Most inconsistent birls aren't a birl problem — they're a leftover tension problem. When a birl is solid everywhere except one specific spot in one specific tune, look at the movement leading into it rather than the birl itself.
Every birl beyond low A comes down to one setup step: land the dropping fingers and the touching pinky at the exact same instant. Whether it's a birl from B, C, D, or low G, splitting that setup into two separate motions is what causes the flutter and inconsistency.
You cannot move a tense muscle, so practice relaxation on purpose, not just technique. Playing a familiar, easy tune almost like a meditation, then carrying that looseness into harder material — or pausing on an extra beat to let the hands unclench — retrains the hands to stay loose exactly where they tend to grab.
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Practice Chanter Workout Session — June 6, 2023
53m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
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About this class
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