Legends with practice chanters

Many people have said that the practice chanter and the pipes are different instruments; just because you are a “legend” on your practice chanter doesn’t mean you will be brilliant with a set of pipes on your shoulder. So, what’s behind this, why does it matter and what can be done about it? I recently …

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Expression and phrasing are not the same thing

As a musical community, we are particularly poor at teaching our musicians correct basic terminology, let alone correct playing technique. I often discuss phrasing and expression with pipers and drummers, sometimes on contest critique sheets. And, yet, I am now clear that many of our musicians, and perhaps even some of our adjudicators, may not …

Tuning Devices That Deceive

I have seen electronic tuners used painstakingly to set bands' drones accurately OUT OF TUNE.  So, are electronic tuners of any use? Let’s start with a clear answer: an electronic tuning device is a high value tool when setting up a pipe corps.  BUT, you need to use it intelligently to achieve the result, a …

The First Half of Improvement

I have been spending a lot of time with pupils lately helping them improve the precision of their playing.  A number have been producing generally “muddy” sounding music – imprecise movements from one note to the next, inaccurate timing, uneven sound due to irregular blowing and other issues.  A number of them are improving these …