play bagpipes to a proficient level

Tapping Your Foot is essential to keeping timing,
making sure grace-notes fall properly on the beat and for maintaining the shape of the tune. Its like a Metronomic Stomp.

I’m really enjoying a Ceol Mhor piece called
“Lament for the Old Sword”.
Its really stirring and gradually becomes more complex in each part
I’m really encouraged to learn it very precisely and feeling im using all the techniques i’ve used to analyse and prepare my band tunes for performance.
Its got some neat grace notes including the Crunluath which is an advanced Taorluath of sorts. I’ll need some lessons to perfect it i’m sure.

When you are tuning, its useful to have the Tuner-microphone facing directly at the Drone.

When your Chanter Reed is too sharp, put some hemp on it.

Mull over all parade, performance and competition start times to help you think ahead and be calm on the day.

Walk it through for difficult bits of marching eg
Cross-over and through the gap return formation
Simple Circle Formation
Counter March Formation
Wheels

Wear a T-shirt if its hot to practice, to play better

Take note of the place, start time, meet time, and uniform for each occasion.

Listen before you spout of your ideas, but say what it is you want to say

Have a laugh with others about the tricky and funny bits in your playing, no-one’s perfect, and it helps to establish calm and focus to iron out dicey areas.

Resources for a Good Piper

The Scots Guards Volume 1 & 2
The Gordon Highlanders
The Seaforth Highlanders Collection

Personal Kilt of a Clan you support.
Makes you feel good wearing your own colours.

Ghillie Brogues or at least Brogue look alikes that are cut out.

Spare Reeds, Flashes, Socks and Drone Reeds

Some methods to piping proficiency
a_ practice a variety of pieces and grace notes religiously
b) maintain a good lilt
c) check over each piece thoroughly
d) practice bag-holding, starts and stops
e) vaseline my drones hemp, drone placement,dry out your reed,tidy drone ribbon
f) watch pipe major’s fingers
g) march properly
h) sprightly ironed uniform
i) natural march for right speed of any tune