Lindsay Davidson 
Driving 'piping forward

Advanced

There is no such thing as more or less difficult in piping – only more or less intense….

 Stepping up to an intermediate/advanced level of piping should be a challenge. A new tune at a new new level should take some work and you should feel mentally tired, but not de-motivated.

 How does one eat an elephant?

 Not in one bite, and not all in one session.

 Just the same is true for pushing your piping to a higher level.

 It is also important that when you start to learn new material, and push to a new level, the first few tunes you do will be ‘disposable’, that is, there will be mistakes caused by stretching your technique. Do not waste effort going back over the same things for years – simply learn a new tune and concentrate on fixing that which has gone wrong. That is, do not try and drag your technique to a higher level using your favourite tunes, as you will end up either being put off them, or spending an immense amount of time needlessly unprogramming your hands.

As time goes by several tunes will appear linked from here. Please click on the title to go to a page with the music, a series of midi miles, some advice, and some simple examples to help prepare your technique or explain a subtlety.
Please note - as you go deeper into your learning, effective and disciplined practice become more and more important. Please make sure you have check the how to practice page before advancing from here, and that al of your technique is solid and that you can play all of the intermediate exercises. By this stage, you shouldn't need a great deal of help, only some suggestions regarding interpretation (given by the midi files), some pointers in potentially tricky areas, and some suggestions regarding extra potential benefits you can gain from each new tune.

Also, before obsessing with advanced tunes and MSR, do not neglect your basic repertoire and your repertoire for both your and your listeners' enjoyment - simple attractive tunes for pleasure. A wide base will serve you well as a piper and as a learner.

 Kilberry Castle - March

Arniston Castle - Strathspey





Getting Started

How to Practice

Rhythm and Reading Music
 

Rudiments Index

Hand Position and the Scale
Crossing sounds
G Gracenotes
D Gracenotes
E Gracenotes
G,D,E Gracenotes exercise
Strikes
Throws
Doublings - general principles
Low G Doublings
Low A Doublings
B Doublings
C Doublings
D Doublings
E Doublings
F Doublings
High G Doublings
High A Doublings
Grips
Taorluath
Birl
Tachum
Hara

Moving on


Exercises
Tunes

Bagpipes

Transition to Bagpipes
Tuning a Bagpipe

Getting Better

Using Midi files
Intermediate exercises
Advanced

Band repertoire

Contact details:
skype: lindsay.davidson1973
lindsaydavidson@lindsaydavidson.co.uk