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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
