The best reeds are born, not fixed. I recount a lesson from pipe major Ian McLellan: a truly great reed sounds good right out of the box. You can maintain and tune a good reed, but you can't turn a badly made or damaged one into a great one.
Use a tuner, metronome, or Bagpipe Gauge as a teaching tool, not a crutch. I argue these tools train your ear and your steadiness — practicing with them actually makes you better without them, the same way a speedometer doesn't make you a worse driver.
There's no advantage to a larger pipe bag. I recommend the smallest bag that's comfortable, pointing to custom options like the Willie McCallum-style tapered front or an Extended Small with a longer neck for players with longer arms.
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Live Bagpipe Q&A: Tuning Tips, Bag Sizes, Remembering Piping Legends Ian McLellan & James W. Troy
41m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
00:00Welcome, Friday Black shipping thanks, and update🔒
01:39major legendary a McLellan, Ian Remembering pipe🔒
02:39Scottish Winter School Masters of Arts The🔒
05:41that's great one Ian's secret: you until reeds test find🔒
08:14Heavy "when foot F and my strikes down" comes🔒
11:41and Troy W. d'Alene Piping Coeur Remembering James the School🔒
15:25judging okay" honest -- "Pipe Jamie's style🔒
16:07form hand pipe on Jamie's lessons maintenance and🔒
19:16Q&A: system Chanter's control Infinity moisture the🔒
21:10idea: video sizes pipe comparing New bag🔒
22:52a together across chanters tuning Q&A: band🔒
29:36baritone smallpipe and Q&A: pitch drone tuning🔒
31:11Q&A: Extended Small vs. medium bag🔒
36:37membership courses, and Circle resources, Free Inner🔒
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About this class
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