An example of the bad: “Don’t play sheepskin bags. They smell, and require TONS of maintenance.”   

 Well, turns out that I now play a sheepskin bag, and love it!  They don’t smell, and don’t require much maintenance at all.   

But the best piece of advice that I have ever heard is this: “Play fewer tunes and more exercises”.  

Boring?  Yes.  But productive. 

I was told this by Pipe Major Bill Allison of my first band, The White Heather Pipes and Drums.  Though playing exercises may be boring, in the end you become a better piper. 

If you can comfortably play your execution in exercises, than you will be able to integrate good technique into tunes easily, and successfully. 

A good technique that I have learned to improving technique is to make a list with your worst piece of execution at the top and your best on the bottom.  

Work on the first doubling, grace note, and so on, on your list, then, when you feel that piece of execution has improved enough, move it to the bottom of the list; repeat with the rest of the list until you’re through. Then repeat the list over again, and again, and again.  

The result will be that you become a better technical piper.  

Try it.  

Cheers,

Kyle

Kyle Coughlin

Toronto Police Pipe Band