Posts

The Average Piper - Re-think what you're doing!

I’m going to keep hammering on this until the message sinks in. If you’re struggling to memorize tunes, or to play with proper timing, you’re doing something wrong. STOP! You know the definition of insanity. All you’re doing is laying…

The Average Piper - They know!

I work with pipers all over North America and have for many years. Many started later in life driven by a love of the instrument and the culture. They come to me with a collection of issues, understandable confusion, and a desire to improve.…

The Average Piper - Blowing Tone - It's easy!

Blowing good tone…It’s easier than you think. 1. Stand straight with heels together and toes pointed into the middle of the circle or otherwise facing the PM. Back and shoulders straight. Chest out. 2. Take a deep breath. Steadily and…

The Average Piper - What your bagpipe is saying.

You can’t fool your bagpipe....or your Pipe Major....or your band mates! Just what is your bagpipe telling the band? I have to be careful here as there are always extenuating circumstances, however my #1 goal for the past 50 years has…

The Average Piper - The Memory Game

Visual Memory - Visual memory is memorizing with your eyes, as in visualizing staff notation in your mind. This is the least favorable/reliable means of memorizing a tune. If you are inclined to pursue this method, STOP! You’re making things…

The Average Piper - How to use your brain...differently

Over the course of several careers I had the opportunity to work with some brilliant people. In 1997 I was sent out to Edmonton to work with a consultant on “information management”. I spent many hours with him over several days and weeks…

The Average Piper - Teach Your Fingers!

We hear people talking about setting REALISTIC goals. When you’re practicing, do you have a specific goal in mind or are you just running over the tunes? Unless you have a specific realistic goal you’re wasting your time and may be doing…

The Average Piper - Is it Math or Music?

Music - The arrangement of sounds that convey imagination and emotion. Math - The numeric logic of everything in the universe. We had a very good conversation last night at practice about note values, where a particular note falls within…

The Average Piper - D Strike

My “Do wah diddy diddy” post got nothing, but the follow-up “flippy thing” got action? I would have thought it the other way around. Go figure! Today I want to talk about something that REALLY bugs me. The D-Strike. So often I…

The Average Piper - That flippy thing!

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter. Let’s take example #1 in the image above. We’re going from E to F with a G grace note on the F. It doesn’t seem complicated however you may be surprised at how many pipers don’t execute…