How do you take a brand-new tune from slow and careful up to a confident performance tempo – without sacrificing your technique, rhythm or groove?

In this Dojo U class preview, Carl works through a reel step by step, using small chunks, tempo jumps, metronome drills and single- and double-time counting to build finger speed while exposing the things that break down under pressure.

Along the way, he explores why jumping between tempos can reset your perception of speed, how to stay relaxed when the tempo rises, and why finding the groove matters more than simply chasing the metronome.

Here's what we cover:

00:00 – Getting a new tune up to tempo and pushing finger speed
00:57 – Warm-up technique: building the tune in small chunks
01:15 – What tends to break down at speed: crossing noises, grace notes and rhythm
08:47 – How bouncing between tempos changes your perception of speed
09:15 – Why rhythm training can take time to adjust to
19:35 – Adding foot-tapping in single time vs. double time
23:19 – How fast should a reel actually be played? Band vs. solo tempos
30:14 – How your perception of "slow" and "fast" resets after a pause
32:04 – Deliberately going very fast to reset your perception of tempo
40:16 – Finding "the groove" instead of simply hitting the metronome click
42:51 – Wrap-up: prioritising groove over mechanical execution

What if you could shrink yourself down to the size of an air molecule and take a ride through your bagpipe?

This week, Andrew and Jim climb aboard the Magic School Bus to follow every molecule from your lungs to the chanter reed, looking for the places where precious air – and power – gets lost along the way.

They end up exploring one of the most useful concepts in piping: efficiency. Join us on this magical adventure through your bagpipe as we break down where power is gained, where it's lost, and how to make sure you're getting the most from every breath.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

00:00 – Allergies, medicine horror stories, and catching up
04:40 – The question: how do we get more out of our bagpipes?
06:13 – What "power" actually means: volume, punch, response, and cracking notes
09:26 – Efficiency: minimum input for maximum output
12:17 – Choosing a reed for the kind of power you actually need
15:15 – Become an air molecule: join us on Andrew's Magic School Bus
19:24 – Following the air from the mouthpiece through the blowpipe joint
24:42 – Finding leaks with hemp, Teflon tape, rubber corks, and a little persistence
27:43 – Into the bag: stocks, tie-ins, zippers, seams, and sneaky leaks
29:57 – Andrew's extreme leak test – and why you probably shouldn't kneel on your pipes
33:55 – Eliminating air leaks systematically
41:51 – Reed seats: why a loose reed is a deal breaker
43:52 – Drone reed nose cones, two-part bodies, and other places air can escape
45:51 – Moisture and reeds
50:24 – Calibrating drone reeds for minimum air consumption
53:38 – Why equal air across all three drones matters
55:25 – Using condensation to diagnose reed calibration problems
57:32 – The second-order factors: tuning, rhythmic accuracy, and mastery
58:55 – What computer chips, electricity grids, and bagpipes have in common
1:02:02 – Why power is really a byproduct of mastery
1:05:03 – Wrap-up

 Should you tune your pipes as soon as band practice starts, or wait until they've settled in? How long does a reed really take to "break in"? And what's the best way to show a new instructor where your playing is at in a single lesson?  

Tune in for this week's Dojo Q&A "Strike-In" session, as Andrew and Carl answer these questions and more.  

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  

Here's what we cover this week:

• 0:00 – Should you tune immediately or let your pipes warm up first?
• 13:25 – How to get the most from a one-off lesson with a new instructor
• 17:33 – Do bagpipe reeds really need 10 hours to break in?
• 24:09 – Andrew and Carl's favourite piping and pipe band albums
• 28:52 – Keeping your pipes cool and in tune on hot, sunny days

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