Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

527 - Bagpipe Tuning, Hide Bags, Reeds & Gigging Tips | Friday Strike-In Q&A

Should you add tape before breaking in a new reed? Is a zipper really necessary on a hide bag? And what’s the best way to find more gigs as a bagpiper? Tune in for this

526 - The Secrets to Better Strike-Ins & Stable Tuning (Dojo U Q&A Session)

What’s the easiest hide bag to maintain? Why is your bass drone striking in before the tenors? And what does a spinning stock tell you about your bag? Tune in for this w

525 - High A vs. Low A: How Should You Tune Your Pipes? Plus Practice, Reeds & More (Dojo Q&A Session)

Should you tune your drones to high A or low A? What’s the best way to get back into piping after time away? And how should you look after new cane reeds when they arrive

524 - Chanter Reeds, Bag Sizes & Band Changes: Your Questions Answered (Dojo Q&A Session)

Why are you holding on to those old chanter reeds? What actually changes when you move to an extended small bag? And why does your blowstick keep popping out of your mout

523 - Are Your Drone Reeds Too Old? Plus Band Changes, Pitch & More (Dojo Q&A Session)

Thinking about moving to a new pipe band? How do you figure out which band is the right fit? And can an eight-year-old drone reed really affect the airtightness and playa

522 - Can You Guess the Decade? Pipe Bands Through the Years (Dojo Conversations Episode 168)

How well do you know the sound of pipe bands through the decades? This week, Jim brings back Jim's Dumb Games with a deceptively difficult challenge: "Guess the Decade.

521 - How to Get a New Tune Up to Tempo (Dojo Class Preview w/ Carl)

How do you take a brand-new tune from slow and careful up to a confident performance tempo – without sacrificing your technique, rhythm or groove? In this Dojo U class

520 - Where Does All Your Air Go? (Dojo Conversations Episode 167)

What if you could shrink yourself down to the size of an air molecule and take a ride through your bagpipe? This week, Andrew and Jim climb aboard the Magic School Bus t

519 - Should You Warm Up Before Tuning? Plus Reed Myths, Lesson Tips & Summer Pipe Care (Dojo Q&A w/ Andrew & Carl)

 Should you tune your pipes as soon as band practice starts, or wait until they've settled in? How long does a reed really take to "break in"? And what's the best way to

518 - The Biggest Piping Myths We Keep Believing (Dojo Conversations Episode 166)

What makes someone ready to move up a grade? Should competitive Highland pipers explore other bagpipe traditions? Why do drones seem to have a mind of their own? And do t

517 – What Music Theory Do Bagpipers Actually Need? (Dojo Q&A Session w/ Andrew & Carl)

How much music theory does a bagpiper really need? In this week's Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl dig into what "music theory" actually means for pipers, and why you m

516 - What If We've Been Playing Piobaireachd Wrong? (Dojo Conversations Episode 165)

Piobaireachd has a reputation for being ancient, mysterious, and governed by strict traditions. But how much of what we think we know about this music is actually history

515 - Why "Perfect" Bagpipe Tuning Sounds Worse (Dojo Q&A Session)

Ever wondered why bagpipes are tuned "wrong" on purpose?   This week, Andrew and Carl answer your piping questions on everything from why high A isn't actuall

514 - No Scotland, No Party: Boston’s World Cup Piper, Matt McArthur (Dojo Conversations Ep 164)

Sometimes the best piping stories start with a simple question: “Can you bring your pipes?”   Not all of them end up playing on a rooftop with NFL legends, becoming a vi

513 - How to Avoid Piping Burnout (Dojo U Q&A Session)

Ever feel like your pipes have gone from a passion to a chore? On this week's Q&A session, Andrew and Carl tackle your questions about keeping the passion alive, avoidin

512 - How to Convert Bagpipe Tuning to Concert Pitch (Dojo Conversations Episode 163)

Most pipers know that bagpipes don’t always play nicely with other instruments. But why is that? And is there actually a simple way to fix it?   This week, Andrew and Ji

511 - Why Your Pipes May Feel Harder Than They Should (Dojo U Q&A Session)

Real Feedback Month has officially kicked off at Dojo U! On this week's Q&A session, we explain how to get the most out of this special monthly theme, then dive into ou

510 - Hustle, Talent, and Other Myths (Dojo Conversations Episode 162)

Most advice about becoming a better musician sounds simple enough. But is any of it actually useful? This week, Andrew and Jim work through an article by a veteran bass

509 - Real Feedback Month is coming! Plus chanter tuning, synthetic reeds and more (Dojo U Q&A session)

This week on Dojo U’s "Strike-In" Q&A, Andrew and Carl launch our special "Real Feedback Month" – you can join Dojo U before June 5th for a free 30-day trial and get dire

508 - Why should you care about piobaireachd? (Dojo Conversations Episode 161)

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-par