Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

Pìobaireachd can feel intimidating for so many pipers… so why do the people who fall in love with it become completely obsessed?

In this 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.

They unpack the m...

This week on Dojo U’s "Strike-In" Q&A, Andrew and Carl tackle students' top-voted questions covering everything from competition tempos and reed setup to drone threading, posture, and grading standards.

Here’s what we cover this week:

• 00:00 – Welcome & intro
• 00:07 – Threading drone reed seats: the pros, cons, and ongoing debate. Does it change the sound? Is it reversible? And should you do it on vintage or hig...

What if the reason your pipes sound incredible on their own… is the exact reason they clash with everything else?

This week, Andrew and Jim dig into one of the most fascinating (and frustrating) realities of bagpiping: why the instrument’s beautiful, locked-in sound can feel completely at odds with a piano, organ, or other orchestral instruments.

It all comes down to two competing systems of tuning – so buckle in for a mus...

This week on Dojo U’s "Strike-In" Q&A, Andrew and Carl dig into everything from reed disasters and confusing judges’ comments to tuning, piobaireachd mindset, and band dynamics.

Here’s what we cover this week:

• 00:00 – Exhibit D: introducing the new segment breaking down piping-related social media images
• 01:25 – A crushed, darkened reed: what it reveals about mold, storag...

What if trying to be relaxed when you play is actually a kind of denial – one that could affect your overall development as a piper?

This week, Andrew and Jim explore what real control and calm actually look like in practice, why rushing and cramping show up when they do, and how many players end up stuck in a kind of “false chill” that can limit progress.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

• 00:30 – Why “just relax”...

This week on Dojo U’s Friday Strike-In Q&A, Andrew and Carl tackle a wide range of piping questions – from chanter choices and reed behaviour to rhythm fundamentals, travel tips, and getting the most out of your Dojo membership. Here’s what we cover this week:

• 00:00 – Poly vs. blackwood chanters: are plastic chanters becoming the new standard?
• 04:12 – Retuning on the fly: what to listen for when your drones drift ...

Should you be messing with your chanter reeds?   

This week, Andrew and Jim discuss the pros and cons of reed manipulation — pinching, licking, shaving, bridling, and everything in between. Are these habits actually helping your playing, or just creating more problems?  

Reed tweaks can feel like quick fixes. But as Andr...

This week on Dojo U’s Friday Strike-In, Andrew flies solo to answer a wide range of student questions, from solo playing tips to tenor reed management, pitch standards, finding a practice space after moving, and more.

Here’s what we cover this week:

• 00:00 – Solo playing insights
• 03:55 – Changing tenor reeds: one at a time or both? (plus transitioning from synthetic to cane)
• 10:37 – Practicing full pipes in a small apa...

Getting better at piping isn’t about chasing every new piece of gear — it’s about understanding how your instruments, your ears, and your environment all work together.

This week on Dojo U’s Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl tackle student questions on cane drone reeds, ear training, synthetic chanter reeds, competition judging, and more practical piping topics. 

Here's what we cover t...

Rhythm isn’t just about keeping time. It’s about understanding how music moves – and learning to control that movement note by note, beat by beat.

Welcome back to part 2 of our episodes about piping's most fundamental skill: rhythm. Andrew and Jim continue exploring the foundations of rhythmic understanding for bagpipers. They dig into how rhythm actually works in practice: how beats organize music, how temp...

Getting your setup right isn’t about endlessly changing gear – it’s about understanding what actually affects your sound and comfort.

This week on Dojo U's Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl answer students' burning piping questions, covering everything from bag choice and posture to competition judging and drone reed lifespan.

Here’s what we cover this week:

• 00:00 – Bag Size & Posture: Does bag size affect blowing...

What is grade 5 actually for?

This week, Andrew and Jim answer a seemingly innocuous listener question about whether grade 5 bands should use hard reeds or easy reeds. As they discuss the pros and cons of blowing stability and reed strength, they launch into a deeper discussion of growth, retention, culture, and why so many struggling bands are trying to force competitive intens...

Rhythm isn’t just something you add to music. It’s the thing that makes music possible in the first place. In this episode, Andrew and Jim step back from fingerwork and technique to tackle something far more fundamental: rhythm as the organising force of all music, and even of time itself. What starts as a discussion about rhythm for pipers quickly becomes a deeper exploration of pulse, perception, subdivision, and why so ...

Improving your piping isn't about chasing quick fixes; it's about rebuilding your playing from the ground up.

This week in our Q&A session, Andrew and Carl tackle some common (and misunderstood) questions in piping, from drone reed warm-up and finger speed to pibroch traditions and playing with other instruments.

Here’s what we cover this week:

• 00:05 – D...

Exploring another interest isn’t automatically a distraction. It might be the thing that keeps your main passion alive. This week, Andrew and Jim take a listener question about drumming vs. piping and turn it into a wide-ranging (and very relatable) conversation about generalism vs. specialism – why we feel pressure to pick one lane in piping and drumming, whether side interests actually hold us back, and how curiosity, pl...

Enjoy this full recording of the Winter Storm Concert livestream, streamed live on Facebook as part of Winter Storm 2026 – The Pipes and Drums Event in Kansas City at 8pm on Saturday, January 17th, 2026, featuring World Champion Pipers and Drummers from Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, and the US, pipe bands and ensembles, piping soloists, sizzling Highland drumming, and much more.

This audio was clipped from t...

High altitude tuning, dry climate disasters, and the great tone enhancer debate take centre stage this week as Andrew and Carl tackle another round of real-world piping problems.

From managing a stubborn high G at elevation to why soaking your reeds is a bad idea in dry environments, the conversation is packed with practical advice you can actually use. Things heat up with a passionate discussion on tone enhancers – includ...

What if you could level up your piping – within 6 months?

This week, Andrew and Jim lay out a complete week by week training blueprint designed to take you into next season feeling calm, confident, and genuinely prepared.

Whether you’re aiming to move up a grade, make the band, or simply play better than you did last year, this episode gives you a clear path forward.

They break down exactly how top pipers structure their y...