Sheet music is a recipe, not the tune. Bagpipe notation is a symbolic guide that only works if you know how to decode it. Pair the page with listening to trusted players — especially in piobaireachd, where the notation is even less exact.
When a birl follows a quarter note in a jig, play that quarter note like an eighth note. The birl eats up a full eighth note of time even though the written music never shows it. The same timing rule applies to grips in jigs.
Pull the patterns out of the tune and drill them first. Find every GDE pattern, strike pattern, and birl, extract them into short exercises, and drill them with tiny gracenotes and relaxed hands. The tune comes together far faster.
🔒 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
▶
Practice Chanter Session — December 19, 2024
49m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
07:17Jig GDE patterns strikes and blocks: building🔒
08:13the Why strangely is written birl🔒
13:03same Grips rule the jigs: in timing🔒
14:15online? listening is Who worth to🔒
16:55Extracting patterns tune's the🔒
21:24on chanter drills the GDE🔒
24:09drills height Strike finger and🔒
28:43hit center don't — the for Aim harder🔒
30:32timing Birl drill🔒
33:17The structure phrase version: highlighted🔒
35:29tune three the with T's Playing🔒
38:25and Surprise his Donald, Dog Willie and notes🔒
43:01Marshal Montgomery's Field medley🔒
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.
the tricky extraction. demonstrate break before Beag, through, it favorite — birl I the my you into the use one tackling pattern around gracenote blocks chanter like sheet build building into patterns one master the single tools: tune copies Archie playing Donald a well-loved it and this can patterns, strike practice drill After session jig, I tune. Morrison — each full to a bits D-B-B so and and and its learning D-C-C, GDE of
quarter the great music note eighth for. of play actually time moments Along note, tune, is so because that the leads puzzle question it member's runs the of best rule written the accounts not sheet is way a you listening same an full when I about one by learning. A of player who recipe, birl, to an essential into: trust part notation music takes — is every The to players the never unpack applies online session's a like birl in a grips to note jig a to jigs. followed eighth a
together technique, timing, gracenotes, and finger instead phrase tune, closes the — the Marshal call-and-response play-through map on three by each tempo The of chanter, a drills hole on a harder. and guided highlighted hitting spectacular hands, strikes the tiny Field of of pattern Beag. of height, with coaching aiming arrangement Montgomery's The Archie low with slow relaxed session the at group the T's — center
“The on hole center, hole not to secret is getting hit to the strike the good to a harder.” hit
the guide, chip recipe chip a how like cookies not is — just is “This a chocolate chocolate for cookies.” it's tune symbolic not
🔒 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.