Throughout the last few weeks, I have heard from a handful of former students who are facing some challenges. They start out by emailing me or posting something in my Facebook group, noting how frustrated they are and inquiring about problems they are having with...
This was a question asked this week in my group, “Playing the Bagpipe”. The answer? Well, it could take a few minutes, hours, days, weeks and even years to learn a new tune depending on whether you have a plan or are just winging it. I keep saying in these blogs that...
DAILY BAGPIPE ADVICE: When you catch on fire, you STOP, DROP AND ROLL. When you’re practicing the bagpipe and you hit a bump in the music, you STOP, ISOLATE AND DRILL. Stop, drop and roll is a very effective way to put out a fire on your body. You probably...
I’ve written a lot about rhythm over the years. Rhythm is my specialty! Why? Simply because I think the difference between being an accomplished bagpiper and being dependent on other players has to do with rhythm. Because the bagpipe is a folk instrument, it is...
DAILY BAGPIPE ADVICE: “Your bagpipe teacher’s job is to teach you how to practice during the week after your lesson. If you are doing your own thing, then you aren’t paying enough money…or enough attention.” There are a few different ways that you can...
“Daily Bagpipe Advice: Big, Slow & Open is a method of practicing the Great Highland Bagpipe, not a porn film!” Because playing the Great Highland Bagpipe is about precision, learning how to practice this instrument effectively is key to becoming a successful...
DAILY BAGPIPE ADVICE: “If you want to be a bagpiper, you need to work on it DAILY! Make an appointment with yourself every day. If someone calls you and pulls you off schedule, you can’t cancel it you have to move it.” As I was thinking about something useful I...
You’ve probably heard the phrase “everything happens for a reason.” Many of us believe this is true and that – ultimately – we wind up where we’re supposed to be, doing what we should be doing. I think about this when I ponder how my bagpiping got...
In the 30 years since I began teaching, I have seen one of two things happen to most students. Initially, they are excited to learn to play the bagpipes. They come to lessons weekly, practice daily, and progress to the point where they are ready to buy pipes. At that...
I hear a lot of funny stories from my students about practicing. Here’s one of them. One of the hardest parts of learning to play the pipes is getting the hand position “right”. The hands need to be flat and straight and slightly angled downward almost at a...
