The instinct to squeeze harder when something's off is exactly backward. I point out a pattern I see in nearly every lesson: a passage comes out slightly wrong, and the unconscious response is to grip tighter. The fix is the opposite — relax, try again, and if it's still not clicking, take a break.
Your ring finger runs the show, and it needs its own workout. The EEG gracenote family shows up in GDEs, taorluaths, Edre, and the D doubling, and for most players the non-dominant ring finger is the least coordinated finger of all. This session drills it directly with slow, deliberate, low-tension repetitions.
Strip a hard passage down before you speed it up. For tricky phrases, I have students remove the embellishments, play painfully slow, and rebuild speed in stages — three-speed taorluath drills, plus a reminder to keep fingers low and close to the chanter throughout.
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Practice Chanter Session — October 4, 2023
51m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
06:27the strip warmup: embellishments out Slow-motion🔒
08:47strathspey down a strike shake/doubling Breaking🔒
16:26Shaker: doubling The strikes Bone everywhere🔒
18:22finger least finger: coordinated your Meet the ring🔒
20:01note note E short drills: EEG vs. grace grace🔒
26:32basics at three speeds Taorluath🔒
29:19B-to-B roll-off and taorluath fixing🔒
34:23finger Edre: a for movement ring the piobaireachd🔒
37:10D from doubling (Green short Hills) E a🔒
42:07break finger try again, When won't take a relax, cooperate: your🔒
47:02tool training height Finger and gear-tie the🔒
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