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As a bagpiper for more than 45 years, I have learned one thing that I deem the most important: “A bagpiper is a person who can play a list of tunes on the bagpipe by memory”. It’s just that simple. The first question that I ask you as a bagpiper: Do you have a list of tunes to play? Think about this. If you are asked to play for someone’s event, do you have a list or do you wing it? Personally, I think that “winging it” won’t keep you in the market for long. You need to prepare a list. These tunes should be in small sets by meter. The small sets can be combined with other small sets to create 10 to 12 minute medleys. If someone needs you to play for 30 minutes, you only need 3 – 10 minute medleys to do the job. I like to change up the small sets so that I don’t have two duple sets back to back. For instance, I’ll take a set of 4/4’s and put a set of 6/8’s followed by a 2/4 set. The 2/4 set goes into a set of 2-part Strathspeys and Reels followed by a Jig, a Hornpipe and a set of Retreats. This set takes about 10 minutes to play. Your audience will stay engaged as the music is always changing. So, how do you develop this kind of set. I think that you need to write it down. You then need to learn the tunes in that order and when you practice you always play them in that order. You want one tune going into the next and then the next. As you learn these tunes, the goal is to get from one melody note to the next without making a mistake. You need to play slowly on your first read-through. If you played the same tune 10 times exactly the same way, you might have it memorized by the 11th pass through. If you play it sloppily and different each of the 10 times, you may never have it memorized. The bagpipe is all about precision. As most bands competing are playing in unison, you want everyone playing the exact same thing at the exact same time. To recap, if you want to be a bagpiper, make a list of tunes and build them one at a time and practice them in the same order. If you need a source of music to draw from below are my suggestions: 
Bagpipes For Beginners Program-Choose your option.
$155.00 - $220.00
The Lessons Lesson 1 Rhythm and Meter Lesson 2 Holding the Chanter Lesson 3 Reading Music Lesson 4 Adding our Feet Lesson 5 Blowing the Chanter Lesson 6 What's a Crossing Noise? Lesson 7 The GDE Grace Notes Lesson 8 Playing Grace Notes Between Intervals Lesson 9 Scots Wha Hae Lesson 10 Amazing Grace Lesson 11 The Blue Bells of Scotland Lesson 12 Bonnie Prince Charlie (Will Ye No Come Back Again) Lesson 13 Johnnie Scobie (A No Awa Te Bide Awa) Lesson 14 Scotland the Brave Tunes In This Book A No Awa Te Bide Awa All the Way to Galaway Amazing Grace Anchors Away (Navy) Angels We Have Heard on High At the River Auld Lang Syne Back to Donegal Battle Hymn of the Republic Bonnie Dundee Bonnie Prince Charlie Brown Haird Maiden Caissons Go Rolling Along (Army) Daniel's Lament Danny Boy Emily's March Evelyn's Scale Strathspey Foster's Garden Garry Owen George Roy's March God Bless America Going Home High Road to Gairloch Highland Laddie I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy Johnnie Scobie Kelly, The Boy from Killane Let Erin Remember Lord Eric's Return to Efrat Mac Pic's Reel MacIntosh's Lament Maggies Lament Off We Go (Air Force) Over There Patty's Jiggity Jig Rab's Wedding in Jig Form Roy T's Hornpipe Ryan's March Scotland the Brave Scots Wha Hae Semper Paratus (Coast Guard) The Barren Rocks of Aden The Blue Bells of Scotland The Crusader's March The Duke of Gordon in Jig Time The Glendaurel Highlanders The Green Hills of Tyrol The Irish Washerwoman The Jolly Beggerman The Keel Row The Kilt is My Delight The Lady in the Bottle The Marines Hymn The Minstrel Boy The Pikeman's March The Rowan Tree The Scots Guard's March Through Jerusalem The Taorluath Tune The Wearing of the Green Tim's Mushrooms Trumpet Voluntary for Bagpipe Twenty Men From Dublin Town When the Battle's Over Will Ye No Come Back Again Willian's Hornpipe Wings You're a Grand Old Flag 
Scots Guards Books (3 Volumes
$53.00 - $63.00
Every Bagpiper at some point in the bagpipe life should own the Scots Guards Books. These are collections of all types of music written for this instrument. Marches, Strathspeys, Reels, Hornpipes, Jigs, Slow Aires and even a Piobareachd or two are in these collections. These are definite books that you don't write in. They will keep you busy for a long, long time. They sell for $63.00 each for volumes 1 or 2. Volume 3 is available for $54. This product is shipped in a Medium Priority Mail Box. The cost of that service is $14. You can receive up to 70 lbs of merchandise in that box! You might consider adding more to your order. I am not in the shipping business and will refund you the difference in the shipping as each item includes shipping.
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AuthorGary Guth is a professional bagpiper with over 45 years of playing experience and has been teaching bagpipes full time for the last 20 years. He has written "Bagpipes For Beginners", "the Bagpipe Hymnal", and " A Piper's Christmas". Archives
April 2020
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