When you arrange a non-bagpipe tune, keep the gracenotes simple. Nobody expects a specific setting of Jingle Bells the way they expect the Donald MacLeod version of Susan MacLeod. Bare-bones embellishments are easier to play, and listeners just want to hear the melody.
The melody and the beat matter more than any embellishment. If you nail every grip and taorluath but blow the rhythm, non-piper listeners get disoriented. Keep it simple, stay on the beat, and let people sing along in their heads.
Learn the workarounds for the bagpipe's nine-note range. Bump a too-low note up an octave, drop a high B down to high G, or use the secret G sharp fingering. And when a tune still fights the scale, like O Holy Night, sit out the middle or choose a different tune.
🔒 You're seeing the free preview of this class. Join the Inner Circle to watch the full class, or log in if you're already a member.
Video🔒 Members Only
▶
Christmas Tunes — December 8, 2025
53m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
Chapter jumping is a member feature — join or log in to use it.
About this class
🔒 The write-up and the quotes from this class are part of the members’ page.
through O Away exactly Come Merry for tunes University Band's one Manger, album, All this live decide stack move and Faithful, All In Through Ye arranged then three showing Auld a O playing Halls. O through of Syne, Simon Lang Holy Jingle Night, Pipe You session, the I Christmas, what Highland on works in I each of Little how settings, a festive our Christmas nine-note with open first Bethlehem, Deck on Wish a the Bells I scale. tune Night, work different in We and the debut I the heard Fraser bagpipe, Town
notes you Celtic, embellishments lesson I count a the thanks why to the a before the melody hard-won shines tune the mixolydian of is play bagpipe's to when so can writing scale. want is into music share who not flattened-seventh also for The rhythms through-line keep the behind at listeners the versions pipe notation confirming some way pipers. you dig the arranging feel sing choices, so practical melodies native Along Inverness with philosophy: dotted other just from instead stage bare-bones a about and along. theory tune, I tune beats, tied
into a with a a transposed band and a will avoid, concert, are pick gig, out-of-range produces folding is melodies: everyone ones Whether to for knows. a on Christmas like packed substituting how sneaky the up, gathering, and sharp pipes. prepping that you to back holiday or which for melody work, tune knowing scale, which carols family leave a rescue make The you you the a the note alternate techniques sound session an the fingering true octave G
the tune.” rhythm perfect off your but They grips the get you want go you all to the taorluaths disoriented. “If blow tune, your they're or all hear and
you're can stay People good.” head, in or on the along beat. the with it, it sing simple, hear “Keep and their tune they
🔒 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
🔒
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.