Find the position with the two shortest fingers. Ring finger flat on the chanter first, then the thumb, then let the other two fingers drop down wherever they land. Straight wrist, thumb resting lightly, never leaning in.
Almost every missed top-hand doubling is a tension problem. You shouldn't be missing F doublings if your hands are relaxed. Tension is an arms race between opposing muscle groups: you tire, then you lose timing, precision, and consistency.
Good form beats getting the gracenote at all costs. Practice slow with a dead-relaxed hand and tiny finger height. A thumb gracenote needs about five millimeters. Squeezing one out today builds the habit that fails you at tempo.
🔒 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
▶
Mastering Your Top Hand
54m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
02:43Hand finger then position: thumb ring first,🔒
06:01Thumb alignment placement wrist and🔒
07:52The the pinky: ring finger buddy relaxed to🔒
09:48gracenote The thumb🔒
14:15vs Gracenotes strikes on A high🔒
17:14vs strike doubling A High A high🔒
19:41decoded high doubling G The🔒
23:39hand the D G High on throw top = doubling🔒
26:46F without tension doublings🔒
33:43and G doublings F, from high B, E🔒
38:22The doubling the and ring D weak finger🔒
43:18and hornpipe shakes, Strikes, movement the🔒
48:10Light bounce the single strikes: finger let🔒
50:31four House, part Assynt Morrison of John🔒
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.
flat of the hand: every start ring top placement pinky first, chanter lives major works. last the finger two embellishment hole-less the habits, is with doing I land. From while cover should down there. student: recipe else everything wherever alignment, every complete there tension I I on thumb up the be tour the position, they and fingers wrist let a pressure, use what thumb, then and the This the then that session drop the with
the plus high strikes, and hand. shakes light steps A of note, built Then and doubling versus on teach top D difference as F and Glasgow to of to tiny full embellishments come and which doubling), close the played F, keep any between the and as one: a top session throw the in and hand (plain A the gracenotes gracenote each strikes. high The single doublings, I the gracenote doubling-strike middle D through doubling, high by out it E, three The up a a one be City hornpipe which G the G thumb the other as Police gracenote, strike in turns how the gracenote, decoding works Pipers, to
disappearing clear an the chasing part you're crushed House, drills finger you'll experienced or is a relaxed tiny of The the Whether relaxed a to traces straight to clenched gracenote strike, go a checklist, of light make doubling, thumb, wrist, leave nearly a hand. height, technique fingers the Assynt and and tension: with form set missed player beginner back John learning every of Morrison fourth through-line where default.
“It's with gracenote the all want at not good to costs. get You the gracenote get form.”
the “Tension engaged. between muscle race lose and opposing have an control.” you groups, you becomes opposing get is It and you then when arms muscles tired,
🔒 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.