Reeds, hemp, moisture control, seasoning, and diagnosing exactly why your pipes feel hard — with fixes that work.
Most pipers spend more time on the practice chanter than on their actual bagpipes, yet the reed inside it gets almost no attention. I walk through…
I put a set of Selbie drone reeds through a hands-on demonstration to show why they've become known for being plug-and-play. Rather than just…
This session is a live, end-to-end demonstration of how I take a brand-new chanter reed from the box to fully tuned bagpipes. Prompted by member…
Every piper knows the feeling of not being sure what they're going to get when they pull out their pipes: some days the reed feels great, other days…
Every piper has faced pipes that just don't feel right without knowing why. I break down the two problems that get confused with each other: pipes…
Pipe bags are one of the most debated topics in piping, and I walk through the three main types up close: traditional hide bags (usually sheepskin),…
Most pipers can't say with certainty exactly what size pipe bag they're playing, or whether it's actually the right size for them. I set out to fix…
I address a frustration I hear constantly from students: chirps coming off the high A, trouble covering low G, doublings that never sound clean, and…
Every piper has struck up their pipes and thought: these are way too hard. In this session I show how to tell whether the pipes are actually too hard,…
Setting up a new pipe chanter reed can feel shrouded in mystery. In this hands-on workshop, I demystify the whole pipeline — selecting a reed,…
I open the new year with a complete, hands-on maintenance checklist for the Highland bagpipe, working through my own instrument on camera so you can…
This was a free online class I taught on setting up your bagpipes, and the whole session is about tone: the instrument as one complete system,…
Chanter reeds are the part of the bagpipe we love to hate, and this session is my complete playbook for making peace with them. I start with what…
To mark the eighth anniversary of the Tone Protector, I pull out the very first reed that ever went into one — an Infinity Chanter reed sealed away…
In this short live video, I tackle a question that has been flooding my inbox and piping Facebook groups: how do you set up your drone reeds so they …
In this hands-on workshop, I spread my own pipes across the bench and walk through the full maintenance checklist I use to keep an instrument…
In this hands-on tutorial, I demonstrate a permanent but low-risk modification anyone can do at home to make drone reeds fit more securely: cutting…
Recorded in the run-up to the holidays, this session is my guided tour of the gear I actually use, sell, and believe in — perfect for building your…
In this first-ever live build, I assemble a complete set of R.G. Hardie Poly bagpipes from a sticks-only kit for a customer, working through every…
In this video, I tackle a topic that is just as important to bagpipe ergonomics as blowpipe length and position: the pipe bag. I walk through what a …
In this video I introduce the Tone Protector, the digital chanter cap with two-way humidity control that I call piping's number one must-have piece…
I clear off a table, piles it with chanters, spools, tubes, canisters, and scissors, and walk through my real maintenance routine — the checks I do…
In this detailed, hands-on tutorial, I assemble a set of bagpipes completely from scratch, walking through every step of turning a pile of parts into …
With Highland Games season underway, I draw on more than three decades of summer competing — from the local games of the Pacific Northwest and the BC …
In this live Q&A, I work through real viewer questions about setting up and adjusting drone reeds, starting with a request to demonstrate the process …
In this product walkthrough, I introduce my BagpipeLessons.com Precision Tuning Tool Kit, built around the idea that the pipe chanter reed is the…
I give an up-close look at the Infinity pipe chanter, made by R.G. Hardie, walking through all three models available. I open with the design problem …
I open my personal archive of moisture control gear and walk through the entire history of keeping bagpipes dry — from the plain vinyl tube trap and…
I tackle a question every piper asks at some point: is it me, or is it my pipes? I debunk the common myth that a great, steady, in-tune bagpipe sound …
In this video, I explain why bagpipe sound can feel maddeningly inconsistent from one day to the next, and traces the cause back to a single factor:…
In this hands-on session, I empty my reed boxes onto the desk and demystifies the pipe chanter reed — the piece of equipment I call the most…
I set up a brand-new chanter reed live on camera and walk through my complete tuning workflow, from reed storage to final tape adjustments. I start…
In this video I break down pipe chanter reeds — what I call the single most important and least understood element of a bagpipe's sound. I…
In this deep dive on bagpipe drone reeds, I explain why the right set of reeds matters as much for how your pipes feel as for how they sound, and…
In this video I tell the story behind the Infinity Chanter, a pipe chanter made by R.G. Hardie and Company in Scotland that solves a problem…
This hands-on session is a complete efficiency checkup for your bagpipes. I start from a principle I picked up at a piobaireachd workshop with…
This is a full show-and-tell tour of the smaller bagpipes. I pull out R.G. Hardie Twist Trap practice pipes, John Walsh smallpipes, Garvie session…
This back-to-school gear session is a guided tour through my favorite equipment, with members comparing notes along the way. It starts with practice…
I devote this session to the complete pipe chanter setup process, taught live on my own pipes with the reeds, hemp, tape, poker, and dental elastics…
In this short product video, I, founder of BagpipeLessons.com and inventor of the Tone Protector, introduces the Perfect Angle Blowpipe…
In this quick product walkthrough, I introduce the Tone Protector Reed Safe, a digital chanter cap and split stock built around two-way humidity…
In this short product introduction, I unveil the Tone Protector, a digital chanter cap I designed with a built-in thermometer, hygrometer, and…
I introduce the Piper's Ultimate Reed Poker and explain the problem it solves: as cane breaks in, it softens and the reed becomes easier to blow, but …