Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

How would Matt MacIsaac teach you to tune? Matt’s one of many, many world-leading pipers we’ve interviewed for our brand new Bagpipe Tuning Suite of online courses, designed to help you finally crack the code of bagpipe tuning! Visit pipersdojo.com/tuning today to learn more. Inside the “Great Algorithm” Bagpipe Tuning Suite you’ll receive... In depth “Bagpipe Tuning in Theory” module, with quizze...

Introducing the Bagpipe Tuning Suite that helps you finally crack the code of bagpipe tuning! Visit https://pipersdojo.com/tuning today to learn more. Inside the "Great Algorithm" Bagpipe Tuning Suite you'll receive... --In depth "Bagpipe Tuning in Theory" Module, with quizzes to test your knowledge --Comprehensive "Bagpipe Tuning in Practice" module --90-Day Tuning Training Plan --11 full-hour in...

Ever heard someone say "real pipers don't use a metronome"? This week, we're discussing how rhythm is the most foundational skill any musician – including bagpipers – needs to develop. But do some people just naturally have better rhythm? Can you develop it? And how do you know when you've got it right? Pssssst... We're launching our new, comprehensive bagpipe tuning course VERY soon at Dojo U, fo...

Feel like you're flying blind when you tune your pipes? We have so many variables to manage while we're listening to our tuning – and chances are, especially if you're just starting out, you're not entirely sure what you're actually listening for... This week, we're discussing how to think of bagpipe tuning as an 'algorithm' – and if maths or computers aren't your thing, don't worry! At its core,...

Is your tenor drone sharp? Is your C flat compared to your drones? Are your drones flat or sharp compared to your low A? Who cares?! This week, Andrew and Jim discuss the "who cares" model of bagpipe tuning – where it doesn't matter whether you know instinctively whether your pipes are in tune, or even which way you need to shift a tuning pin or tape to fix the tuning. Instead, it's important to b...

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...

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 t...

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 w...

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 – b...

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, prop...

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...