Should you tune your drones to high A or low A? What’s the best way to get back into piping after time away? And how should you look after new cane reeds when they arrive dry from shipping? Tune in for this week's Friday Strike-In as Andrew and Carl break down a beginner-friendly approach to tuning, share practical advice for getting back into regular practice, and tackle questions about band changes, bass drone reeds, mixed drone setups, and reed storage. Want to join these live Q&A sessions, ask your own questions, and learn from world-class instructors every week? Join us at Dojo University today: https://pipersdojo.com/store Here's what we cover this week: 0:30 – High A vs. low A: which note should you use to tune your drones?6:48 – A beginner-friendly tuning strategy13:40 – Why low A is your tuning reference point17:21 – Do beginners really need to balance the chanter? Plus the Scotland the Brave test19:14 – Getting back into piping after time away: where should you start?23:07 – The piper development pyramid: immersion and small daily actions30:13 – Band-jumping season: when should you consider switching bands?33:52 – Inverted bass drone reeds: the pros and cons 38:06 – Drones with a different-bore middle tenor: what happens to your tuning?39:25 – How should you store new cane reeds? Humidity, drawers and storage devices42:34 – New reeds arriving completely dry: how to hydrate and test them

Why are you holding on to those old chanter reeds? What actually changes when you move to an extended small bag? And why does your blowstick keep popping out of your mouth? Tune in for this week's Friday Strike-In with Carl as he tackles listener questions on drone and chanter reeds, bag sizes, blowstick problems, Grade One medleys, tuning high A, and the ever-present question of band changes. Want to join these live Q&A sessions, ask your own questions, and learn from world-class instructors every week? Join us at Dojo University today: https://pipersdojo.com/store Here's what we cover this week: 0:00 – How old is too old for your drone reeds? Storage, bridles and O-rings explained7:04 – Small vs. extended small bags: what actually changes?22:06 – Why does your blowstick pop out? Tie-ins, ball joints and DIY fixes26:33 – When should you throw out a chanter reed? The backup reed rule30:02 – Understanding Grade One medleys: bridges, transitions and reprises34:50 – Worlds tickets for next year: what to expect35:35 – High A squealing: is it the reed, the player or the sweet spot?41:44 – Band jumping season: is anyone thinking about switching bands?

Thinking about moving to a new pipe band? How do you figure out which band is the right fit? And can an eight-year-old drone reed really affect the airtightness and playability of your pipes?  Tune in for this week's Friday Strike-In with Carl, as he tackles questions about choosing a new band, ageing drone reeds, reed efficiency, pitch differences, and even the best tunes to play during a thunderstorm. Want to join these live Q&A sessions, ask your own questions, and learn from world-class instructors every week? Join us at Dojo University today: https://pipersdojo.com/store Here's what we cover this week: 0:00 – Moving to a new band: how to find the right fit 5:26 – Can old drone reeds affect airtightness and playability? 13:14 – How long do drone reeds really last? 18:09 – How many spare reeds should you take to Scotland? 20:44 – Bag/reed efficiency and the Scotland the Brave test 25:31 – Why does your chanter pitch change between Canada and Scotland? 31:18 – The best pipe tunes for a thunderstorm 33:10 – Carbon fibre vs. other drone reed materials 35:57 – Does the wood used in your drones make a difference?

How well do you know the sound of pipe bands through the decades? This week, Jim brings back Jim's Dumb Games with a deceptively difficult challenge: "Guess the Decade." Andrew listens to nine mystery recordings spanning almost 100 years of pipe band history and tries to identify the decade, the exact year, and the band behind each one. Here's what we cover in this episode: 02:39 – Jim's Dumb Games returns05:06 – The rules of "Guess the Decade"07:16 – Sample #112:45 – Sample #215:11 – Sample #316:50 – Sample #422:53 – Sample #527:02 – Sample #628:54 – Sample #733:39 – Sample #836:09 – Sample #939:00 – How generational listening shapes what sounds "old" or "new"42:28 – Final score and the bonus recording

How do you take a brand-new tune from slow and careful up to a confident performance tempo – without sacrificing your technique, rhythm or groove? In this Dojo U class preview, Carl works through a reel step by step, using small chunks, tempo jumps, metronome drills and single- and double-time counting to build finger speed while exposing the things that break down under pressure. Along the way, he explores why jumping between tempos can reset your perception of speed, how to stay relaxed when the tempo rises, and why finding the groove matters more than simply chasing the metronome. Here's what we cover: 00:00 – Getting a new tune up to tempo and pushing finger speed00:57 – Warm-up technique: building the tune in small chunks01:15 – What tends to break down at speed: crossing noises, grace notes and rhythm08:47 – How bouncing between tempos changes your perception of speed09:15 – Why rhythm training can take time to adjust to19:35 – Adding foot-tapping in single time vs. double time23:19 – How fast should a reel actually be played? Band vs. solo tempos30:14 – How your perception of "slow" and "fast" resets after a pause32:04 – Deliberately going very fast to reset your perception of tempo40:16 – Finding "the groove" instead of simply hitting the metronome click42:51 – Wrap-up: prioritising groove over mechanical execution

What if you could shrink yourself down to the size of an air molecule and take a ride through your bagpipe? This week, Andrew and Jim climb aboard the Magic School Bus to follow every molecule from your lungs to the chanter reed, looking for the places where precious air – and power – gets lost along the way. They end up exploring one of the most useful concepts in piping: efficiency. Join us on this magical adventure through your bagpipe as we break down where power is gained, where it's lost, and how to make sure you're getting the most from every breath. Here's what we cover in this episode: 00:00 – Allergies, medicine horror stories, and catching up04:40 – The question: how do we get more out of our bagpipes?06:13 – What "power" actually means: volume, punch, response, and cracking notes09:26 – Efficiency: minimum input for maximum output12:17 – Choosing a reed for the kind of power you actually need15:15 – Become an air molecule: join us on Andrew's Magic School Bus19:24 – Following the air from the mouthpiece through the blowpipe joint24:42 – Finding leaks with hemp, Teflon tape, rubber corks, and a little persistence27:43 – Into the bag: stocks, tie-ins, zippers, seams, and sneaky leaks29:57 – Andrew's extreme leak test – and why you probably shouldn't kneel on your pipes33:55 – Eliminating air leaks systematically41:51 – Reed seats: why a loose reed is a deal breaker43:52 – Drone reed nose cones, two-part bodies, and other places air can escape45:51 – Moisture and reeds50:24 – Calibrating drone reeds for minimum air consumption53:38 – Why equal air across all three drones matters55:25 – Using condensation to diagnose reed calibration problems57:32 – The second-order factors: tuning, rhythmic accuracy, and mastery58:55 – What computer chips, electricity grids, and bagpipes have in common1:02:02 – Why power is really a byproduct of mastery1:05:03 – Wrap-up

 Should you tune your pipes as soon as band practice starts, or wait until they've settled in? How long does a reed really take to "break in"? And what's the best way to show a new instructor where your playing is at in a single lesson?   Tune in for this week's Dojo Q&A "Strike-In" session, as Andrew and Carl answer these questions and more.   Want to join these live Q&A sessions, ask your own questions, and learn from world-class instructors every week? Join us at Dojo University today: https://pipersdojo.com/store   Here's what we cover this week: 0:00 – Should you tune immediately or let your pipes warm up first? 13:25 – How to get the most from a one-off lesson with a new instructor 17:33 – Do bagpipe reeds really need 10 hours to break in? 24:09 – Andrew and Carl's favourite piping and pipe band albums 28:52 – Keeping your pipes cool and in tune on hot, sunny days

What makes someone ready to move up a grade? Should competitive Highland pipers explore other bagpipe traditions? Why do drones seem to have a mind of their own? And do tone enhancers actually work?   It's a mailbag episode! This week, Andrew and Jim tackle another round of listener questions, covering everything from grade progression and competition mindset to drone troubleshooting and equipment myths. Along the way, they explain why focusing on what you can control is one of the fastest ways to improve, and why social media popularity isn't always a reliable measure of piping ability.   Here's what we cover in this episode:   00:00 – Catching up before another mailbag session 00:37 – Listener questions: what's on pipers' minds this week? 02:28 – Moving up to Grade 4: choosing tunes and knowing when you're ready 04:25 – Are Grade 3 tunes actually more difficult than Grade 4? 06:50 – What solo competitions are really judging (and what they aren't) 13:34 – Why focusing on controllable factors leads to better performances  16:09 – Social media popularity versus genuine piping progress 20:42 – Should competitive Highland pipers branch into bagad or other bagpipe traditions? 33:43 – Why drones sometimes turn themselves back on after you've shut them off 58:32 – The unexpected Truman Show connection, final thoughts, and outro

How much music theory does a bagpiper really need? In this week's Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl dig into what "music theory" actually means for pipers, and why you may already know more than you think. Along the way they cover practical tuning advice, playing with other instruments, bagpipe notation software, and finish with a lighthearted brainstorm of bagpipe-inspired baby names. . Here's what we cover this week:0:00 – What is music theory for bagpipers?4:45 – Playing with other instruments and concert pitch16:03 – The circle of fifths: useful or unnecessary?17:30 – How to tune your chanter to your drones29:17 – The best bagpipe music notation apps34:21 – Community Q&A: drumming, summer schools, Dojo history & tune player fixes39:58 – The best (and worst) bagpipe-inspired baby names Want to join these live Q&A sessions, ask your own questions, and learn from world-class instructors every week? Join us at Dojo University today: https://pipersdojo.com/store

Piobaireachd has a reputation for being ancient, mysterious, and governed by strict traditions. But how much of what we think we know about this music is actually history... and how much is simply the result of chance? In Part 2 of their Introduction to Piobaireachd series, Andrew and Jim explore the remarkable journey of piobaireachd through the collapse of the clan system, the aftermath of Culloden, and its unlikely revival during the Industrial Revolution. Along the way, they uncover how competitions, wealthy patrons, early music publishing, and even printing errors helped shape the tradition we know today. Rather than there being a single "correct" way to play piobaireachd, the music has always evolved through interpretation, adaptation, and the personalities of the great players who passed it on. If you've ever worried about getting piobaireachd "right," this episode might completely change your perspective. Here's what we cover in this episode: 00:00 – Toyota Corolla vs. Camry: an unexpected cold open 02:16 – Picking up where Part 1 left off 02:38 – Why feeling intimidated by piobaireachd is completely normal 03:18 – The origins of piobaireachd and the legend of the MacCrimmons 04:33 – Hereditary pipers and the role of piobaireachd in the clan system 05:23 – Culloden and the collapse of Highland society 06:23 – The banning of the pipes and Highland dress 07:02 – How the Industrial Revolution unexpectedly helped save piobaireachd 07:46 – Wealthy patrons, Highland societies, and the early revival movement 08:59 – The beginning of the modern piobaireachd revival 10:04 – When tartan became fashionable 10:49 – The first Falkirk piping competition 11:59 – How competitions shaped modern piping 14:14 – Canntaireachd: the earliest attempts to write piobaireachd down 14:33 – Angus Mackay and the birth of modern notation 16:49 – Why Mackay became the defining authority on piobaireachd 19:46 – Bringing piobaireachd to the printing press 23:44 – Why old piobaireachd scores look so compressed 25:32 – Crowdfunding music publishing in the 1800s 27:38 – Printing mistakes, human error, and accidental traditions 29:34 – Did clan politics influence which tunes survived? 32:19 – Why there will probably never be one definitive interpretation 33:26 – Piobaireachd as the original jazz 35:36 – Why the greatest players always leave room for interpretation 37:50 – Why Andrew teaches the variations before the ground 39:47 – Understanding giosh and siubhal variations 40:55 – Taorluath and crunluath explained 42:18 – Recognising phrase patterns and the Intro to Piobaireachd course 45:30 – Are we actually making musical progress? 47:39 – Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and the strange history of "air bathing" 49:53 – Authenticity versus connecting with modern audiences 53:30 – Final thoughts: preserving tradition without freezing it in time