Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

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 C...

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 –...

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 de...

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...

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 be...

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 w...

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 approac...

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 "subje...

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 proces...

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...

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...

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 t...

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...

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...

Ever wondered how two guys running a piping class in a New York church basement turned into the world's longest running and largest online piping school? Over more than 10 years in business, the Piper's Dojo (and now Dojo University) has grown into a cross-continental online juggernaut of piping and drumming education – but it certainly didn't start that way. In this week's episode, Jim (Heritage...

Do you consider yourself a musician – not "just" a piper? Do you feel like you can express yourself freely through your bagpipes? Unfortunately, for most pipers, the answer is no. In 2021, Andrew published his first book, Finding Bagpipe Freedom, which explored the process any piper can follow to achieve musical "freedom", and how to break bad habits to do it. This week, Andrew and Jim discuss the...

How do you know when you're ready and capable of playing gigs for money? How much should you charge? How do you find gigs and put yourself out there? How should you plan for and charge clients? Andrew and Jim delve into the pennies and dimes of putting yourself out there as a piper for hire on this week's episode of Dojo Conversations.

Can you play a march properly without actually marching? Does marching as you play actually help? Do you need to dance to play a strathspey in time? ...and what happened that one time Andrew tried to dance? On this week's episode of Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim dive into the art of marching, its benefits and drawbacks, and how moving as we play affects our rhythm and the groove of the tune....

Why do we use tape on bagpipe chanters? What's the 'right' way to use tape? Can you do tape 'wrong'? Can you have too much? What did they use before tape existed? On this week's episode, Andrew and Jim (Heritage Bagpipes, Droning On Podcast) delve into the sticky subject of bagpipe chanter tape, looking at its many uses, what to do, what NOT to do, and much more.

So you've checked your chanter reed is the right strength, your bag's airtight, and as far as you can tell, you're not leaking air anywhere else. Then why are you still struggling to maintain pressure and tone?! Calibrating your drones is the fourth step in setting up your pipes to be completely air-efficient – and therefore comfortable to play. But do you know how to calibrate your drone reeds pr...

An airtight bag is step 1 for a bagpipe that's easy to play. But do you know how to check if your bag is airtight? Does it matter that much whether you play hide or synthetic? Does duct tape work as a stopgap solution? And what should you do when you think you've done "everything right" and STILL can't get it to hold air properly? Andrew and Jim delve into all of these, plus 3D printed bagpipes, h...

Do you record yourself when you practice and perform? So many of us are daunted just by the idea of it, but recording is a must if you want to improve at anything. In this week's episode of Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim discuss the many, many benefits of recording yourself, as well as a few practical tips about what gear works best, and how to use it for optimal sound on your recordings. ____...

What kind of birl do you play? Do you know all the ways you can execute one? Is there a "best" way? On this week's episode of Dojo Conversations, Andrew and Jim delve into everything you want to know about birls – including how pipers in the distant future will play, and the rare and mysterious "birl on B"... ____ The Dojo engages thousands of bagpipers around the globe, by harnessing the power of...

Should you ever lick your reed? Why do pipers lick (or shave, or poke, or manipulate in any way whatsover) their reeds in the first place? Andrew and Jim (Heritage Bagpipes / Droning On Podcast) delve into the dos and don'ts of reed manipulation on this week's episode of Dojo Conversations. ____ The Dojo engages thousands of bagpipers around the globe, by harnessing the power of the internet to he...