learn to play the bagpipes

I need to sit down today and work on my schedule. I’ve complicated my life by adding two college classes this term. That takes up most evenings. I work out at the gym 5 days a week each morning. I could practice each Sunday. I guess that’s where this will end up for now. One day a week until class is over.

I’ve been practicing on my own for a few months now. At some point I’d like to see about either getting a teacher or going to the Clan Macleay open night. http://www.clanmacleay.org/

I replaced the reed in my chanter last night and what a difference it made. It seems like it cut the effort in half. I was turning blue in the face just to get the correct tone on the old reed. These are the plastic reeds.

I took a group of Boy Scouts to the Deschutes river for a rafting trip last week and I drove the suppy truck to each of the evening campsites. While I was there I found some beautiful places to sit in the shade of a tree overlooking the river while I played my practice chanter for hours.

I actually got pretty good at the Double D and could play through “Scots Wha Hae” without sounding like I was killing cats.

I ordered a new practice chanter. This one will I expect have a bit better tone than the budget model I picked up a year ago. This is a Polypenco (special plastic) with properly spaced and countersunk holes.

I also learned that Clan Macleay in Portland provide sessions for learning to play each Tuesday. I think I’ll go check it out next week.

I have a practice chanter and P.M. Sandy Jones Beginning Bagpipe book. I’ve been playing around with it for a couple of years now but very sporadically. My goal now is to set aside a practice time every week. I know it would be better to practice every day but I just can’t devote that much time to it.