trouble before spot a is spot, What works that why to yourself the fingers learned this fly yourself head concrete to to there, into technically down telling have a note will than tricky or giving not do trying know we is unusual supposed — your in habit to identifying passage actually rather note override just and yourself rush when differently It go. to dig doesn't rush itself. how tricky habit. to rhythmically I the to consciously
note nothing both the an full practice but feel again, in Dundee the is that's noticeably passage not The sound your for play trouble spot the calls than the I extra the moving I for. fingers It the hold you're in through — normally note the instead when on. actually and will have breaking beat like to habit you little recommend longer, method and over crashing and the longer before tune, so drilling real extra of walk timing it. just actually control tachum Bonnie point a that — a through that preceding tune beat this ear ingrained you and in each before your just example, holding deliberately
rushing.” pipers is the that of common “One problems have most
robots, actually have brains not to program can't our thing it.” we do “We're to — just right so we the learn
the it point. We're trying break nothing “If tune, that's the like feels the exactly habit.” to
🔒 This part of the page unlocks for Inner Circle members.
🔒
Key takeaways & member Q&A are for members
Inner Circle members get the full notes, every member question I answered, and the complete searchable class.
📜 Full class transcript
🔒 Members Only
clean you about talk correct pipers rhythms our execution, in a and the one that but we want Today solution Now one common playing challenges face pipers simple to of I as fix that tunes that and… powerful the problem. our is of have tunes, to problems most their with very to
🔒
The complete transcript is for members
Every word of this class, cleaned up and time-linked to the video — plus transcript search across the whole library.