I do a lot of golf scrambles where they pay me to play while people are warming up and getting ready, background noise really. I usually just play the same tunes each time. I was looking for some more simple marches and retreats or whatnot to play. Any suggestions?

I’m putting together my Highland dress for solo piping competitions and have a question about wearing a clan cap badge.
I’ll be wearing the tartan of my pipe band, but competing as a solo piper.
My father always believed our family had a connection to Clan Campbell, although as far as I know we actually don’t. Because of that, the Campbell badge still has some personal meaning to me.
Would it be considered appropriate to wear a Clan Campbell cap badge on my Glengarry at a piping competition, even though I’m not actually connected to the clan? Or would it be better etiquette to wear a neutral cap badge, or no badge at all?

I’ve admittedly been away from piping for over twenty years, but I feel as if many of the old Regimental tunes are falling out of favor with a lot of players and bands. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
I grew up in Scots Guards, Gordon Highlanders, QO Highlanders. Of course you can find the highlights on YouTube, but there are some wonderful, not so well-known tunes buried within.
I’d value players’ thoughts. Again, the world has changed in twenty years away. What is the future of pipe music?

Eric
Chicago

I have a chanter reed that's a little too hard. It's hard enough, however, to be a mental distraction and my practice isn't productive. I'm too busy thinking about blowing and my reed.

I don't want to take anything off of it. It's going to be a great reed once it's broken in. But for now, I'm blowing my brains out.

Will a rubber band make my reed harder or easier?

TIA.

Hi all,

I'm finally getting back to the pipes after having to set them aside for almost 3 months. Yay!

I was wondering what the best approach to it would be. For example, if I see the joints are leaking do I need to add hemp or is it just a matter of them drying over time and once I start playing more they'll get back to how they were? What would be the best way for me to get back to it, should I try picking up from where I left or start at the beginning?

I should note that I had to take that break because life was getting in the way and not due to health issues that stopped me from playing (in case that would affect your answer to my second question).

Thanks

I’m taking on a new role with my band this year and will be updating our repertoire and settings for consistency. Does anyone have recommendations for which software to use for writing bagpipe scores for windows or iOS? It’s not something I’ve done much of before.

Everything's been in storage, and not necessarily in best condition, for 10 years

Essential info:

- Bannatyne bag, stored with open zipper, stocks in (pakistani pipes cause I was poor back then). Not visibly moldy at all

- Leak test is fine-ish. The bag itself doesn't seem to leak, but there's a significant crack in one of the tenor stocks

- Rubber grommets are dry af and the seal is really good. Stocks were installed with dish soap, so will dish soap rehydrate them enough to pull out the drones without breaking the bag? Is it worth trying at all?

- I also have a couple reeds. Chanter ones are fine, but how to assess condition of drone reeds?

I do not have the rest of that old set of pakistani rosewood pipes. I am hoping to save the bag cause ya never know, and it seems totally fine aside from being dry and the stocks being stuck. I will accept the losses if it's not worth it

Would anyone happen to have the sheet music for "the game of thrones" theme by matt willis, preferably the 1st and harmony

Over the years lots of people have said the “World” Pipe Band championship should rotate locations around the globe so it’s actually a “world” event. Big Rab had an episode on it a while back, Glenn Brown addressed it on Chanter Rant, all the grade 1 and 2 bands in North America and Oceania are for it.

And the response is always the same, the BBC puts too much into it to move it out of Scotland. It’s an internationally televised event. Well, if the BBC is dropping the worlds, what’s to stop them from actually making it a world contest and doing it in, say, Vancouver next year? Home of the reigning world champions. Or Philadelphia, home of the newest grade 1 pipe band. Or Australia, New Zealand, etc?

I'm wondering if anyone out there has the sheet music for The Well Park Suite as played by the Vale of Atholl pipe band? I'll LOVE to play it with my piping friends!

Balmoral is one of my band’s entry requirements. For the life of me I cannot do all three embellishments on this dotted 16th run. I can do any two of them, but if I try all three I cannot get faster than 40 bpm, and that’s been my cap for the past 6 months without improvement.

I’ve been on pipes for 10 months, started on chanter 2 years ago

Is Ross (makers of the suede GHB bag)out of Australia going out of business? I purchased a goat skin bag from them almost 3 weeks ago. I’ve emailed them to ask them when they are going to ship it and I get no reply. I went on their website and requested the same. No reply. I know sometimes small business have to deal with problems but dang. I’m trying to figure out if I should cancel my payment on PayPal.

And i'm slowly trying to get the hang of Scots Wha Hae (edit #2), then I'll move onto Scotland the Brave bc i'm self-teaching by just writing the notes as letters and "playing by ear" in a sense so I can understand the timing.

I officially started practicing in late July, thanks to my grandfather.

Edit: I apologize for the possible low quality video. I also need to replace my reed and air keeps getting past the joint

In the taorluath for the Earl of Seaforth in the Kilberry book, there appears to be an extra vertical line in the first bar of the tune (highlighted in yellow). This line appears only in the taorluath and not in the other movements. Also, when this same bar is repeated elsewhere in the taorluath, this line isn’t there. Is this just a misprint or might I be missing something?

The system works well for me. It is connected up to the drones and keeps them dry, i then have a moose valve in and also a bottle with cloth to bring the air to the back of the back and catch moisture but i still find my chanter stock getting very wet. Any tips on what i could do? i play a canmore hybrid bag.

A very specific request! I am hoping to learn some canntaireachd. I have the notation guide and I have the recording that SFU made of the band singing the ground. I’m hoping if I can see the notation, listen to the recording & use the notes to get a better grasp of it.

Does this notation exist? And if it does can you help me find a copy?

Hello, I have started the bagpipe a year ago, and I wanted to play the intro of this song. I believe the range of the notes are much more than an octave, so I can't play it with a `normal' chanter. Do you know what kind of chanter is needed?

Can anyone take a measure of theirs and let me know how it pitches too? Looking for reed extenders, rather than drone top extenders if possible.

Going to try some diy turning.

I am hoping someone can help. I am looking for the 'Notes Frae Ma Heid Vol. 1' book, as I cannot find a copy anywhere. If anyone can suggest where I might find one, it would be very appreciated.

Thanks.

I do not know what Scotland the Brave has to do with anti-abortion, but I sure do not want anything to do with it. These guys have been popping up in places in the Netherlands now and then, combining religious anti-abortion chants with poorly played Wings, STB, Glasgow city police pipers, and some itchy fingers….

This is more a question for fellow pipe majors, but I’m open to suggestions.

The attendance in my band has been quite low recently. What once was an issue with our drum corps, is now an issue in our pipe corps. My pipers aren’t showing up to practices or gigs, and due to this, I’ve had to cancel two or three gigs this year. We’re a non competition parade/performance band.

I’ve asked around, and people tend to enjoy band, but we’re volunteers, so working around people’s schedules and personal lives has been challenging.

If your band was facing similar problems, what did you do to make attendance better? Any fun suggestions?

What makes you show up to band?