Piper's Dojo Audio Experience
Piper's Dojo Audio Experience
Andrew Douglas and the Piper's Dojo Team
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515 - Why "Perfect" Bagpipe Tuning Sounds Worse (Dojo Q&A Session)
48 minutes Posted Jul 6, 2026 at 12:00 pm.
– Why bagpipes are tuned to the drones, not equal temperament
– The science behind high A and why pipers flatten it
– Why top bands "cheat" notes like D, F and B
– Teaching young pipers the right tuning habits
– Playing with bagad bands and different chanter pitches
– The history of bagad bands and Breton piping
– What Scottish and Breton pipe bands have in common
– Should you learn to play with the opposite hand?
– How to use a manometer correctly
– Fixing a sharp high G: where to start
– What happens to your pipes at high altitude?
– Learning the Sardinian launeddas
– How to tell a hornpipe from a reel
– Indiana Jones, bagpipes, and pop culture
– The mysterious E pickup in The Maids of the Black Glen and why sheet music doesn't tell the whole story
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Show notes
Ever wondered why bagpipes are tuned "wrong" on purpose?
 
This week, Andrew and Carl answer your piping questions on everything from why high A isn't actually tuned perfectly, to bagad bands, high-altitude piping, reversed-handed playing, fixing sharp high Gs, and the mystery of an unexpected E pickup in one of piping's classic tunes.
 
Here's what we cover this week:


























 
Want to join our weekly Q&A sessions live, or get your piping questions answered? Check out our membership options: https://pipersdojo.com/store
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