Do you have hole coverage issues on the bottom hand? Is your thumb position affecting the clarity of your bottom hand notes? Do you have these issues only on the full pipes, but not your chanter? Andrew explains how this is an overall posture issue not just hand position. Don’t let these basics prevent you from having successful Fingerwork technique. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!...
Apr 29, 2020•6 min
Does your chanter rotate to one side while you're playing? Could this be causing your notes to sound messy? Can you fix it? Andrew and Carl clarifies how this is a posture issue and why you should avoid this. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Apr 22, 2020•3 min
In today's Q&A show, we cover a wide range of topics. Highlights include: How to deal with "screamin sharp" High G's, and Tone Protector fundamentals. Enjoy!
Apr 20, 2020•53 min
Do you struggle with where to put that useless little finger on the left hand? Do you stick it out as if you’re having tea? Do you tuck it in so it doesn’t interfere with your D gracenotes? What placement is best? Carl and Andrew describe the best finger position solution that allows you to play your best. Believe it or not, there is a correct answer here! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social m...
Apr 15, 2020•3 min
How old is your chanter? Do you struggle with balancing the tuning? Would an upgraded chanter improve your sound? Carl and Andrew explain how the age of your chanter may have a great impact on your sound. Watch to see if you are getting the best sound out of your chanter. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Apr 10, 2020•6 min
You’re putting on a new pipe bag and see the grooves in the stocks. Where exactly do those go? Should grommets be above or in the groove? Carl and Andrew explain what the groove is for and how to get the best placement when installing your new bag. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Apr 07, 2020•4 min
You’ve just purchased a sheepskin bag, and you’re excited to tie it in and get playing. You’ve gotten suggestions for different types of seasonings including glycerine based solutions. Should you try it? Andrew and Carl will clear the confusion. Check in to hear what they have learning from experience and success. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Apr 01, 2020•6 min
How do you know what reed to chose when you are a brand new piper? Your instructor said the reed was easy, but is it right for you? What do you do if the reed squeals, gurgles, or doesn’t make a sound at all? Andrew explains a foolproof way to choose your very first reed and every one after that. Stop struggling and start playing your new pipes! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!...
Mar 26, 2020•4 min
Does it take you a long time to chose a reed? Do you often end up with a reed that is too difficult or too easy for you? What if there was a way to check easily and quickly? Andrew explains why the chanter reed litmus test works so well. Use this technique to ensure you choose the right strength every time. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Mar 24, 2020•6 min
Have you found that your Gannaway bag does not stay completely airtight? Should there be some flexibility with hide bags? What are the major fail points for pipe bags? Andrew and Carl explain how airtight a bag should be and how to check for it. Hint: It’s a non-negotiable for pipers! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Mar 18, 2020•4 min
Are you planning to compete as a soloist for the first time this year? What tune should you play? What are the good standard tunes that work best for beginning soloists? Andrew makes this decision simple. Stop stressing about your tune choice and start preparing for that competition! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Mar 11, 2020•3 min
Have you changed drone reeds and found one set takes more air? Is it the drone reed or are there other factors? How can we test our drone reeds? Andrew demonstrates the suction test that he uses to check his drone reeds when they are acting poorly. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Mar 05, 2020•5 min
Does your bag slip down as you are playing? Do you struggle keeping it in place under your arm? Is it the bag cover or is it you? Andrew and Carl address the key techniques you must know to keep your bag in place while you play. Warning: a non-slip patch may not cut it. Check out the new Transitioning to the Bagpipes Course: https://pipersdojo.lpages.co/transitioning-to-the-bagpipes-v2-course-flash/ Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snap...
Mar 03, 2020•4 min
Do you have a set of poly pipes? What is the best set up if they are your primary set or your backups? Listen in as Andrew and Carl discuss their recommendations for poly piping peeps! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Mar 03, 2020•3 min
Are you a new piper just starting bagpipes? Do you feel like you are going to pass out every time you play? Should transitioning to the bagpipes be so hard? Andrew and Carl assuage your fears with a simple process to make your transition a success. Spend less time frustrated and more time playing pipes. Check out the new Transitioning to the Bagpipes Course: https://pipersdojo.lpages.co/transitioning-to-the-bagpipes-v2-course-flash/ Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on ...
Feb 27, 2020•4 min
Do you have issues with basic rhythm, scale navigation, or gracenote quality? Do you play embellishments because everyone else does? Could playing the simplified version of a tune help you get better as a piper? Andrew explains why playing a simplified version of a tune is a very good idea. Using the reel, Ca’ the Ewes, he demonstrates the process all pipers should use to learn and play tunes starting with a simplified version. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Faceb...
Feb 20, 2020•12 min
If you are serious about playing pipes, how much should you consider spending on piping? Chanters, reeds, pipe bags, and private instruction all add up. Is the cost reasonable? Andrew shares how he thinks about his bagpipe expenditures. He explains what is worth the money and when it’s not. Frugal pipers (aren’t we all) need to hear this! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Jan 30, 2020•6 min
Do you need to buy a new chanter to play with a band? Can your old chanter match the new poly band chanters? Can a band sound amazing with all different chanters? Andrew has a surprising answer to this question. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Jan 29, 2020•4 min
Have you tried circular breathing? Do you need to know how to circular breathe to become a better piper? Carl and Andrew discuss the advantages of circular breathing and whether it is important for pipers. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Jan 28, 2020•3 min
Why do you play bagpipes? Is it because they draw a crowd? Is it for the mental challenge? What do two professional pipers think about this? Andrew and Carl discuss what draws them to play bagpipes. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Jan 22, 2020•3 min
Have you been off your pipes for a while? Are your pipes now hard to play? How do you know whether the struggle is because of your pipes or because of you? Andrew explains the chanter reed litmus test to be sure your reed is the correct strength. Carl addresses how best to check your bag for airtightness. These guys will help you get back on your pipes no matter how long it has been. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… w...
Jan 20, 2020•6 min
Overwhelmed with many piping projects? Are you trying to balance solo tunes, band sets, Dojo tunes, and life? How do you prioritize what’s most important? Carl and Andrew address this common issue with suggestions that can help all pipers get focused to work on what is most important. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Jan 15, 2020•5 min
Are you hitting the beat accurately? Are you like most pipers who struggle with this piping fundamental? Can you easily identify what exactly should be on the beat? Andrew uses a jig to demonstrate how to identify what should be on the beat and how that should sound. Learn the two simple steps to playing with great rhythmic accuracy. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Jan 08, 2020•14 min
The metronome lies, right? Or are we frustrated with our inability to accurately play on the beat? How should that sound? How does this affect our ability to play great dotted rhythms? Andrew clearly diagrams how we should be playing to the metronome beat and how this can be applied to dotted rhythms using ALAP/ASAP. Stop rushing, rounding, and getting frustrated. Start finding the value in your steady friend, the metronome. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook...
Jan 01, 2020•14 min
Do you struggle with dot and cut notes? Did you play another instrument and think you understood how to play dotted rhythms until you played bagpipes? What is ALAP/ASAP anyway? Andrew decodes dotted rhythms using the ALAP/ASAP terminology and makes sense of bagpipe math. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Dec 26, 2019•15 min
Have you struggled to understand comments from judges? Does improvement seem overwhelming when described in subjective terms? What does the judge really mean? Andrew describes how most judges comments can be translated into objective fundamentals you can practice and improve. Stop being confused by the fluff and start targeting the fundamentals that can make a difference in your piping. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter...
Dec 18, 2019•10 min
Do you play your tunes so fast you can’t hear your mistakes? Or maybe you always keep the metronome at the same easy tempo for every practice session? How do you know what tempo to choose to improve your playing? Andrew walks you through why choosing the correct tempo for practice is a major factor in your ability to improve. While the perfect practice tempo is not the same for everyone, finding the right tempo for you is a simple process everyone can use. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and beco...
Dec 11, 2019•14 min
Are you considering a Blair Digital Chanter? Want to know more about how it works? Andrew shares the inside scoop from Murray Blair about the Blair Digital Chanter. This includes some more of the technical details on how it works and how it can be adjusted for many different types of pipers. Hint: it’s not all just magic! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do your social media!
Dec 10, 2019•5 min
Do you have a Digital Chanter on your wish list this year? Not sure if the Blair Digital Chanter is the right one? What makes it different from the other electronic chanters out there? Is it worth it? Andrew not only explains how the Blair Digital Chanter works, but also shares his experience adjusting the sensitivity to make it even more useful. Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat... wherever you do your social media!...
Dec 04, 2019•12 min
Scheduled to play a parade in November? In Canada? Preparing for that graveside memorial and the temperature takes a nosedive? How do you play in cold temperatures and stay in tune? Most pipers have been given the wrong advice! Andrew discusses how best to prepare and play your pipes for events in the cold temperatures. Be warned! The answer may not be what you think! Visit DojoUniversity.com today and become a member! Join us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter… wherever you do y...
Nov 27, 2019•10 min
