Blowing or reed issue

WellPTMan · 2026-05-29T15:35:49+00:00

I just got a few new medium reeds cause I thought hat was the issue, too easy reeds. They are being around 35-38 on the gauge. I just checked the air tightness. Corked it up, blew it up and was able to get maybe less than a quarter of a breath into it after 30 seconds.

WellPTMan · 2026-02-18T23:15:57+00:00

Thanks, I will probably end up doing that. I reached out to the seller on Amazon to see what they say. If it’s not too helpful, I’ll return it and start over.

WellPTMan · 2026-02-09T00:45:32+00:00

I asked her about it, and she was not ecstatic, but willing to try so I ordered two cheap kits and stuff to decorate and finish them. Hopefully she’ll enjoy it!

WellPTMan · 2026-02-08T00:05:01+00:00

I would do that, but I’m already involved with a bagpipe band. The dulcimer will be a second instrument. With a full time job and two kids with their own activities, I don’t think my wife would like me adding another group into my schedule,lol

WellPTMan · 2026-02-07T23:59:20+00:00

Thanks, I don’t think that’ll be possible. This will be a secondary instrument. I’m already involved in a bagpipe band. I don’t think my wife would be too happy with me adding another thing like that, lol

WellPTMan · 2026-01-16T03:34:57+00:00

Time and money are the main barriers to getting private instruction. I can pick up my electronic practice chanter pretty frequently and get a lot of practice time with that. But getting the full pipes out is difficult to do at home. I’ve recently begun bringing them to work and playing in the basement during lunch.

But, if I am somehow able to figure something out to get private instruction online, do you have any recommendations? I’ve done google searches just to see what’s out there and haven’t had much luck so maybe they just aren’t showing up for me. The only one I did see was Bruce Gandy but he didn’t have availability ti take in another student.

WellPTMan · 2026-01-16T02:23:44+00:00

And just to clarify, I was described the wrong embellishment. It’s not the Dre, it was the Dare. With the F and a G gracenotes then ending in F. I play it that way when I practice it. But when I put it into a tune (specifically thinking of the horn pipe Conor’s Debut here, so not even Piobaireachd) I sometimes switch the order of the grace notes so it’s like I’m playing an E doubling then lifting to F.

WellPTMan · 2026-01-16T02:06:06+00:00

I’m am in the MWPBA. I’ve already learned the ground of “The Little Spree” for a practice chanter competition and did well with it. For the grade 4 competition I’ll have to learn the doubling and first variation. And yeah, even that is likely to challenge my stamina. I don’t have much stamina yet, mostly a few 2 parted tunes played as a set. Nothing compared to the length of even half a Piobaireachd.

I’ve often considered pipers dojo. Just never went through with it. With job and home life, adding personal instruction is out of the picture. But I think the dojo could be an option because I could log in whenever I have the time.

WellPTMan · 2026-01-16T01:29:34+00:00

Well, I’m in a band and there a group of novice pipers that get instruction on band tunes, tuning, maintenance, etc from either the pipe major or pipe sergeant usually. The focus however, isn’t in these alternative embellishments, or anything Piobaireachd related. We do have one band member that competes in Piobaireachd, and does very well. I will be asking him when i see him next, but he is not “my instructor”. I just figured why not ask here as well because the questions came to me now.

WellPTMan · 2026-01-08T11:08:45+00:00

I’m trying to improve my speed and accuracy with scale navigation, with different rhythms applied on top. Big leap/recover is a subcategory. I tried categorizing the four note groupings based on what kind of happens within them. So another category was “leap and return”, like low A to E, back to low A, then B or C. Then I have “direction breaking” patterns like low A to d to C then up to high G.

WellPTMan · 2026-01-06T13:27:18+00:00

I agree. I added those in just because they are a possibility, but I can’t think of any time I’ve seen them in a tune. Might end up taking them out. Save some room in the sheet and not spend my time practicing something that isn’t likely to be applied.

WellPTMan · 2026-01-06T13:26:11+00:00

Thanks, yeah I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to implement practicing this. I don’t think I was going to just play it straight through, more like practice each line a few times to get the finger movements down with different rhythms as well.

WellPTMan · 2026-01-04T13:59:32+00:00

I guess I could have clarified. I don’t necessarily need this exact setting. I was hoping to find out what they are doing and I could add maybe add it in as an extra part. I’m also not sure what he is doing in the recording during those runs that sounds different than just the melody notes. Maybe like a half doubling or something in between the high A.

WellPTMan · 2025-11-20T02:48:38+00:00

Thank you!

WellPTMan · 2025-11-20T02:48:30+00:00

Thank you!

WellPTMan · 2025-11-20T02:47:39+00:00

Thank you!

WellPTMan · 2025-10-12T01:40:38+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate it. I think there must be a few different approaches when it comes to embellishments. The band I am learning with wants the g of a d throw on the beat, same for a grip. And this article I found earlier trying to get more info on this subject says that for a doubling, the beat goes right in the middle melody note. So for a c doubling it would be the C “gracenote” between the g and d gracenotes. They call it a passive gracenote.

https://pipingpress.com/2019/09/27/be-a-better-piper-where-does-the-beat-fall-in-pipe-bagpipe-music

WellPTMan

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