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, even if it is for 15 minutes. The question of all is how do you do this and travel at the same time?
I think that the best tools that you can use are an Electronic Chanter and a “”Split Stock”. The greatest thing that ever happened to the music industry was electronics. I wish as a kid that I had an electronic keyboard or an electronic chanter. The ability to put my headphones on and practice whenever I felt like it would have been a great satisfaction in my life. Today we have those things. I personally sell a lot of electronic chanters. Being able to put the headphones on and practice in your hotel room will keep your fingers trained. The instrument is not very forgiving so your fingering will have to be more accurate than your regular practice chanter.
The item is usually sold with a tube type water trap. I found that using your blowstick and a split stock and a bag of balloons will keep your lip and lungs in check when you travel. The split stock has a fitting that the tube normally connects to that is perfect for a balloon. When blowing into the blow stick you get the same pressure simulation that you would get inflating a set of pipes. The people in the next room aren’t going to hear you blowing up the balloons, but it will keep your lip and lungs ready for the next time you pull your pipes from the case.
The combination of both an electronic chanter and a blow stick with a split stock in your suit case will keep you on track even if you travel all week!