398 - The Ultimate Secret To Being a Better Bagpiper (Or Drummer) (Episode 68)

04/08/24 • 27 min

You're stuck on a desert island. Would you rather have your practice chanter, or an endless playlist of great pipe band tunes? If you didn't say the latter, you're missing the number one secret ingredient to being a better musician – immersion!

This week, we're discussing why certain families and geographies seem to foster world class players. Is it just boundless talent passed along in their bloodlines... or is it the world-class piping and drumming they've been absorbing since before they could talk? Immersion in the best of your craft is the single greatest correlate to ongoing success in anything. So how can you replicate that if you're not living in a hive of pipe band activity, or surrounded by top class pipers everyday? We have some ideas for you...

Got a question you want us to discuss on a future episode? Leave a comment or send it to [email protected].

Highlights of this week's episode:
00:00 Have you heard of a little podcast called 'Droning On'?
01:29 Diving into the World of Bagpiping Podcasts and Media
02:08 The Essence and Importance of Immersion in Bagpiping
09:13 Exploring Various Avenues for Bagpipe Immersion
20:49 The Power of Immersion in Learning and Creativity
25:23 Wrapping Up with Reflections and a Desert Island Dilemma

Got a question you want us to discuss on a future episode? Leave a comment or send it to [email protected].

Previous Episode

397 - Has Bagpipe Pitch Gone Too High? (Dojo Conversations Ep 67)

Do bagpipes seem sharper in pitch than they used to be? That's because they are...

This week, Andrew and Jim answer a listener question about why bagpipes have become sharper over time. We look at the history of pitch, how it affects tuning to mix and match old chanters and new reeds, and also at before a left turn into the implications of rising pitch for competitions (for better or worse). Plus, will we ever figure out the magic pitch that will help us make first contact with aliens? Listen in to find out!

This week, we cover:
00:00 Opening Thoughts on Competition and Aliens
00:21 A Morning Chat: From Sickness to Bagpipes
01:09 Listener's Query: The Sharpness of Bagpipes
02:31 Exploring Bagpipe History and Pitch Evolution
07:50 The Science and History of Musical Pitch
16:17 The Bagpipe Pitch Debate: Tradition vs. Modernity
20:51 Judging Bagpipe Competitions: Pitch Preferences
28:54 Concluding Thoughts on Bagpipe Pitch and Future Directions

Next Episode

399 - The Sticky Truth About Chanter Tape (Dojo Conversations Episode 69)

Why don't they just make bagpipe chanters that don't need tape?

This week, we delve into why – the physics behind why all chanters inevitably require tape, misconceptions about tape usage, and detailed instructions for applying tape correctly. Plus, we look at how recent an innovation tape really is, and why it's such an important part of getting your pipes singing.

Got a question for a future episode? Leave a comment or email us at [email protected].

This week, we cover:
00:00 The Great Tape Debate: Unraveling the Sticky Questions
00:40 A Sticky Situation: The Tale of a Funeral Performance
04:28 The Science of Tape: Why All Bagpipers Need It
13:28 Tape Techniques and Tales from the Field
22:29 Choosing the Right Tape: A Pipers' Guide
23:31 Cleaning Up: Tips for Maintaining Your Chanter Tape
28:16 The Evolution of Chanter Tuning: From Wax to Tape