Now is your time to get started learning to play The Bagpipe!

Gary Guth teaches with skill, patience and a sense of humor. Get started now!

Get Started Now

Full Package

No Practice Chanter

Free 30 Minute Meeting

51 years of playing experience.

26 years of teaching experience.

Over 18,000 hours of instruction given.

The Teacher: Gary Guth

Gary started his own bagpipe career as a pianist and stumbled upon the bagpipe by accident in a high school pipe band. As a talented teenager, he played his way up to the top levels in bagpipe competitions and went on to major in music education. Gary has since taught numerous students and formed two successful pipe bands. His remarkable teaching skills, extensive knowledge, and endless patience make him the perfect mentor to help you master this unique instrument. Join BagpipeLessons.Net today and embark on an exciting musical adventure – no matter where you are in the world!

“I am a full time bagpiper and I love to teach!”

Welcome to BagpipeLessons.Net

Read about playing the bagpipe in “The Bagpiper Blog”.

(Over 100 blog posts!)

Interested in Playing the Bagpipes? Here’s How to Get Started!

by Gary Guth | June 29, 2020 | bagpipe lessons, General | 0 Comments

Taking the first step What is a Bagpiper? A person who can play a list of tunes on the bagpipe. Can develop their own music Can set up and maintain a set of bagpipes. You don't need a set of bagpipes to start this process. You need: A practice chanter My...

Rhythm Training Program

by Gary Guth | September 24, 2023 | General | 0 Comments

This is a program on teaching basic rhythm principles to bagpipers.

Are You Having Fun Yet?

by Gary Guth | July 23, 2023 | General | 0 Comments

I was watching a video from another bagpiper who made a comment using the word “fun”. Are you all having fun playing the bagpipe? I’ve been playing for over 50 years. I have always thought that playing the bagpipe was fun. I also find that learning new tunes and...

How To Replace A Pipe Bag

by Gary Guth | July 23, 2023 | General | 0 Comments

All of the bags below are installed in the same manner. My prices are competitive with the major suppliers.

Do You Like To Practice?

by Gary Guth | July 16, 2023 | General | 0 Comments

I was out to dinner the other night with some professional musician friends. We are all in our 60’s. During the conversation, one of them talked about how much she loved practicing. I thought about it for a minute and decided that I heartily agreed with her. I have...

Building a Random 6/8 March

by Gary Guth | February 5, 2023 | General | 0 Comments

Need some Rhythm Training? Do it yourself by clicking the button below:Get a free 30 minute consultation with me to get your rhythm journey started:

Defining the Rhythm In A 2/4 March

by Gary Guth | January 14, 2023 | General | 0 Comments

Need some Rhythm Training? If you have a question, or would like to support my effort, use the form below:

What To Do With Your Goals And Dreams

by Gary Guth | November 28, 2022 | Bagpiper Motivation, General | 0 Comments

The other day I was having an instant messenger conversation with a customer who is in their early 20’s. He was asking if I knew of any intensive bagpipe training programs to improve his piping. There are lots of summer schools and opportunities all over the World...

Ryan’s March

by Gary Guth | November 6, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

Here's a tune that I wrote for my Son's 16th birthday. Click on the link below to get the .pdf and the audio for this tune. It's free!

Early Bird Special

by Gary Guth | November 5, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

Start with a copy of "The Thanksgiving Hymn", followed by a free copy of "A Piper's Christmas" with your purchase of "The Bagpipe Hymnal"!

George Roy’s March

by Gary Guth | October 30, 2022 | Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

Here's a tune that I wrote in honor of my Father; George. He'll be 93 in February. How he's still around is a miracle in itself considering all of his bad habits. He credits his long life to having a dog that needed a walk 5 times a day. Click on the link below...

The Thanksgiving Hymn

by Gary Guth | October 28, 2022 | Bagpipe Tunes | 1 Comment

Now is the time to start learning your Thanksgiving Hymn!Click on the link below to get the .pdf of this tune. It's free!

The Pipe Major’s Lament

by Gary Guth | October 25, 2022 | Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

My Goal was to write in all of the bagpipe genres. Here is my first Piobareachd. Click on the link below to get the .pdf of this tune. It's free!

Tim’s Mushrooms-A Hornpipe

by Gary Guth | October 23, 2022 | General | 2 Comments

Here's a tune that I wrote many years ago in honor of my younger brother and his escapades at the time.Click on the link below to get the .pdf and the mp3 of this tune. It's free!

How Can You Play the Bagpipe If You Can’t Blow and Squeeze? Here’s a way!

by Gary Guth | October 19, 2022 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation, General | 0 Comments

Start by watching the demo:What if you have played the pipes your whole life but you are at an age with a medical condition that makes it impossible for you to blow or squeeze? In the last 25 years, I have taught older adults to play the bagpipe. A lot of them...

How to Buy a Bagpipe

by Gary Guth | October 17, 2022 | Bagpipe Products, General | 0 Comments

Don't Buy A Bagpipe! That's what I said. You don't need a bagpipe at the beginning to when you are learning to play this instrument. You need 3 things: A Practice Chanter A Method and A Teacher The Great Highland Bagpipe which is the instrument you are choosing...

Playing a Grip on C from B Position

by Gary Guth | October 5, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

Have a question? Send me an email.

Fur Elise

by Gary Guth | September 7, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

Someone recently asked for an arrangement of "Fur Elise". Here it is:

Playing Susan MacLeod

by Gary Guth | August 31, 2022 | Bagpipe Tunes, General | 0 Comments

Before watching the Tutorial, print out the sheets below:Want more help? Get the first 30 minutes for free!

So, your kid wants to take bagpipe/music lessons?

by Gary Guth | August 6, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

What I learned from experience: When my son was 5, he asked me for violin lessons. I said that's fine, but you have to do it for a year. The following year he came to me and asked for saxophone lessons. I said that's fine, but you have to do it for a year. Three...

Now Is The Time To Prepare Your Christmas Tunes!

by Gary Guth | August 5, 2022 | Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

This being the beginning of August is the perfect time to start building your Christmas Tune list. I have arranged 42 Christmas songs, hymns and carols for you to play. This collection is available in both hard copy with audio and a full digital version which is...

How to Get Started on The Great Highland Bagpipe. FAQ’s

by Gary Guth | July 30, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

Should I buy a bagpipe? No, you should take a couple trial lessons first. The only thing you need is a pencil. You can take a few video lessons for free to try out the process. How much do bagpipes cost? I tell my students to start saving their money when they start...

Playing a 2/4 March-Mrs MacDonald of Dunnach

by Gary Guth | June 15, 2022 | Bagpipe Tunes, General | 0 Comments

This is a great tune written by Pipe Major W. Lawrie who was the Pipe Major of the Argyl and Sutherland Highlanders. If you are looking for a good 2/4 march to play without any birls, it is conveniently written in the key of "D" so its parts end with D throws and...

The 2/4 March-The Abercairney Highlanders

by Gary Guth | May 20, 2022 | Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

This is a recording of the Abercairney Highlanders by Angus MacKay. This tune is found in Scots Guards Volume 1 page 106. There are 3 books in this series with close to 1000 tunes! You can buy one or all of these books at:

Don’t Let A Grinch Steal Your Bagpipe Dream!

by Gary Guth | April 15, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

Yesterday, I received an email from a student asking me to give her a call. When I got her on the line, she told me that she had lost her confidence and interest in playing the pipes. This was a sudden change from her usually enthusiastic and cheerful nature. Here’s...

The Pipe Band Practice Factory

by Gary Guth | March 20, 2022 | General | 0 Comments

I have been very fortunate to be able to teach the bagpipe to people all over the world during the last 25 years. The majority of my students are people who have always wanted to play the bagpipe and have decided they are ready to do it. The other group of students...

Playing the Bagpipe in Cold Weather

by Gary Guth | February 7, 2022 | Bagpipe Performance, Bagpipe Products | 0 Comments

I play a lot of funerals on an annual basis. It’s been a substantial part of how I have made a living for the last 25 years. Of course, people don’t wait for good weather to die or get buried. Sometimes it’s just plain miserable. Nevertheless, as a bagpiper, my job...

Get On Board “The Tune Train”

by Gary Guth | January 23, 2022 | Bagpipe Practicing, General | 0 Comments

Who I am: An “elementary” bagpipe teacher. My students are all new to playing the bagpipe. I specialize in teaching beginners to intermediates. A Bagpiper is: A person who can play a list of tunes on the bagpipe by memory, can learn and develop their own music, and...

Another 15 Minute Set!

by Gary Guth | October 17, 2021 | Bagpipe Tunes, General | 0 Comments

As a performer, having enough music is essential! In the last 2 offerings I sent you 2 Scottish 15 minute sets. Today I am going to share with you my Irish Set. There might be tunes that aren’t totally Irish, however I have found that they fit with the other tunes...

More On The “15 Minute Set”

by Gary Guth | October 7, 2021 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpipe Tunes, General | 0 Comments

As a student of classical music, I learned about Sonata-Allegro form. This is an example of a type of musical form that classical music/symphonies follow. There are three parts: Exposition Development Recapitulation The exposition is where the initial...

The 15 Minute Set

by Gary Guth | September 25, 2021 | Bagpipe Performance, Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

I have been playing gigs on a full-time basis for the last 25 years. Here’s what I have found: People who aren’t prepared don’t stay in the market. They don’t have enough technical ability They don’t have enough repertoire. When I started my “Bagpiper For...

Have You Plateaued?

by Gary Guth | September 20, 2021 | General | 0 Comments

Consider this scenario: For years, you thought about learning to play the bagpipe. Finally, you got the courage to take the plunge. If you were guided properly, you only needed to buy a practice chanter, a book and some lessons to get started. You made a commitment...

So, Your Kid Wants To Play The Bagpipe.

by Gary Guth | September 13, 2021 | General | 0 Comments

I love teaching people how to play our great instrument. I teach a lot of adults. I don’t have to make them do anything because they just have a yearning to play. Occasionally, however, I get a call from a parent who says their child wants to play the bagpipe. When...

It Takes Air!

by Gary Guth | August 28, 2021 | Bagpipe Maintenance, Bagpiper Motivation, General | 2 Comments

I've had a few emails this week from people who are blowing their guts out and don't have a lot of endurance. The problem could be two fold. 1) Their bagpipe isn't air efficient. 2) They don't know how to blow and squeeze. I am going to address those issues today:...

Big, Slow and Open Highlighting the G Grace Notes in the Doublings.

by Gary Guth | August 15, 2021 | Bagpipe Practicing, General | 0 Comments

If you got something out of this video and would like more help, consider studying with me. Click the link below:

Playing the Bagpipe is Psychological!

by Gary Guth | August 8, 2021 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation, General | 0 Comments

After 25 years of teaching this instrument, I have found a great deal of psychology is mixed in with instructing students how to play our Great Highland Bagpipe. For instance: Students move forward one tune at a time! When I started teaching and looking at...

No, I Don’t Want To Buy Your Pipes!

by Gary Guth | July 18, 2021 | Bagpiper Motivation, General | 0 Comments

In the last 25 years, I have taught many adults to play the Great Highland Bagpipe. I have discovered that they all start with great energy and good intentions, eventually getting to the point where they actually buy a set of pipes. Then something happens and they...

So, You Want To Be A Bagpiper?

by Gary Guth | March 24, 2021 | General | 0 Comments

Here are 10 things you need to know to get started on your bagpipe journey. Don’t buy a set of bagpipes. Save your money! You only need a practice chanter a book and a teacher. Buy a Practice Chanter. This is the instrument used to develop the music to play on the...

Your Frustration Might Just Be Your Fault!

by Gary Guth | November 8, 2020 | General | 0 Comments

Throughout the last few weeks, I have heard from a handful of former students who are facing some challenges. They start out by emailing me or posting something in my Facebook group, noting how frustrated they are and inquiring about problems they are having with...

“How long does it take to learn a new tune?”

by Gary Guth | October 2, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing, General | 1 Comment

This was a question asked this week in my group, “Playing the Bagpipe”. The answer? Well, it could take a few minutes, hours, days, weeks and even years to learn a new tune depending on whether you have a plan or are just winging it. I keep saying in these blogs that...

Stop, Isolate and Drill (Not “Stop, Drop and Roll”).

by Gary Guth | September 23, 2020 | General | 0 Comments

DAILY BAGPIPE ADVICE: When you catch on fire, you STOP, DROP AND ROLL. When you're practicing the bagpipe and you hit a bump in the music, you STOP, ISOLATE AND DRILL. Stop, drop and roll is a very effective way to put out a fire on your body. You probably learned...

Rhythm VS Technique

by Gary Guth | September 10, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

I’ve written a lot about rhythm over the years. Rhythm is my specialty! Why? Simply because I think the difference between being an accomplished bagpiper and being dependent on other players has to do with rhythm. Because the bagpipe is a folk instrument, it is taught by imitation. Imitation makes you dependent. The goal is to be able to sightread any tune…period! This should be your return on spending money for bagpipe lessons.

Getting the Most For Your Money

by Gary Guth | September 4, 2020 | General | 0 Comments

DAILY BAGPIPE ADVICE: “Your bagpipe teacher's job is to teach you how to practice during the week after your lesson. If you are doing your own thing, then you aren't paying enough money…or enough attention.” There are a few different ways that you can learn to play...

Weekly Bagpipe Advice Number 2

by Gary Guth | August 27, 2020 | General | 0 Comments

“Daily Bagpipe Advice: Big, Slow & Open is a method of practicing the Great Highland Bagpipe, not a porn film!” Because playing the Great Highland Bagpipe is about precision, learning how to practice this instrument effectively is key to becoming a successful...

Weekly Bagpipe Advice #1

by Gary Guth | August 12, 2020 | General | 0 Comments

DAILY BAGPIPE ADVICE: “If you want to be a bagpiper, you need to work on it DAILY! Make an appointment with yourself every day. If someone calls you and pulls you off schedule, you can't cancel it you have to move it.” As I was thinking about something useful I could...

Which Path Will You Choose?

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

In the 30 years since I began teaching, I have seen one of two things happen to most students. Initially, they are excited to learn to play the bagpipes. They come to lessons weekly, practice daily, and progress to the point where they are ready to buy pipes. At that...

Warning! Some types of practicing may be hazardous to your home!

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

I hear a lot of funny stories from my students about practicing. Here’s one of them. One of the hardest parts of learning to play the pipes is getting the hand position “right”. The hands need to be flat and straight and slightly angled downward almost at a...

Warning: BTO’s can limit and even damage your bagpipe career!

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

In the past I've written about the importance of a tune list and the dangers of "plate spinning". Here’s a little more on that topic. Bagpipers are always excited about new tunes and different music. That’s great! However, there are some hard and fast guidelines to...

The Tune Pyramid

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

In addition to being musical, playing the bagpipe is all about precision. There’s no denying that our instrument is very loud. Because of that, it not only needs to be tuned to precision, but it needs to be played to precision. In most cases, we memorize all...

The Truth About Gigging

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpipe Performance | 0 Comments

Are you ready to “gig”? I mean, are you really READY to gig? I have taught many students during these last few decades. A lot of those students have been intrigued by the thought of playing for money. I don’t discourage them, for sure, but I do want to make sure...

The Power of Hemp

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpipe Maintenance | 0 Comments

Throughout the last month, I have found myself sitting on my studio floor on numerous occasions, re-hemping pipes for my students. I hope they were watching. The Great Highland Bagpipe is almost a living, breathing life form! It needs care to work properly. Often, my...

The Power of Belief

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

A while ago, I wrote an article called “Are You a Bagpiper or a Wannabe?”. At the time I wrote this piece, the main component of the article was focused on making the decision to "do it". I had recently turned 55 and in doing that I realized that even though I have...

15 Minutes Daily Is Just the Start!

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

I tell my students that they need to practice every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. The purpose of that statement is to simply get them to practice every day. As they become more experienced, they will have more to practice and the time will automatically...

The only thing perfect in life is an egg . . . .

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

In teaching people to play this great instrument, I deal with a lot of "perfectionists". I used to be one myself, but it made my stomach hurt, messed up my digestion and gave me a headache. I decided a while back that I would do the best I could. I tell all of these...

The Maintenance Kit

by Gary Guth | June 6, 2020 | Bagpipe Maintenance | 0 Comments

A good maintenance kit is essential to maintaining a set of bagpipes. Forty years ago when I started playing the pipes, we played it the same way they did for hundreds of years. We played elk-hide or sheepskin bags that were sealed with “seasoning” that usually...

The Crossing Noise

by Gary Guth | June 5, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 1 Comment

The Blowing & Squeezing Pendulum

by Gary Guth | June 5, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

I seem to be working with a lot of people right now on “blowing and squeezing”. The Great Highland Bagpipe of Scotland is one of the few wind instruments in the world where “the breath” has nothing to do with the musical line. The job of the breath on our instrument...

The Affect of a Personal Project

by Gary Guth | June 5, 2020 | Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

One of my students came to his lesson feeling a little discouraged because he couldn't yet keep up with my teaching CD. He was talking about bailing. The truth is that he is doing reasonably well on his bagpipe project. The problem, as I see it, is that people don't...

Stop, Drop and Roll!

by Gary Guth | June 5, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

Stop, drop and roll is what we teach people to do if they are ever on fire. We need to have something like that when it comes to practicing. Practicing isn't about playing something over and over again until something happens. What we need to do is practice using...

Let’s Talk About Using The Metronome.

by Gary Guth | April 22, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

A while back, I wrote about how developing a tune is like baking chocolate chip cookies. To review, the first step in making chocolate chip cookies is the dry mix; the flour, salt, and baking soda. In tune development, it is the rhythm. During this Covid-19 pandemic,...

Learn to play a 6/8-Mme Demira Dimitrova

by Gary Guth | March 27, 2020 | Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

Here is a tune written by a friend from Bulgaria. This tune includes: the video lesson The Tune in .pdf Some Prep Drills in .pdf Audio includes The tune in parade Speed The Tune in Big, Slow and Open The rhythm sung to the melody The prep...

Learn to play “Tam Bains Lum”!

by Gary Guth | February 23, 2020 | Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

This is a great tune. A hornpipe. If you're a bagpiper that hasn't ventured into 2/4 competition marches or dance tunes, this is a tutorial on how to read the rhythm and develop the tune. Tunes are the greatest teachers of technique. I hope you enjoy this lesson....

Why You Should Own A Bagpipe Stand

by Gary Guth | February 19, 2020 | Bagpipe Products, Bagpiper Motivation | 2 Comments

Have you ever heard of a bagpipe stand? A bagpipe stand is a cradle that holds your pipes when they are not being played. Why is a bagpipe stand important? Well, the problem with most portable instruments is that they often spend too much time in the case. You know...

Building a Tune Is Like Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies!

by Gary Guth | February 13, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

That’s what I said: “Building any tune is like baking chocolate chip cookies!” Let’s think about that for a minute. When you bake chocolate chip cookies, you initially start out with the “dry ingredients”, right? First we combine the flour, the baking soda and the...

Memorization, Musicality, & Rhythm are all Related!

by Gary Guth | February 2, 2020 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

Recently, I took a poll amongst fellow pipers and piping students in order to learn what kinds of problems/challenges they faced in learning to play the bagpipe. The biggest problems by far were memorization, musicality, and rhythm. Personally, I happen to believe all...

Are You Doing Enough “Reps”?

by Gary Guth | December 4, 2019 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

Learning to play the Bagpipe is about coordination and muscle memory long before it is about the actual music. I find in working with my students that they don’t do enough repetitions. If you have a gym membership and go regularly, each exercise has a number of “reps”...

It Might Take More Than Skill!

by Gary Guth | October 28, 2019 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

Because I offer a free lesson consultation to new students so they can try me out, I was contacted by a prospective student in New Zealand a few weeks ago. After going back and forth on finding a time to meet, we met for about 40 minutes last week. This gentleman...

“This is what I did this week”

by Gary Guth | July 30, 2019 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

I find that my students come in on a regular basis and say “this is what I did this week”. If you have been reading my blog, you know that I ascribe to the premise that my job is to teach my students how to practice this week. The growth happens between lessons. I...

Do you know why there are 5 stock corks in a set?

by Gary Guth | July 7, 2019 | Bagpipe Maintenance | 0 Comments

In my last blog post I told you about my student (the flight attendant) who was having a problem trying to find time to practice her bagpipe. We went back and forth on that for some time, trying to find her a solution. Just to recap: My flight attendant student...

Does your Job interfere with your Bagpipe habit?

by Gary Guth | June 23, 2019 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpipe Products | 0 Comments

Well, does it? I have spent the last 22 years teaching (mostly) adults how to play the bagpipe. Most of my adult students work 9 to 5 Monday thru Friday. The students who succeed are the students who blow their pipes regularly (at least 3 to 4 time per week). If you...

Does your Pipe band have an open door?

by Gary Guth | June 17, 2019 | Pipe Bands | 0 Comments

After starting my bagpipe career at Helix High School in La Mesa, California in 1972, my family moved north to Newport Beach. The month before Helix had just put on their Highland Games. As I was licking my wounds from the move and looking at the games brochure that...

Consistency is the key!

by Gary Guth | June 13, 2019 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

After 22 years of teaching bagpipe students of various ages, I am now teaching mostly adults. One of the characteristics of being an adult student is that a lot them think that learning to play the bagpipe will be an easy task…until they get started. I always tell...

Get an early start on Christmas and improve your musical skills!

by Gary Guth | June 5, 2019 | Bagpipe Products, Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

Though Christmas seems eons away, it's really just around the corner. And perhaps all those Christmas in July sales put you in the holiday mood. That means now is a good time to start thinking about Christmas Carols. How is your Christmas Carol repertoire? Can you...

Your Pipes might Just need a Hard Reset!

by Gary Guth | March 18, 2019 | Bagpipe Maintenance | 0 Comments

If you were like most bagpipers during the St. Patrick’s holiday, you spent a lot of time blowing your instrument. In spite of having a moisture control system, your bagpipes are probably water logged at this point. I tried tuning a fellow bagpipers drones over the...

The cost of free sheet music.

by Gary Guth | January 28, 2019 | Bagpipe Products, Bagpipe Tunes, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

Over the years, there have been groups that have formed on Facebook looking for free bagpipe sheet music. Most people wouldn’t think anything of that. It’s free so it can’t be bad, right? Not necessarily! I’d like to take a moment to explain to you why those groups...

So, You want to play the bagpipe?

by Gary Guth | December 5, 2018 | General | 0 Comments

A lot of people think they want to play the bagpipe. How about you? How long have you been thinking about playing this instrument? Are you concerned that you won’t have time to devote to instruction? Are you worried about commitment? Indeed, the biggest concern for a...

What is a Bagpiper?

by Gary Guth | November 30, 2018 | General | 0 Comments

I find that in teaching bagpipers how to play the bagpipe, I need to remind them of what a bagpiper is. “A bagpiper is person who can play a list of bagpipe tunes on the bagpipe by memory, who can develop their own music, and who can maintain their own bagpipe,” I...

The Duke of Gordon as a Jig!

by Gary Guth | November 25, 2018 | Bagpipe Tunes | 0 Comments

Today while perusing the "Old Geezer's Bagpipe Page" someone mentioned "Orange and Blue" played as a 6/8 march. Funny thing the tune in 6/8 that they were talking about was "Hot Punch". I've played both of the tunes for years and never really thought about the fact...

Being a Musician

by Gary Guth | November 21, 2018 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

One of the goals of being a music teacher is getting students to become musicians. At 54, I am a “Professional Musician”. I am a musician first and make money second. The question is: what is a musician? In my mind a “musician” is a person who has dedicated a portion...

Getting prepared for the New Year.

by Gary Guth | November 1, 2018 | Bagpipe Products, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

What are your dreams concerning your bagpipe project for this coming year? Do you want to be a better bagpiper? Would you like to be able to play more and different music? After 21 years spent teaching bagpipers via private lessons, I have found a direct correlation...

Attitude = Altitude

by Gary Guth | September 18, 2018 | Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

In our era where everyone gets a trophy for not doing anything amazing, I still find it refreshing that that attitude hasn't trickled down into the bagpipe world. In teaching people I find myself saying to them: "Your attitude will determine your altitude in this...

A bagpiper is a person who can play a list of tunes on the bagpipe by memory!

by Gary Guth | July 30, 2018 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

As a bagpiper for more than 45 years, I have learned one thing that I deem the most important: “A bagpiper is a person who can play a list of tunes on the bagpipe by memory”. It’s just that simple. The first question that I ask you as a bagpiper: Do you have a list of...

Let’s Talk More About Practicing

by Gary Guth | June 12, 2018 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

Practicing, as I've said before, isn't just about playing through the tunes. You need to have a goal and purpose in mind when you practice. For instance: The first goal that I think you should have with any tune is to know the rhythm. Take out your pencil and write in...

The Bagpipe Stand

by Gary Guth | June 7, 2018 | Bagpipe Products, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

Having taught bagpipes for a number of years, I see the same problem happening over and over. A person spends 8 to 12 months developing their bagpipe skills on the practice chanter and then make a substantial investment in a set of bagpipes. In most cases these...

Rhythm is Everything when playing the Bagpipe

by Gary Guth | April 15, 2018 | Bagpipe Performance | 0 Comments

When I started playing the bagpipe, I had already been playing the piano for 4 years. I was terrible at rhythm. My piano teacher would yell “Count, Gary, count!” but I still struggled. The problem, in reality, was that my piano teachers never actually taught me the...

Memorizing Bagpipe Music

by Gary Guth | March 1, 2018 | Bagpipe Performance, Bagpipe Practicing, General | 1 Comment

I hear a lot of bagpipers tell me that they have a hard time memorizing tunes. That’s a true struggle because a good bagpiper is a person who can play a list of tunes by memory. It’s pretty much essential. The first question that I ask these people is; “Can you sing...

Become an Active Music Listener

by Gary Guth | October 21, 2017 | Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

As I work with people learning our great instrument, I find that sometimes we forget that the bagpipes are indeed a "musical" instrument. My goal as a teacher is to develop not only bagpipers, but bagpipe musicians. Along the way, we develop not only fingering skills...

The “Bagpipe World’s” best Guide

by Gary Guth | July 23, 2017 | Bagpiper Motivation, General | 0 Comments

Most new bagpipers ask: "What kind of pipes should I buy?" This is a question that all new bagpipers have. The first thing I would tell you is that Ebay is not the place for a new bagpiper to buy pipes. The pipes sold on Ebay are usually made of Rosewood, Sheesham...

The “Bagpipe World’s” Best Guide

by Gary Guth | July 20, 2017 | General | 0 Comments

Should bagpipe lessons be free?

by Gary Guth | July 15, 2017 | General | 0 Comments

In another bagpipe community, there is a lot of discussion about charging or not charging for bagpipe lessons. Let's be honest here: ""There ain't no free lunch"". When I started my program almost 20 years ago, I started a free lesson program. What I got was a lot of...

Say it, don’t play it!

by Gary Guth | July 7, 2017 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

When I start a new student I tell them that my job is to teach them how to practice this week. With that being said, I wanted to expound on a technique that I have found to be the most productive in terms of practicing. I start this at the beginning. As I am showing...

Don’t Buy a Bagpipe!

by Gary Guth | July 3, 2017 | General | 0 Comments

That's what I said. ""Don't buy a bagpipe"", unless you talk to a teacher. This is one of the few instruments that exist where you don't actually start on the bagpipes themselves. What's needed is a practice chanter. The practice chanter looks a lot like a recorder...

I can play anywhere!

by Gary Guth | July 3, 2017 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

As a bagpiper I have the ability and the pleasure to play a lot of different venues. Today I was hired by a bride to surprise her groom at his hotel and bring him to the church. I met his best man in the lobby who then took me up to his floor. I started playing as I...

Cracking Bagpipes

by Gary Guth | June 20, 2017 | Bagpipe Maintenance | 0 Comments

A customer calls me and is a little distraught. ""I've only had my pipes for 18 months and I found a crack"" he says. Let me just say that any good reputable bagpipe maker is going to use the best blackwood available in the market place to put in his/her instruments. ...

Are you on the 20 year plan or the 5 year plan?

by Gary Guth | June 20, 2017 | Bagpipe Practicing, Bagpiper Motivation | 0 Comments

I started off my music career playing the piano. As I learned I passed through books of songs that were designed to teach me a specific skill. When I discovered this great instrument, I realized that every tune I learned was repertoire and would be performed...

Do I need a bagpipe teacher or not?

by Gary Guth | June 16, 2017 | General | 0 Comments

I am a bagpipe teacher. As a teacher I would tell anybody new to playing the Great Highland Bagpipe of Scotland, that it would be worth their time and money to hire a teacher. Although the instrument has only 9 notes, it is a relatively difficult instrument to play...

The traveling bagpipe student

by Gary Guth | June 15, 2017 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

Like everyone else, you have a job. What happens to your new bagpipe endeavor when you're on the road. if you're like most people it suffers from your absence. The most important thing that you could do when learning to play any new instrument is to practice daily,...

How much air is enough?

by Gary Guth | June 15, 2017 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

I presently have a lot of students who have come to the point in this process where they are starting on their pipes. ""Blowing and squeezing"" is a relatively difficult concept to achieve properly. The first thing that needs to happen is for the student to discover...

Hand Position Follies

by Gary Guth | June 15, 2017 | Bagpipe Practicing | 0 Comments

Last night as I was teaching my AOH Group, one of my students wanted to tell a "funny" story. As I teach people I find that their hand position can go from good to bad through neglect. My suggestion was for them to buy a small mirror like a makeup mirror that they...

The Gibson Universal Water Trap

by Gary Guth | June 15, 2017 | Bagpipe Products | 0 Comments

I’d like to make a product endorsement. When I first started playing the pipes almost 40 years ago, we played everything "wet". Hide bags, seasoning, cane drone reeds, etc. The goal was keeping everything from drying out. Today we have taken a 180 degree turn....

– GARY GUTH

If you already play and need products to maintain your pipes, check out my store:

See what some of my students have to say :

My Experience Learning the Bagpipes with Gary

Learning the bagpipes (with no previous musical experience) is a very rewarding and satisfying experience. It is also very challenging and at times a frustrating experience. I have been playing now for almost three years and wanted to write down my thoughts about this ongoing journey. I believe the most significant decision I made in the entire process was who I picked as my instructor…..Gary Guth. Looking back on the whole bagpipe learning experience, I can unequivocally say Gary made the difference in my success rather than my possible failure.

During my time with Gary, I have experienced his remarkable teaching skills and knowledge. Gary also has displayed great patience with me and an ability to keep me motivated when this instrument offers it’s biggest challenges. I have found these two qualities in him an absolute necessity for my bagpipe journey. Somewhere on this journey, I had something happen to me that I will always cherish: Gary became my friend and bagpipe mentor. Thanks Gary!

Frank Sharpe-Denver, NC

Gary, thank you for all you do. You are such an inspiration to me, you have so much knowledge, talent, patience, and a seemlessly way to convey that to your students! Thank you,

Carol Johnson-Jefferson, GA

I’ve been reading some of your blogs as they seem to always come at the right time!!! Like air efficiency a few months back, or the recent one I read learning a new tune. I use to be intimidated by new tunes but I think I get excited by them now, the challenge, indentifying the patterns and starting off slowly. I’ve been back playing for 18months and can easily read sheet music now and break down sun pulses etc. i am working on developing my repertoire which I guess just takes time, consistency and patience!! I started a jig called Donella Beaton and at first was quite overwhelmed but there are so many consistent patterns that by nailing the first part has opened up the next 3 quite quickly.

I am finding now that when I start on a new tune the process of getting through the first bar, phrase, line, part is happening quicker, probably due to the understanding of the Rhythm, patterns, and timing. Thanks again for the blogs they are great!!! I have been working on a few of my own tunes and am able to maintain my pipes so I am almost a Bagpiper!!!

Jeremy Suggett-Sydney, Australia

I just wanted to take the time to thank you. I know you get paid and this is your job, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been really excited about something and I see myself getting a little better than the previous day. Especially in times like this, playing my chanter is one of the best parts of my day and I look forward to it. Anyway, thank you. We would all be a lot better if there were more understanding and patient people like yourself in the world and I just want to thank you for what you do and for putting up with me sometimes.

Chris Gomez-Desert Hot Springs, CA

I’m so glad you spent time teaching me how to clean, maintain and troubleshoot ….I have been at a cemetery awaiting the funeral party warming up in the cold wind … Pipes great when tuned just before I left home …. then whipped ‘em out and …. Oh my… Horrible.. . What saved the day was your voice in my head… telling me to calm down and troubleshoot the issues …. You’re the best …. Really appreciate the invite to the [Facebook] group, I feel like it was a God Wink for me to pick em back up and do something for me …. God Bless you Gary Guth …. Most Awesome Instructor Ever!

Anna Campbell-San Angelo, TX

I didn’t expect such a positive and motivating experience, and I am excited about my next step…joining a band. I will let you know how I progress. Thanks for everything. I look forward to keeping in touch.

Pat Wherry-NYC, NY

Now is your time to get started learning to play The Bagpipe!

Gary Guth teaches with skill, patience and a sense of humor. Get started now!

51 years of playing experience.

26 years of teaching experience.

Over 18,000 hours of instruction given.

The Teacher: Gary Guth

“I am a full time bagpiper and I love to teach!”

Welcome to BagpipeLessons.Net

Read about playing the bagpipe in “The Bagpiper Blog”.

(Over 100 blog posts!)

“I have enjoyed playing the bagpipes for the last 50 years, and I love introducing others to this amazing instrument!”

– GARY GUTH

If you already play and need products to maintain your pipes, check out my store:

See what some of my students have to say :

My Experience Learning the Bagpipes with Gary

Send us a message.

Tips and gratuities are always gratefully accepted!