What makes someone ready to move up a grade? Should competitive Highland pipers explore other bagpipe traditions? Why do drones seem to have a mind of their own? And do tone enhancers actually work?  

It's a mailbag episode! This week, Andrew and Jim tackle another round of listener questions, covering everything from grade progression and competition mindset to drone troubleshooting and equipment myths. Along the way, they explain why focusing on what you can control is one of the fastest ways to improve, and why social media popularity isn't always a reliable measure of piping ability.  

Here's what we cover in this episode:

•   00:00 – Catching up before another mailbag session
• 00:37 – Listener questions: what's on pipers' minds this week?
• 02:28 – Moving up to Grade 4: choosing tunes and knowing when you're ready
• 04:25 – Are Grade 3 tunes actually more difficult than Grade 4?
• 06:50 – What solo competitions are really judging (and what they aren't)
• 13:34 – Why focusing on controllable factors leads to better performances 
• 16:09 – Social media popularity versus genuine piping progress
• 20:42 – Should competitive Highland pipers branch into bagad or other bagpipe traditions?
• 33:43 – Why drones sometimes turn themselves back on after you've shut them off
• 58:32 – The unexpected Truman Show connection, final thoughts, and outro

How much music theory does a bagpiper really need?

In this week's Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl dig into what "music theory" actually means for pipers, and why you may already know more than you think. Along the way they cover practical tuning advice, playing with other instruments, bagpipe notation software, and finish with a lighthearted brainstorm of bagpipe-inspired baby names. .

Here's what we cover this week:
0:00 – What is music theory for bagpipers?
4:45 – Playing with other instruments and concert pitch
16:03 – The circle of fifths: useful or unnecessary?
17:30 – How to tune your chanter to your drones
29:17 – The best bagpipe music notation apps
34:21 – Community Q&A: drumming, summer schools, Dojo history & tune player fixes
39:58 – The best (and worst) bagpipe-inspired baby names

Want to join these live Q&A sessions, ask your own questions, and learn from world-class instructors every week? Join us at Dojo University today: https://pipersdojo.com/store

Piobaireachd has a reputation for being ancient, mysterious, and governed by strict traditions. But how much of what we think we know about this music is actually history... and how much is simply the result of chance?

In Part 2 of their Introduction to Piobaireachd series, Andrew and Jim explore the remarkable journey of piobaireachd through the collapse of the clan system, the aftermath of Culloden, and its unlikely revival during the Industrial Revolution. Along the way, they uncover how competitions, wealthy patrons, early music publishing, and even printing errors helped shape the tradition we know today. Rather than there being a single "correct" way to play piobaireachd, the music has always evolved through interpretation, adaptation, and the personalities of the great players who passed it on. If you've ever worried about getting piobaireachd "right," this episode might completely change your perspective.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• 00:00 – Toyota Corolla vs. Camry: an unexpected cold open
• 02:16 – Picking up where Part 1 left off
• 02:38 – Why feeling intimidated by piobaireachd is completely normal
• 03:18 – The origins of piobaireachd and the legend of the MacCrimmons
• 04:33 – Hereditary pipers and the role of piobaireachd in the clan system
• 05:23 – Culloden and the collapse of Highland society
• 06:23 – The banning of the pipes and Highland dress
• 07:02 – How the Industrial Revolution unexpectedly helped save piobaireachd
• 07:46 – Wealthy patrons, Highland societies, and the early revival movement
• 08:59 – The beginning of the modern piobaireachd revival
• 10:04 – When tartan became fashionable
• 10:49 – The first Falkirk piping competition
• 11:59 – How competitions shaped modern piping
• 14:14 – Canntaireachd: the earliest attempts to write piobaireachd down
• 14:33 – Angus Mackay and the birth of modern notation
• 16:49 – Why Mackay became the defining authority on piobaireachd
• 19:46 – Bringing piobaireachd to the printing press
• 23:44 – Why old piobaireachd scores look so compressed
• 25:32 – Crowdfunding music publishing in the 1800s
• 27:38 – Printing mistakes, human error, and accidental traditions
• 29:34 – Did clan politics influence which tunes survived?
• 32:19 – Why there will probably never be one definitive interpretation
• 33:26 – Piobaireachd as the original jazz
• 35:36 – Why the greatest players always leave room for interpretation
• 37:50 – Why Andrew teaches the variations before the ground
• 39:47 – Understanding giosh and siubhal variations
• 40:55 – Taorluath and crunluath explained
• 42:18 – Recognising phrase patterns and the Intro to Piobaireachd course
• 45:30 – Are we actually making musical progress?
• 47:39 – Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and the strange history of "air bathing"
• 49:53 – Authenticity versus connecting with modern audiences
• 53:30 – Final thoughts: preserving tradition without freezing it in time

Ever wondered why bagpipes are tuned "wrong" on purpose?   This week, Andrew and Carl answer your piping questions on everything from why high A isn't actually tuned perfectly, to bagad bands, high-altitude piping, reversed-handed playing, fixing sharp high Gs, and the mystery of an unexpected E pickup in one of piping's classic tunes.   Here's what we cover this week: 0:00 – Why bagpipes are tuned to the drones, not equal temperament 2:38 – The science behind high A and why pipers flatten it
 9:50 – Why top bands "cheat" notes like D, F and B
 12:23 – Teaching young pipers the right tuning habits
 15:12 – Playing with bagad bands and different chanter pitches
 16:43 – The history of bagad bands and Breton piping
 19:42 – What Scottish and Breton pipe bands have in common
 21:25 – Should you learn to play with the opposite hand?
 26:55 – How to use a manometer correctly
 28:59 – Fixing a sharp high G: where to start
 33:09 – What happens to your pipes at high altitude?
 34:31 – Learning the Sardinian launeddas
 35:55 – How to tell a hornpipe from a reel
 41:33 – Indiana Jones, bagpipes, and pop culture
 42:38 – The mysterious E pickup in The Maids of the Black Glen and why sheet music doesn't tell the whole story   Want to join our weekly Q&A sessions live, or get your piping questions answered? Check out our membership options: https://pipersdojo.com/store

Sometimes the best piping stories start with a simple question: “Can you bring your pipes?”  

Not all of them end up playing on a rooftop with NFL legends, becoming a viral sensation playing alongside Grimace, or partying with the 60,000-strong Tartan Army though…  

This week, Andrew and Jim are joined by Matt McArthur – a Quincy, Massachusetts-based piper, comedian, and longtime friend of Andrew’s from their days studying under legendary piper Donald Lindsay at Invermark Piping School in 1998.  

Matt tells us how a throwaway joke at a comedy show escalated into national TV appearances, NFL legends, and becoming the unofficial mascot of the Tartan Army.

From piping on a penthouse rooftop alongside Gronk and Julian Edelman, appearing in a White Claw ad he didn’t know he was part of, and having a dance-off with Grimace, this is one World Cup adventure you won’t believe.  

We also talk about the power of just getting the pipes out and playing for people – because sometimes the strangest gigs lead to the best stories (and opportunities!).  

Here’s what we cover in this episode: 

• 00:00 – “So you met Grimace…” 
 
• 01:41 – Introducing Matt: bagpiper, comedian, and accidental “sports ball legend”
 
• 02:50 – How Matt ended up at the centre of Boston’s World Cup celebrations
 
• 08:00 – The random bar gig that started it all
 
• 11:20 – The Tennent’s shortage and the White Claw twist
 
• 18:30 – BBC Scotland goes viral: “The Americans don’t even know the World Cup is here”
 
• 20:00 – Learning the songs the Tartan Army actually want to hear
 
• 21:00 – The casting call that led to a rooftop TV appearance
 
• 23:55 – Playing live on national TV, 100 feet up!
 
• 28:11 – “No Scotland, No Party” 
 
• 30:00 – Meeting Grimace and accidentally becoming part of an ad campaign
 
• 31:37 – The big takeaway: just go play for people

Ever feel like your pipes have gone from a passion to a chore?

On this week's Q&A session, Andrew and Carl tackle your questions about keeping the passion alive, avoiding piping burnout, setting up your practice space, getting the most from your reeds, recording yourself, and more.

Here's what we cover this week:

0:00 – Dealing with bagpipe burnout
6:50 – Getting ahead of burnout before it starts
6:50 – Is your practice room too small?
11:32 – How much should you play your band reed?
17:18 – Making the most of the Tartan Army's viral moment
20:02 – Multi-track recording tips
24:08 – The moose valve disaster
27:10 – Will live audio judging catch on at more competitions?
31:33 – Why competition results can take time to appear

Want to join our weekly Q&A sessions live, or get your piping questions answered? Check out our membership options: https://pipersdojo.com/store

 

Most pipers know that bagpipes don’t always play nicely with other instruments. But why is that? And is there actually a simple way to fix it?  

This week, Andrew and Jim revisit how to tune bagpipes to other instruments, diving back into 'just' vs 'equal' temperament to explain why the Great Highland Bagpipe sits so far away from concert pitch, and what that means when you try to play with guitars, pianos, or other instruments.  

Exploring everything from the physics of pitch and the history of how the bagpipe ended up being called an “A” instrument, to pitch creep, B-flat chanters, and practical ways to bridge the gap, they discuss the idea that playing with other musicians is really just a matter of understanding the “currency conversion” between bagpipe pitch and the rest of the musical world.  

Here’s what we cover in this episode: 

• 00:00 – Why don’t bagpipes sound good with other instruments? The pitch problem explained 
• 01:43 – The drone dilemma – why the bagpipe is locked into its harmonic world 
• 02:56 – The 40 Hz gap – how far the GHB sits above concert pitch 
• 06:26 – Why is the bagpipe called an “A” instrument anyway? 
• 07:36 – Angus Mackay, Highland Societies, and the story of written piping music 
• 12:47 – Historical pitch and why the bagpipe was probably never really at concert A 
• 20:08 – Pitch creep – how competition culture pushed the pipes higher 
• 22:52 – The B-flat chanter experiment – and why the drones complicate things 
• 25:26 – The core problem: the bagpipe A isn’t the same A as everyone else’s 
• 27:24 – How to make bagpipes work with other instruments: the practical solutions 
• 31:55 – Guitar hacks, capos, and meeting the pipes where they are 
• 33:14 – Digital pianos, transposition, and instant pitch adjustments 
• 34:54 – Thinking in B-flat: translating bagpipe music into concert language 
• 39:25 – How to transpose bagpipe scores for other musicians 
• 41:37 – Backing tracks, DAWs, and Andrew’s favourite workflow 
• 44:39 – The currency conversion analogy – understanding the exchange rate 
• 47:14 – Could we just go higher instead? The case for B and beyond 
• 48:25 – The big takeaway: communicating pitch is the real unlock 
• 50:32 – Just intonation vs equal temperament revisited

Real Feedback Month has officially kicked off at Dojo U!

On this week's Q&A session, we explain how to get the most out of this special monthly theme, then dive into our regularly scheduled burning piping questions, covering a range of topics including competition etiquette, chanter reeds, tone enhancers, tuning habits, and more.

Here's what we cover this week:

• 0:00 – Real Feedback Month begins
• 2:28 – Recording and submission tips
• 11:57 – Sunglasses at competitions
• 17:38 – Rubber bands on chanter reeds
• 22:37 – What to do with a reed that's too hard
• 26:00 – The D throw and teaching methods
• 32:18 – Tone enhancers: pros and cons
• 40:12 – Starting drone tuning from sharp
• 43:12 – An unexpected Isle of Skye story

Want to participate in Real Feedback Month, or join our weekly Q&A sessions live? It's never too late to get started! Check out our membership options: https://pipersdojo.com/store

Most advice about becoming a better musician sounds simple enough. But is any of it actually useful?

This week, Andrew and Jim work through an article by a veteran bass player and music journalist who offers five tips for becoming a better musician. Exploring everything from self-promotion and procrastination to talent, bravery, and the appeal of "getting back to basics", they take a few tangents (as per usual) into the tenets of stoicism and the ways musicians often try to avoid the work they already know they need to do.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

• 00:00 – The article, the author, and why his advice caught our attention
• 03:02 – Tip #1: Embrace the Hustle – networking, reputation, and why relationships matter
• 11:25 – What Would Ken Do? – lessons in community, generosity, and positive influence
• 12:03 – Tip #2: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone – overcoming procrastination and adapting when life gets busy
• 15:58 – Seneca has joined the chat – uncertainty, stoicism, and taking action now
• 21:58 – Tip #3: Talent Is Overrated – natural ability versus consistent effort
• 32:34 – Tip #4: Be Brave – why trying new things gets easier once you start
• 35:31 – Tip #5: Back to Basics – musical reinvention, fundamentals, and finding your roots
• 45:07 – Shortcuts, shiny objects, and why improvement usually comes back to doing the work

This week on Dojo U’s "Strike-In" Q&A, Andrew and Carl launch our special "Real Feedback Month" – you can join Dojo U before June 5th for a free 30-day trial and get direct feedback on your real summer repertoire through live critiques, recording reviews, and 15+ weekly classes designed to get your piping performance-ready for the season ahead.

They also tackle listener questions on chanter tuning, synthetic reeds, blowing efficiency, recording gear, pitch standards, and more. Here’s what we cover this week:

00:00 – June’s Real Feedback Month: how it will work and how to get involved

04:43 – Fixing a chronically sharp high G: warmups, carving myths, reed positioning, moisture control systems, and alternative chanter modifications 14:03 – Synthetic chanter reeds: thoughts on the Highland Bagpipe SureFire reed, why synthetic drone reeds have succeeded more easily, and what’s still missing from synthetic chanter technology 19:20 – Reed gurgling on E: what causes it, why overblowing is usually the main issue, and how reed strength affects stability 25:27 – Puffing your cheeks while playing: why it happens, whether it’s a problem, and how it relates to blowing mechanics 28:40 – Recording gear and adapters: getting the Zoom IQ7 working with USB-C devices and why cable quality matters 30:14 – Current limitations of AI transcription for bagpipe content 32:00 – Acceptable low A pitch frequencies: why 480 Hz can be completely normal depending on weather and conditions

34:40 – Wrap-up and sign-off

Pìobaireachd can feel intimidating for so many pipers… so why do the people who fall in love with it become completely obsessed?

In this first episode of a new multi-part series, Andrew and Jim explore the historic, musical and sometimes mysterious world of pìobaireachd (piob mhòr, the big music, or “peeb-rock”) — the classical music of the Great Highland Bagpipe.

They unpack the myths, traditions, gatekeeping, history, and genuine beauty surrounding the art form, while making the case that piob isn’t just for elite competitors or music scholars. It’s a completely different way of experiencing music on the pipes. They explore why piob can feel so inaccessible at first, the parallels between tradition and storytelling, and why learning even a little pìobaireachd can fundamentally change the way you hear and play the instrument.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:
00:00 – Introducing piping’s forbidden dinner-table topic
00:40 – Why pìobaireachd can feel like a secret society (and why that barrier exists)
02:20 – The psychology of exclusivity and piob as a “club” within piping
04:30 – Inside Andrew’s massive Dojo pìobaireachd course and how it was built
07:00 – Why your apprehension about piob is completely normal
09:00 – Piob vs light music: why the experience feels fundamentally different
16:00 – What the Urlar (ground) actually is and how variations are constructed
17:45 – How simple melodies evolve into elaborate musical “finger fireworks”
18:30 – The MacCrimmon legend, the Skye school, and the mythology surrounding piob origins
21:00 – Teacher lineage and the idea of tracing musical ancestry
22:30 – Piob as “bagpipers’ religion”: storytelling, tradition, and the mystery factor
28:00 – Gatekeeping, authority, and why modern piob culture is slowly becoming more open
32:00 – Tradition as a guide rather than a prison: descriptive vs prescriptive teaching
36:00 – Why even “boring” piob deserves an open mind — plus a preview of next episode’s deep dive into history and the legendary black chanter