Bagpipes | Pipehacker

Small Tunes: “Had the Lass Till I Win at Her”

Friday, October 8, 2010

I love tiny reels. The smallest ones are lively and have lots of color. Eight bars of music and Bob’s your Uncle. “Had the Lass Till I Win at Her” is one of those.

4 Simple Checks for Better Bagpipe Blowing

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Much talk, discussion, heartache, and pipe band judge scribbling is spent over the simple issue of “blowing.” Many pipe majors and band pipers will complain that it is their band’s single biggest weakness when it comes to performance on the competition circle.

So what is it? And why can’t it be good all the time? Is “good blowing” simply blowing and squeezing to get a steady sound out of the bagpipe that does not waver? I would argue that good blowing is not just a term for steady playing, but all the elements that go into that steadiness as well. It comes down to mechanics. And not unlike playing a good 6/8 march, it is a skill influenced by many factors.

Today Is a Good Day to Pipe (Isn’t it always?)

Monday, October 4, 2010

Once upon a time, I produced a run of T-shirts to build awareness of the current market plight of the mpingo tree (a.k.a. African blackwood). Having done all…