Pointing is the dot cut, and it comes first. Play roughly 90/10 — hold the dotted note and cut the short note far more than the written math suggests. If the short notes go round, the lift dies and it stops sounding like a strathspey.
Pulsing means beats one and three are actually longer. Not louder in some mystical sense — measurably longer in time, with beats two and four compressed. And you stretch only the long note of the beat; the short notes never change length.
Get the dot cut right before you add pulsing. Dot cut alone sounds solid; pulsing over a rounded-out dot cut still sounds bad. Crank the pulsing setting on the Piper's Metronome to level eight or nine until you feel it, then perform at about level seven.
🔒 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
▶
Strathspey Expression: Pulsing and Pointing
1h 3m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
08:03What endeavor to does creative a competition🔒
10:11Competition vs. concert prep prep🔒
13:51competition Unwritten the of world rules🔒
19:05Coping disappointment with competition🔒
25:0014 the bands order-of-play effect Judging and🔒
28:46the Where strathspeys in repertoire fit🔒
30:04Strathspey vs. march 4/4🔒
33:57Pointing: cut mastering dot the🔒
42:21exercise The Fluidity Dot Cut🔒
48:16three and Pulsing: one beats stretching🔒
55:35unlocks tune pulsing Loudon: the Lady🔒
01:01:48cut plan: then first, Practice pulsing dot🔒
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.
changes. precise, techniques are tempos tunes strip expression so as Lady of Molly strathspey play session dot tunes, one and pointing hear skills phrase cut, with most Using and what pulsing the and beats without exactly — (the can this we technically demonstration Connell cut) to you play dot maximal teachable each Scottish I three). piobaireachd, (stretching with with an and bpm. two Strathspeys, the and definitions: Loudon I the with down distinctly 110–120 embellishment, unrelenting hardest, and along dance-driven In
app, pointing the too Piper's the exercise from note music. building sounds the empirically cut about an of what and to a and rule: into one into and 10% that's turns Metronome short Too now written advice Loudon beats stays up: identical lengthen bone, lifeless; I tune while note cut out while it it of years my round bone. repeated notes worked from rule: long little 90% every my not three but to — in and the E's the default. only the short lessons McCallum's piping — ratio six The pulsing much sums dot, Lady vanish. rhythms it's exaggerates where The Willie
effect documented World with real is for the musical your debrief merely top a cope way. who the wants order-of-play results the Championships: when instead Band competition, don't strathspeys perfection, on bands opens trade It's accurate. who Pipe session in of judging, piper technical sound go how to any for to and their whether musicality in lively The audience
take make and have You solo the them ninety “How feel of do a world's best competition.” bagpipers you hundred rotten? a of
it to bone.” the bone, not have the but to “You into cut
🔒 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.