The Piper's Dojo

The Piper's Dojo We make world-class music instruction accessible to any piper or drummer, anywhere in the world.

The leading online bagpiping school for more than a decade, Dojo University is your home base for becoming a better musician.

Sharpen up your summer tunes at the Dojo during June! And best of all – new members can join for 30 days FREE! 👉 https:/...
05/27/2026

Sharpen up your summer tunes at the Dojo during June!

And best of all – new members can join for 30 days FREE!

👉 https://pipersdojo.com/real-feedback-month

During Real Feedback Month, starting June 5th, we’re refocusing all our live classes to help pipers develop their actual summer tunes before performance season arrives.

🎶 Submit recordings of your real contest, band, or performance material
🎶 Get direct instructor feedback in live classes
🎶 Learn from hearing other pipers’ critiques too
🎶 Access 15+ live classes every week

No fancy recording gear needed – if you’ve got a smartphone, you’re ready.

If your playing still doesn’t feel quite “there” heading into summer contests and gigs, this month is designed for you.

Sign up before the free offer ends (and the month begins) on Friday, June 5th!

👉 https://pipersdojo.com/real-feedback-month

05/25/2026

This week on Dojo U’s "Strike-In" Q&A, Andrew and Carl launch our special "Real Feedback Month" – you can join Dojo U before June 5th for a free 30-day trial and get direct feedback on your real summer repertoire through live critiques, recording reviews, and 15+ weekly classes designed to get your piping performance-ready for the season ahead.

They also tackle listener questions on chanter tuning, synthetic reeds, blowing efficiency, recording gear, pitch standards, and more.

Here’s what we cover this week:
00:00 – June’s Real Feedback Month: how it will work and how to get involved
04:43 – Fixing a chronically sharp high G: warmups, carving myths, reed positioning, moisture control systems, and alternative chanter modifications
14:03 – Synthetic chanter reeds: thoughts on the Highland Bagpipe SureFire reed, why synthetic drone reeds have succeeded more easily, and what’s still missing from synthetic chanter technology
19:20 – Reed gurgling on E: what causes it, why overblowing is usually the main issue, and how reed strength affects stability
25:27 – Puffing your cheeks while playing: why it happens, whether it’s a problem, and how it relates to blowing mechanics
28:40 – Recording gear and adapters: getting the Zoom IQ7 working with USB-C devices and why cable quality matters
30:14 – Current limitations of AI transcription for bagpipe content
32:00 – Acceptable low A pitch frequencies: why 480 Hz can be completely normal depending on weather and conditions
34:40 – Wrap-up and sign-off

05/21/2026

Curious about piobaireachd? Here are a few reasons you may want to learn a bit more about it…

In this week’s podcast, the first episode of a new multi-part series, Andrew and Jim explore the historic, musical and sometimes mysterious world of pìobaireachd (piob mhòr, the big music, or “peeb-rock”) – the classical music of the Great Highland Bagpipe.

Check out the full episode on Facebook, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts!

🎼 Want to learn more about piob? Join Dojo as a Premium member for full access to our multi-year Piobaireachd course!

05/20/2026

Pìobaireachd can feel intimidating for so many pipers… so your apprehension is normal! But we promise, it’s definitely worth exploring…

In this week’s podcast, the first episode of a new multi-part series, Andrew and Jim explore the historic, musical and sometimes mysterious world of pìobaireachd (piob mhòr, the big music, or “peeb-rock”) – the classical music of the Great Highland Bagpipe.

Check out the full episode on Facebook, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts!

🎼 Want to learn more about piob? Join Dojo as a Premium member for full access to our multi-year Piobaireachd course!

📕 the book we mentioned in this reel is the excellent “Piobaireachd is For Everyone” by Dan Nevans

05/18/2026

Why should you care about piobaireachd? (Dojo Conversations Episode 161)

Pìobaireachd can feel intimidating for so many pipers… so why do the people who fall in love with it become completely obsessed?

In this first episode of a new multi-part series, Andrew and Jim explore the historic, musical and sometimes mysterious world of pìobaireachd (piob mhòr, the big music, or “peeb-rock”) – the classical music of the Great Highland Bagpipe.

They unpack the myths, traditions, gatekeeping, history, and genuine beauty surrounding the art form, while making the case that piob isn’t just for elite competitors or music scholars. It’s a completely different way of experiencing music on the pipes. They explore why piob can feel so inaccessible at first, the parallels between tradition and storytelling, and why learning even a little pìobaireachd can fundamentally change the way you hear and play the instrument.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:
00:00 – Introducing piping’s forbidden dinner-table topic
00:40 – Why pìobaireachd can feel like a secret society (and why that barrier exists)
02:20 – The psychology of exclusivity and piob as a “club” within piping
04:30 – Inside Andrew’s massive Dojo pìobaireachd course and how it was built
07:00 – Why your apprehension about piob is completely normal
09:00 – Piob vs light music: why the experience feels fundamentally different
16:00 – What the Urlar (ground) actually is and how variations are constructed
17:45 – How simple melodies evolve into elaborate musical “finger fireworks”
18:30 – The MacCrimmon legend, the Skye school, and the mythology surrounding piob origins
21:00 – Teacher lineage and the idea of tracing musical ancestry
22:30 – Piob as “bagpipers’ religion”: storytelling, tradition, and the mystery factor
28:00 – Gatekeeping, authority, and why modern piob culture is slowly becoming more open
32:00 – Tradition as a guide rather than a prison: descriptive vs prescriptive teaching
36:00 – Why even “boring” piob deserves an open mind – plus a preview of next episode’s deep dive into history and the legendary black chanter

05/12/2026

Let’s get nerdy! Here’s the breakdown of why equal and just temperament don’t always play nice together - and a few ideas to overcome that…

This week, Andrew and Jim dig into one of the most fascinating (and frustrating) realities of bagpiping: why the instrument’s beautiful, locked-in sound can feel completely at odds with a piano, organ, or other orchestral instruments.

It all comes down to two competing systems of tuning – so buckle in for a music nerd deep dive into just intonation vs equal temperament, why they are often at odds with each other, and what you can actually do about it in real playing situations.

Check out the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts, or on Facebook or YouTube!

05/11/2026

This week on Dojo U’s "Strike-In" Q&A, Andrew and Carl tackle students' top-voted questions covering everything from competition tempos and reed setup to drone threading, posture, and grading standards.

Here’s what we cover this week:
00:00 – Welcome & intro
00:07 – Threading drone reed seats: the pros, cons, and ongoing debate. Does it change the sound? Is it reversible? And should you do it on vintage or high-end pipes?
07:00 – What actually separates the grades? A practical breakdown of Grade 5 through Professional, including what players should realistically be aiming for at each level
14:40 – Using the Two-Week Tune of the Week process for competition prep: applying the freedom phase approach to building and polishing solo or band repertoire
19:10 – Andrew’s move to St. Andrew’s College: will he continue playing with Inveraray? A look at how yearly “renewals” work and what he shared during the interview process
21:30 – Do bagpipes make people look better in photos and videos? Why posture matters more than you think, and the four key points that change everything
23:58 – What’s a safe tempo for a Grade 4 2/4 march? Live metronome demos using Siege of Delhi, Iron Division, and Prince Charles, plus why groove matters more than raw BPM
33:00 – Decoding judge feedback on tempo: how to turn “too fast” or “too slow” comments into practical adjustments
33:54 – Willie’s Glenfiddich tempo check: Mike’s rule that Grade 4 players probably shouldn’t be playing faster than 58 BPM
33:52 – Adding phase-passing recordings to Dojo-U congratulation posts: logistics, community feedback, and possible improvements
35:12 – Reed selection: when is a reed truly bad, and when is it just a poor match for your setup? Including the “90% rule” for chanter and drone reeds
37:57 – Why trial and error is still the best teacher: how running a band, experimenting with chanters, and buying cheap used gear speeds up learning
39:52 – Reed humidity prep: Andrew’s Ziploc bag and cigar humidification pack method for conditioning reeds before testing
41:30 – Hygrometer accuracy: why Andrew replaced his old hygrometers, and how unreliable readings can quietly sabotage your setup

05/08/2026

Last time we looked at what “just intonation” is… so what is “equal temperament”, and why is it different?

This week, Andrew and Jim dig into one of the most fascinating (and frustrating) realities of bagpiping: why the instrument’s beautiful, locked-in sound can feel completely at odds with a piano, organ, or other orchestral instruments.

It all comes down to two competing systems of tuning – so buckle in for a music nerd deep dive into just intonation vs equal temperament, why they are often at odds with each other, and what you can actually do about it in real playing situations.

Check out the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts, or on Facebook or YouTube!

05/07/2026

Ever heard of “just intonation”? It’s part of the reason your pipes can sound so good on their own… but also the exact reason they clash with so many other instruments.

This week, Andrew and Jim dig into one of the most fascinating (and frustrating) realities of bagpiping: why the instrument’s beautiful, locked-in sound can feel completely at odds with a piano, organ, or other orchestral instruments.

It all comes down to two competing systems of tuning – so buckle in for a music nerd deep dive into just intonation vs equal temperament, why they are often at odds with each other, and what you can actually do about it in real playing situations.

Check out the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts, or on Facebook or YouTube!

05/04/2026

Why Don't My Bagpipes Sound Good With Other Instruments? (Dojo Conversations Episode 160)

What if the reason your pipes sound incredible on their own… is the exact reason they clash with everything else?

This week, Andrew and Jim dig into one of the most fascinating (and frustrating) realities of bagpiping: why the instrument’s beautiful, locked-in sound can feel completely at odds with a piano, organ, or other orchestral instruments.

It all comes down to two competing systems of tuning – so buckle in for a music nerd deep dive into just intonation vs equal temperament, why they are often at odds with each other, and what you can actually do about it in real playing situations.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:
00:00 – Perfect intervals and the bagpipe’s unique tuning identity
00:22 – Intros, hats, and an unexpected Albany geography tangent
05:49 – Just vs equal temperament: what are we actually talking about?
08:03 – Why the drone locks bagpipes into just tuning
13:21 – A practical demo using 100 Hz to explain pure intervals
17:00 – The ratios behind the bagpipe scale (B, C #, D, E, F #, G)
22:32 – Equal temperament explained: 12 equal slices of the octave
27:01 – The trade-off: why “in tune” sometimes means slightly out
30:38 – Bagpipe vs piano in real numbers (e.g. C # at 600 vs 604.7 Hz)
32:27 – The biggest clashes: why high G and low G hurt the most
33:09 – Splitting the difference: practical tuning compromises
35:04 – Can digital instruments meet the bagpipe halfway?
35:45 – The hidden truth: even great pianos aren’t perfectly “in tune”
37:11 – Why pure intervals are so addictive (and ruin everything else)
41:38 – Do B-flat chanters fix the problem?
43:47 – Finding your place on the just ↔ equal temperament spectrum

04/30/2026

How do you stay calm even in high intensity performance situations?

This week, Andrew and Jim explore what real control and calm actually look like in practice, why rushing and cramping show up when they do, and how many players end up stuck in a kind of “false chill” that can limit progress.

Check out the full episode on YouTube, Facebook or wherever you listen to podcasts!

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