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.

06/18/2026

What’s the difference in pitch between bagpipes and concert instruments?

This week, Andrew and Jim revisit how to tune bagpipes to other instruments, diving back into ‘just’ vs ‘equal’ temperament to explain why the Great Highland Bagpipe sits so close but so far from concert pitch, and what that means for tuning when you try to play with guitars, pianos, or other instruments.

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

06/15/2026

How to Convert Bagpipe Tuning to Concert Pitch (Dojo Conversations Episode 163)

Most pipers know that bagpipes don’t always play nicely with other instruments. But why is that? And is there actually a simple way to fix it?

This week, Andrew and Jim revisit how to tune bagpipes to other instruments, diving back into 'just' vs 'equal' temperament to explain why the Great Highland Bagpipe sits so close but so far from concert pitch, and what that means for tuning when you try to play with guitars, pianos, or other instruments.

Exploring everything from the physics of pitch and the history of how the bagpipe ended up being called an “A” instrument, to pitch creep, B-flat chanters, and practical ways to bridge the gap, they discuss the idea that playing with other musicians is really just a matter of understanding the “currency conversion” between bagpipe pitch and the rest of the musical world.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:
00:00 – Why don’t bagpipes sound good with other instruments? The pitch problem explained
01:43 – The drone dilemma – why the bagpipe is locked into its harmonic world
02:56 – The 40 Hz gap – how far the GHB sits above concert pitch
06:26 – Why is the bagpipe called an “A” instrument anyway?
07:36 – Angus Mackay, Highland Societies, and the story of written piping music
12:47 – Historical pitch and why the bagpipe was probably never really at concert A
20:08 – Pitch creep – how competition culture pushed the pipes higher
22:52 – The B-flat chanter experiment – and why the drones complicate things
25:26 – The core problem: the bagpipe A isn’t the same A as everyone else’s
27:24 – How to make bagpipes work with other instruments: the practical solutions
31:55 – Guitar hacks, capos, and meeting the pipes where they are
33:14 – Digital pianos, transposition, and instant pitch adjustments
34:54 – Thinking in B-flat: translating bagpipe music into concert language
39:25 – How to transpose bagpipe scores for other musicians
41:37 – Backing tracks, DAWs, and Andrew’s favourite workflow
44:39 – The currency conversion analogy – understanding the exchange rate
47:14 – Could we just go higher instead? The case for B and beyond
48:25 – The big takeaway: communicating pitch is the real unlock
50:32 – Just intonation vs equal temperament revisited

06/10/2026

Is talent overrated?

This week, Andrew and Jim work through an article by a veteran bass player and music journalist who offers five tips for becoming a better musician. Check out the full episode on YouTube, Facebook or wherever you listen to podcasts!

06/08/2026

Real Feedback Month has officially kicked off at Dojo U!

On this week's Q&A session, we explain how to get the most out of this special monthly theme, then dive into our regularly scheduled burning piping questions, covering a range of topics including competition etiquette, chanter reeds, tone enhancers, tuning habits, and more.

Here's what we cover this week:
0:00 – Real Feedback Month begins
2:28 – Recording and submission tips
11:57 – Sunglasses at competitions
17:38 – Rubber bands on chanter reeds
22:37 – What to do with a reed that's too hard
26:00 – The D throw and teaching methods
32:18 – Tone enhancers: pros and cons
40:12 – Starting drone tuning from sharp
43:12 – An unexpected Isle of Skye story

Want to participate in Real Feedback Month, or join our weekly Q&A sessions live? It's never too late to get started! Check out our membership options: https://pipersdojo.com/store

06/04/2026

Are you prone to procrastinating?

This week, Andrew and Jim work through an article by a veteran bass player and music journalist who offers five tips for becoming a better musician. Check out the full episode on YouTube, Facebook or wherever you listen to podcasts!

06/01/2026

Hustle, Talent, and Other Myths (Dojo Conversations Episode 162)

Most advice about becoming a better musician sounds simple enough. But is any of it actually useful?

This week, Andrew and Jim work through an article by a veteran bass player and music journalist who offers five tips for becoming a better musician. Exploring everything from self-promotion and procrastination to talent, bravery, and the appeal of "getting back to basics", they take a few tangents (as per usual) into the tenets of stoicism and the ways musicians often try to avoid the work they already know they need to do.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

00:00 – The article, the author, and why his advice caught our attention
03:02 – Tip #1: Embrace the Hustle – networking, reputation, and why relationships matter
11:25 – What Would Ken Do? – lessons in community, generosity, and positive influence
12:03 – Tip #2: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone – overcoming procrastination and adapting when life gets busy
15:58 – Seneca has joined the chat – uncertainty, stoicism, and taking action now
21:58 – Tip #3: Talent Is Overrated – natural ability versus consistent effort
32:34 – Tip #4: Be Brave – why trying new things gets easier once you start
35:31 – Tip #5: Back to Basics – musical reinvention, fundamentals, and finding your roots
45:07 – Shortcuts, shiny objects, and why improvement usually comes back to doing the work

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

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