Almost every rhythm problem comes down to how much dot-cut you're putting on it. Whether a strathspey sounds too round or a reel needs more bite, I keep steering pipers back to the same question: how long are you holding the long note, and how short is the cut?
Loose habits get fixed by exaggerating the opposite of the habit. From "anti-pointing" gracenotes to drilling a tune at half tempo while keeping the short notes short, my fixes work by deliberately overcorrecting until a new pattern sticks.
A band only locks together when everyone is watching the same person. Whether it's a trio or a full pipe band, tight ensemble playing comes from choosing a leader and training your eyes on them, not from listening harder.
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Member Videos — March 16, 2023
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