Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

For better or worse, digital tuners are widely used in the piping world. They're easier than ever to access, with many smartphone apps now available. And they're a useful reference tool that can show you what pitch your reeds are sounding at. But most importantly – what CAN'T your digital tuner tell you? This week, Andrew and Jim discuss the pros and cons of bagpipe tuners, when they're good, when they're not, and when you need to "put down the ducky" if you want to be a better bagpiper... Got a question or topic you'd like answered in a future episode? Leave a comment or email it to support@pipersdojo.com!

It's the instrument we all started on, and a very different one to the full pipes... but for something that's mostly used for practice, does it actually matter if your practice chanter is blackwood or polypenco (plastic)? Long or short? Tuned or not? This week, Andrew and Jim discuss all things practice chanter, including what to look for and what to consider when you're buying your first, or in the market for a new one... Got a question or topic you'd like answered in a future episode? Leave a comment or email it to support@pipersdojo.com!

While rushing and lack of control are huge problems for beginners and intermediates, if we roll it back a step further – do you actually know where the beat is supposed to go in the first place? Bagpipe music isn't always written in a way that makes that easy to answer. So this week, Andrew and Jim discuss where to place the beat in bagpipe music, how embellishments likely developed, and whether we should be prescribing where to place the beat at all... Got a question or topic you'd like answered in a future episode? Leave a comment or email it to support@pipersdojo.com!

Have you ever hit a wall in your piping? It could be because your foundations need fixing... This week, Andrew and Jim look at the root causes of player stagnation, which usually aren't fixed by doing more reps, or trying to play faster, or any of the many other ways we tell ourselves we'll get better if we just keep pushing. Often, the best way to progress is actually to take a step backwards – by methodically fixing fundamental gaps in skill, from the ground up. Think you're too far advanced to need this approach? You may be suffering from "bagpipe status disease" – and you're holding yourself back as a result... Got a question or topic you'd like answered in a future episode? Leave a comment or email it to support@pipersdojo.com!

Are you a "wet blower"? Many pipers seem to inexplicably have a bagpipe that accumulates WAY more moisture than their bandmates... but before you get too attached to that as part of your piping identity, you might want to hear what we have to say about the "myth" of wet blowing... On this week's episode, we explore some other variables that may be at play for "wet" blowers, like condensation, proper instrument maintenance, efficient setup, and environmental conditions, which can significantly impact moisture levels. Got a question or topic you'd like us to cover in a future episode? Leave us a comment or send an email to support@pipersdojo.com!

Is there a difference between band and solo chanters? Does it matter if you choose an African blackwood or a polypenco (plastic) chanter? And does the hole size of a chanter make any real difference to the sound? This week, Andrew and Jim are busting every myth you've ever wondered about bagpipe chanters, and touch on the traumatic moment that so many pipers have experienced – that bone-chilling CRACK when you turn a blackwood chanter from the bottom... Got a question or topic you'd like us to cover in a future episode? Leave a comment or email support@pipersdojo.com!

Ever heard of the pitch–time continuum? If you haven't, that's not surprising, because Andrew made it up... but it's a great way to visualize what happens inside your pipes as you play, what effect heat and moisture have on whether your reeds go sharp or flat, and why the darned things never seem to stay in tune! On this week's episode of Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss bagpipe tuning – one of the (if not the single) most frustrating topics for any beginning or intermediate piper. We'll look at how your pipes change over time, what causes this, and some suggestions for ways to prepare for and solve these issues when you're playing. Interested to learn more about tuning? We can't say too much yet, but we're developing something HUGE and very exciting that is coming soon – and we think it will have an enormous effect on your ability to tune your own bagpipes. Watch this space... Got a question or topic you'd like covered in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you – leave us a comment or ema

How do you plan the perfect practice session? Should you practice more on the practice chanter or the full pipes? And would the formula change depending on whether you're a complete beginner or have been playing for a while? This week on Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim dive into a listener question from Brad, all about how to structure a practice session for optimal improvement. They dive so deep they go all the way through to how you'd teach a beginner to get started on the bagpipes in general, among many other tangents (just for something different)...

Is there a better feeling in the world than buying new stuff for your piping obsession? So what should every piper be adding to that list? Should you stick to the maintenance essentials? Stock up on the latest gadgets and gimmicks? Or is there more to consider before you get out your wallet and rush to the closest supply store? This week on Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss in detail the joys and pitfalls of bagpipe retail therapy, including a list of must-haves for every piper – but you might be more surprised at what's NOT on the list... Got a question that you'd like answered in a future episode? Leave us a comment on this video, or email it to us at support@pipersdojo.com.

Enjoy the CALM Before Winter Storm ❄️ Dojo University is the largest and longest running online bagpiping and drumming school, but sometimes it's fun to meet up IRL (in real life) too... This week, Andrew and Jim chat about some upcoming Dojo in-person events, all timed to tie into some of the biggest events on the piping calendar around the world. The first is a three-day workshop running just before "Winter Storm", one of North America's most popular piping and drumming events. Tailored for beginner and intermediate pipers, CALM (Come And Learn Music) Before Winter Storm offers full-group workshops and lectures, small group breakout sessions, and dedicated practice time. Want to learn more or register? Places are strictly limited, so don't miss out – visit: pipersdojo.com/calm We're also running an International School in Edinburgh next August designed to put you in prime timing to maximize your piping with some of Scotland's best instructors, as well as seeing the Edinburgh Tattoo and World Pipe Band

Catch up with Andrew and Carl during this week's "Friday Strike In."

Do you rush to play your strathspeys at breakneck speed, regardless of the grade you play in? You're not alone. Many pipers believe you 'lose the strathspey feel' if you play these tunes too slow... but does that mean that pipers in lower grades should still aim for the same speeds as the pros? This week on Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss a reader question about strathspey tempos, and what judges (and audiences) REALLY want to hear... and whether that's actually the best thing for the player, or for the continuing health of the piping community at large. Got a question of your own that you'd like answered? Leave a comment or email it to us at support@pipersdojo.com.

Bob Ross was a wholesome TV personality who taught viewers to paint beautiful landscapes along with him. But what does painting (even when coached by a vocal equivalent of a lava lamp) have to do with bagpiping? This week on Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss Bob's approach to painting – to start with the broad strokes, adding complexity and detail over time – and how the very same approach applies to every creative pursuit... including (and perhaps especially) bagpiping! Got a question you'd like us to cover in future episodes? Leave a comment or email support@pipersdojo.com! ____ Dojo University is the longest-running and most successful online bagpiping and drumming school in the world. We teach thousands of students around the world how to play good music – mastering the art of learning and playing the bagpipes and drums in the process – in a highly accessible way that is completely unlike anything else you'll find online or in person, anywhere in the world. We created Dojo U because we not

If you compete and don't win, have you failed? Failure is something we all fear – but putting yourself out there really is the only way to learn and grow as a piper. And the cool thing about failure is that it moves the needle towards a future success. This week on Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss the idea of "failure" in bagpiping and pipe bands – and how different piping is as a "subjective" art form to some other more objective pursuits, like basketball and other sports. Let's rethink "failure" as what it really is – progress towards incremental improvement! Got a topic you'd like us to discuss on a future episode? Leave a comment or email it to support@pipersdojo.com! #bagpipes #bagpipers #pipeband #pipebandlife

Though many pipers struggle, it doesn't have to be this way. Finding true joy in your bagpiping all really boils down to one simple equation... but you'll have to tune in to find out what it is! This week on Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss another chapter of Andrew's book Finding Bagpipe Freedom, this time looking at the simple equation that guarantees a way to finding joy in the process of learning to become a better bagpipers. Because if you can't enjoy the process... you're not gonna make it as a bagpiper! Got a topic you'd like us to discuss on a future episode? Leave a comment or email it to support@pipersdojo.com!

Becoming a great player is clearly possible, as many pipers achieve it. But it's easy to feel like we're getting stagnant or plateauing in our progress. So could becoming a world-class piper really be simple enough to boil down into 100 words? Absolutely! Here they are: ~~~~~~~~~~ "Every day: listen to masterful bagpipe music, interact with bagpipers better than you, play at least one tune on full bagpipes. ‌ Most days: hone essential fundamentals, in this order of priority: 1. Rhythmic Accuracy 2. Scale Navigation 3. Gracenote Quality 4. Blowing Mechanics/Posture 5. Tuning drones together 6. Maintaining optimal blowing pressure. 7. Tuning drones to chanter 8. Avoiding “Mental Blowing Anomalies” 9. Embellishment 10. “Expression” Technique ‌ Practice as wide an array of tunes as humanly possible. Be wary of routine! Keep practice very short, singularly focused, and objective. Afterwards, play strictly for enjoyment. ‌ Regularly put yourself in new, challenging musical situations. Play for self-expression, ne

Does your band care more about dressing up than the sound they produce? Would you rather be in a Grade 5 band focused on improvement, or a Grade 2 band obsessed more with status? How do you get a top grade attitude in a lower grade band – even if you don't compete? In this week's episode of Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss a reader question about a band's attitude, and how it can make or break the success or failure of your organisation. As Lao Tzu once said, “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” So how do you set your band up to have a great, "Grade 1" culture and attitude? Tune in to find out... Got a question you'd like Andrew and Jim to discuss on the show? Add your comment here or send it to support@pipersdojo.com.

Ever watched an expert make something look so easy you think you could do it? It's a phenomenon every learner experiences – because you don't know what you don't know. Then as you learn more and do more, even though you're getting better, you start to realize there's a gaping chasm between your current skill level and where you want to be. In this week's episode, Andrew and Jim dive into more of the ideas from Finding Bagpipe Freedom, including a cool way of conceptualizing learning called the hierarchy of competence...

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, as Oscar Wilde's old saying goes... but people often forget the second half of that quote: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” In other words, if you're truly great, the mediocre will imitate you. So when you're creating something, like music, should you be aiming to simply copy what your instructors or great pipers play? Or should you want to create your own unique sound? In this week's episode, Andrew and Jim dive into more of the ideas Andrew explored in his first book, Finding Bagpipe Freedom, including how to use the bagpipes as a form of technology like any other – one that you can use as a tool to express yourself, rather than just copying what others have written or done before you. After all, isn't that the true definition of Bagpipe Freedom?

Many pipers dismiss piobaireachd – classical piping – as too nerdy, obscure, hard, or just plain boring to learn... but this couldn't be further from the truth! In this week's episode, Jim and Andrew chat with one of piobaireachd's most enthusiastic champion, Dan Nevans, who's a passionate advocate that piobaireachd is for everyone (coincidentally, also the title of his popular book). • Check out Dan's book "Piobaireachd is for Everyone" here: https://dnpiping.com/book • Join us for a piobaireachd-themed takeover of the Dojo in May 2023 – kicks off Friday 5 May: https://dojouniversity.com/theme • Learn more about Dojo University and how to join: https://pipersdojo.com