What would your life look like if bagpipes had never been a part of them? Pipers (and drummers) are a passionate bunch – so have you ever considered how different your life would be if you'd never picked up the pipes? This week, Andrew and Jim explore a fun "what-if" scenario, reflecting on the personal impact of bagpipes on their social interactions, artistic expression, career paths – but even more shockingly, they consider how the absence of bagpipes could have altered history and popular mus...
May 27, 2024•19 min
What's the hardest tune ever written? What's the best pipe band performance ever? How should you travel with pipes? How do you choose tunes for your MSR? And what's the best way to fix a funky-sounding high G? What do all these questions have in common? They're burning questions Reddit users wanted answered! This week, Jim poses some of the most commonly requested questions from the r/bagpipes forum on Reddit to Andrew. They discuss chanter reeds' inconsistencies, the preference for modern vs. o...
May 20, 2024•50 min
Chanter reeds are often sent from the manufacturer labelled as "easy", "hard", or anything in between – but how do you know which one is going to be right for you? This week, Andrew and Jim are putting chanter reeds under pressure, first focusing on understanding reed strength through the measurement of 'inches of water', a method used by reed makers to indicate required blowing pressure. They discuss the variability of reeds, finding the right reed strength for individual players, the importanc...
May 13, 2024•27 min
Pipe band can be a source of joy, fun, and fulfilment. But the person in charge matters… and it can be really demotivating when weaknesses in their leadership start to affect your enjoyment of this hobby we all know and love… This week, we’re revisiting an article Andrew wrote in 2020 called, you guessed it, “10 Clues Your Pipe Major Sucks”. Despite the clickbait title, the point is really about leadership – in a pipe band setting, or any other. Andrew and Jim dive into their own experiences pla...
May 06, 2024•36 min
Pipers around the world find bagpipe tuning one of the hardest skills to master. Why? This week, we're using the physics of sound to explain why, as we look in-depth at how the harmonics of bagpipe chanter and drone reeds relate to each other. Brace yourself, dear listener – this is the sound nerd deep dive to rule them all! If you're listening to the audio version of this podcast, you may want to check out the version on YouTube or Facebook for some of the visual references, too – we promise th...
Apr 29, 2024•58 min
Learning tunes can be hard, especially if you struggle with sight-reading. But there's a step that makes it much easier – and helps speed up a bunch of other skills too, including your ability to play the right rhythm and melody. This week, we're discussing the concept of 'playing it like you sing it'. While some people can feel a bit silly or uncomfortable singing a tune out loud, there's a profound connection between singing and playing an instrument. And when you combine multiple senses and p...
Apr 22, 2024•41 min
Why don't they just make bagpipe chanters that don't need tape? This week, we delve into why – the physics behind why all chanters inevitably require tape, misconceptions about tape usage, and detailed instructions for applying tape correctly. Plus, we look at how recent an innovation tape really is, and why it's such an important part of getting your pipes singing. Got a question for a future episode? Leave a comment or email us at support@pipersdojo.com. This week, we cover: 00:00 The Great Ta...
Apr 15, 2024•30 min
You're stuck on a desert island. Would you rather have your practice chanter, or an endless playlist of great pipe band tunes? If you didn't say the latter, you're missing the number one secret ingredient to being a better musician – immersion! This week, we're discussing why certain families and geographies seem to foster world class players. Is it just boundless talent passed along in their bloodlines... or is it the world-class piping and drumming they've been absorbing since before they coul...
Apr 08, 2024•28 min
Do bagpipes seem sharper in pitch than they used to be? That's because they are... This week, Andrew and Jim answer a listener question about why bagpipes have become sharper over time. We look at the history of pitch, how it affects tuning to mix and match old chanters and new reeds, and also at before a left turn into the implications of rising pitch for competitions (for better or worse). Plus, will we ever figure out the magic pitch that will help us make first contact with aliens? Listen in...
Apr 01, 2024•31 min
Should you use cane or synthetic drone reeds? Is it good or bad to mix and match them? Does ‘perfect bagpipe tone’ exist? Can you achieve it if your band plays different reed setups? And does a bit of imperfection in your sound actually make your tone better? This week, we’re talking all things drone reeds! Drone reeds are an integral part of our instrument’s sound, stability, and tone, and yet knowing how and when to use the different makes and materials is something most pipers don’t understan...
Mar 25, 2024•28 min
Do you struggle to get your pipes into tune when you first start to play? You may be trying to tune too soon... This week, Andrew and Jim are diving into the 'set and forget' method of warming up your pipes. While most of us know that it's important to get some air, heat and moisture into the pipes when we first get started, letting your pipes adjust to their environment before getting down to the serious business of tuning and playing can make a huge difference to how easy it is to tune your pi...
Mar 18, 2024•18 min
This week, we're diving into the mailbag to answer your submitted questions! First up, we talk through how to help a young piper's transition to pipes, and how to adapt the instrument for small pipers. Next - transitioning tunes from the practice chanter to the bagpipes, and the challenge of mastering 'Scotland the Brave'. And finally - a letter from a New Zealand listener outlines their journey and challenges in learning bagpipes, expressing a desire for more tailored feedback and the obstacles...
Mar 11, 2024•37 min
Pipe band medley sets are the perfect chance to showcase your band's musical range and creativity. But why do some medleys sound more musical than others? Should you use harmonies in every tune, or is less more? Plus, what do judges actually listen for... and is that more important that putting together a creative set that an audience enjoys and players love to play? This week, Andrew and Jim delve into what decisions and strategies you might want to consider when constructing a medley for your ...
Mar 04, 2024•40 min
Rescue Your Bagpipe Sound May 31 - June 2, 2024 in Troy, New York at our Tuning Clinic! You don't have to be "that person" who loves bagpipes but can't figure out how to make them sound good. Make May 31st the last day you ever worry about tuning your pipes by joining us at the world's only tuning-centric bagpipe workshop.
Feb 28, 2024•3 min
Ever wondered why your drones seem to make a bunch of different sounds when you strike in (or if you don't cut them off quickly – an auditory experience affectionately know as "the dying cow")? This week, Andrew and Jim explain the four distinct layers identifiable within drone sounds generated by the bagpipe: a squeaky unpredictable sound triggered by low pressure (layer one), a gurgly or raucous sub-layer (layer two), the optimal stable tone (layer three), and no sound at all (layer four), res...
Feb 26, 2024•23 min•Ep. 59
Most of us show up for band practice like clockwork each week – maybe even a few times a week. But are you showing up in all the right ways to improve your own playing, and contribute to the improvement of your whole band? This week, Andrew and Jim – who both have plenty of experience playing in and leading bands at all grade levels – chat through the importance of individual players coming to practice with their instrument and personal skills honed so the group can focus on ensemble-specific is...
Feb 19, 2024•29 min•Ep. 61
"Just blow tone!" Sound familiar? Most of us know we should be blowing a certain way to sound better, but many pipers don't know how to really get into the "tone zone". This week, Andrew and Jim delve into the importance of identifying and playing within the instrument's sweet spot for optimal sound quality, eliminating the risk of choking or squeaking. The duo talks about the impact of drone tuning, and how setting drones slightly sharper than perfectly in tune can subconsciously encourage full...
Feb 12, 2024•23 min•Ep. 60
Do you want to sound just like your favourite pipers? Maybe we all do, to start with. But after a while, most pipers realise that true satisfaction comes from being able to create any musical ideas or interpretations that you want to – not just copying others. Having this kind of freedom is the ultimate goal of any musician – and any bagpiper. But when we skip early skills and rush through to play the pipes, it can be hard on the ol' ego to go back to the basics to re-learn them. But that master...
Feb 05, 2024•48 min•Ep. 59
As pipers we have to juggle a lot of skills, usually all at once. Remembering tunes, playing with good rhythm and clean fingerwork, tuning, blowing good tone, marching... the list goes on. But how do you put them all together without maxing out your 'piping bandwidth' – your mental capacity to do many things simultaneously? This week, Andrew and Jim chat through the chapter of Andrew's book, Finding Bagpipe Freedom, that tackles how to juggle all the essential piping skills at once to be an exce...
Jan 29, 2024•35 min•Ep. 58
Relive all the amazing performances from the 2024 Winter Storm Concert! On January 14th 2024, it might have been freezing outside, but at Winter Storm – the pipes and drums event in Kansas City – we turned up the heat for the annual concert, featuring world champion pipers and drummers from Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, and the U.S. – pipe bands and ensembles, piping soloists, sizzling Highland drumming, and much more! This year's concert was livestreamed once again by the Dojo Un...
Jan 21, 2024•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 1
How much money should you be budgeting for your bagpiping? At a minimum there are reeds, pipe bags, and other parts all need to be replaced regularly – and then there's new chanters, travel, lessons, and much more. It can add up pretty quickly to a lot more than you thought when you started as a fledgling piper... This week, Andrew and Jim talk through a bagpiping budget – the outlay for equipment and travel, the importance of good maintenance and care, and the cost-benefit of more expensive opt...
Jan 20, 2024•19 min•Ep. 57
Ever heard “you’re not a REAL piper unless you play with all the embellishments as written”? Embellishments are lovely – but they’re the crown moulding, while foundational skills like rhythm, scale navigation, and so many others are vital to master first… This week, Andrew and Jim look at how to go back to basics with your tunes, by learning to effectively simplify them. They use Bonnie Anne to give a step-by-step explanation, starting with rhythm, then integrating melody notes and grace notes. ...
Jan 15, 2024•51 min•Ep. 56
Do you ever feel burned out at the end of competition season? This week, Andrew and Jim look at the merits of rest. It's a necessity in the fitness world to recover and restore yourself to be stronger – so could the same be true for your piping? High-pressure performances and competition can certainly be draining if you're pouring time into them, and the downtime can have negative effects on your motivation and creativity. But consistency is really important to stay motivated – so could taking a...
Jan 08, 2024•25 min•Ep. 55
Should 'auld' episodes be forgot and never brought to mind? Not a chance! As 2024 dawns, we're taking a moment to pause and reflect – it's been just over a year since the podcast went live, so this week Andrew and Jim revisit some of the highs, the lows, and the bits we can't remember as we look back on the Dojo Conversations journey so far... and where we're headed in 2024 and beyond! If you have a topic you'd like us to cover in a future episode, leave us a comment or send it to support@pipers...
Jan 01, 2024•42 min•Ep. 51
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Dojo, we've enlisted AI for some festive mojo! This week, Andrew and Jim detour for a special Christmas episode, enlisting the writing and artistic talents of very special guest to pull together the most bagpipey version of A Christmas Carol and The Grinch ever conceived (by AI)... Wishing all our followers and listeners a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ____ Dojo University is the longest-running and most successful online bagpiping...
Dec 24, 2023•13 min•Ep. 56
This week, Andrew and Jim welcome special guest and piping legend Jack Lee to talk all things piping, drumming and… cruising?! The upcoming Piper’s Dojo and Piping Hot Summer Drummer collaboration 'Cruise Journey North' departs from Seattle to Alaska on May 4th, 2024, with regular classes, private sessions, tune workshops, tune composition sessions, and opportunities to interact with local pipe bands in Alaska, all mixed in with a luxury cruise holiday in the idyllic American north. Learn more a...
Dec 18, 2023•30 min•Ep. 52
Do your pipes ever feel hard to play? If you’re not asking these 4 questions every time you pick them up out of the box, you’re setting yourself up to fail before you play a single note… This week, Andrew and Jim discuss the 4 questions of bagpipe maintenance that are a ‘pre-flight’ checklist to make sure you’re set up for success every time you play. By making a system of these and building it into your piping routine, you’ll avoid future problems and have the best chance at a great practice or...
Dec 12, 2023•33 min•Ep. 51
This week, we're welcoming special guest Ed Best – Dojo U's drumming instruction lead, rhythm guru and dad joke connoisseur – to chat about his approach to helping drummers find their own musical freedom. We dive into the ways piping and drumming can be similar (and how similar approaches between the two corps can benefit a band); how rhythm is the crucial foundation to all music; how drummers approach writing their scores compared to pipers; and how great players don't always make great teacher...
Dec 04, 2023•55 min•Ep. 45
Do your bagpipes fit your body – or do you make your body fit to your bagpipes? Continuing last week's conversation about posture, this time Andrew and Jim challenge the idea that bagpipes are hard to play – according to Andrew they should be easy to play, always, but we all know that's often easier said than done... especially for newer players. So they follow up with some great tips on how to work on your posture, whether you could 'wear your bagpipes to outer space', and how to improve your m...
Nov 27, 2023•46 min
"Multitasking is a way of fooling ourselves that we’re being exceptionally efficient." Did you learn to play exclusively on a practice chanter, have to get a few tunes (with all embellishments included) memorized, and only then transition to the bagpipes – where you then had to juggle posture, blowing steadily, and many other skills at once? Like in every other walk of life – for bagpipers, multitasking doesn't work. So is there a better way to transition from practice chanter to bagpipes? In th...
Nov 21, 2023•37 min
