Bagpipe Lesson 3: The Basic Highland Bagpipe Scale! 

I just bought my first bagpipes and came across your channel - it is really great! Thank you so much for all the effort you put into it. I don't have a teacher anywhere around me so this is amazing!

As a Thai, it's really difficult to find a way to Learn bagpipe in Thailand. I bought my chanter since I studied in Melbourne like 15 years ago and just keep it in the drawer for years just because I don't know how to start playing. Then I found your chanel like 2 weeks ago mate, I just wanna tell you that you push me to grab my chanter and start practising again after it's been kept in my drawer for more than 10 years. Thanks!

A few days ago I just had my first lesson on my new chanter and I finally started my journey to getting a Piper. The fact that your videos and sheets provide me with extra exercices alongside the things I learn with my teacher for FREE is just Amazing. Thank you very much for your efforts to teaching the next gen of pipers and making them better :D best wishes from switzerland

Thanks! Fabulous teacher!!

I just want to say that you're awesome. I got my pipes only a week ago... you helped me pick them out, set them up, get em in tune, and now learn to play. I appreciate all the hard work you do for free for beginners like me, thank you!

Started learning the pipes as a 10 yr old, got through to to the actual bagpipes, when I took them home as a 13 yr old I couldn’t work them out, embarrassed I never went back to my lessons so had to forfeit the pipes to another learner. I’ve always regretted it. I have kept my chanter and books, decided I’d give your teaching a go. Cross fingers I can pick it up again. My chanter is a wooden one with a very chewed on mouth piece. I’m in Australia

Another thing to help beginners is to get them used to moving their fingers in groups even when they aren't playing the chanter. I have my students place their low hand flat on a table and lift the ring and pinky fingers up and down together, then the middle and ring fingers, and then the index, middle and ring fingers while keeping the rest of the hand flat on the table. It's something they can do at work or school even when they don't have their chanter nearby, and it helps them develop muscle memory. Keeping the index finger down and alternating between tapping the middle and pinky fingers on the table while the ring finger stays up (and relatively still) helps with C to B changes. Same kind of exercises when we eventually get to birls and bubbly notes. I've noticed high energy students who tend to fidget take it on as a natural habit.

Hey Matt, fantastic videos mate, throughly enjoying them and working with my chanter. Im a newbie and its really refreshing to have such a great tutor online making things so simple. thank you so much, regards Richard, New Zealand

Great insights on learning skills! I also agree that we need to decrease the friction beginner papers come up against with the crossing movements! Great Work! 😀

Great beginning scale materials. I have been teaching Bottom hand first with my last two students. This Video and PDF will be shared with my next students. Looks like great tools. Thanks West Virginia Highlanders, Karl

Thank you Matt. This content is what I needed to move out of a slump/plateau.

Matt I'm so glad I found your videos! I watched a few before getting my first practice chanter. My practice chanter came yesterday (a long RG Hardie twist trap). I did about and hour practice yesterday and I've done about an hour today. And I can now do the top 2 lines cleanly and the bottom 2 lines almost (high A to low A sounds horrible). But I'm happy with my progress. 30 years old and never read music before. Thanks for the videos!!!!

What a fantastic teacher. 😀

Really great video, for us, beginner. I'm french and our accent and speed of speach it's perfect to clearly understand everything, also the comments and jokes (Like the "Hi" to Neighboors 🤣). With the pandemic situation, having some course is a nightmare or only by webcam. Thanks for all the video and testing, it's really helpful to keep being motivated !

THIS! Love that you are willing to look critically/creatively at 500 year old methods.

James McClain Great stuff I'm Learning Thanks Matt

Thank you, Matt. I started piping in 2010 and played for several years. Life got in the way, and I have had to put piping on the back burner. I am picking it back up however I know full well that I don't even want to touch my pipes until I get fluent on the chanter again. I've been brushing up with your lessons and print outs. Amazing how much I have forgotten and how sloppy I have become not to mention out of shape. The fatigue in my mouth sets in pretty quick. I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your free lessons and how much they have helped me get back into it and improve even more so than when I was playing regularly. Your techniques are really dialed in. Thank you! - Rachel

Hello Matt, thanks for the great tutorial. Enjoying it here in Allen. I found a way to avoid the noise from G to B. I just think to slightly push both fingers to the left just before lifting. It really helps me. Hervé

Thank you so much, Matt! You give excellent instruction.

I have watched this video twice and took the lessons to my limited practice sessions (only have had my chanter for two days) and really have enjoyed the subtle techniques. I just managed to download the pdfs and going to grab my stand from my old cello days this weekend to have a proper go at a practice session. I also contacted Matt via facebook and he was so encouraging and friendly. Small world as well, he lives right near my Aunt and Uncle. So happy he has made this channel, learning the pipes has been a dream I have had for a long time now. I will look through the comments for additional tips.

Matt, thank you for making this journey easier. decided I would like to learn to play the bagpipes I am an older beginner, but I i'm going to give it my best shot !!.

Excellent thanks matt

Brillant lessons. Thank you so much!

Very helpful for instructors!

Thanks!

Another informative video, wish I would have started this about 60 years ago.

Thank you!!! Your videos helped inspire me to get a practice chanter. And after about 3 days of essentially struggling through the book to go just up the scale, I took a look at this video and it's helped tremendously. Admittedly, it took almost an hour just to get through the first line, but this is a massive improvement over just following the tutor book alone! I can't thank you enough!!

I got fed up with dots on a wall real fast too lol.tin whistle got me drawing the pipe and shading covered holes but took a while .. so being a guitar player for 2 decades I switched it to numbers and omg the change , 0 -1 means thumb covered and a 0 with a line thru in means no thumb either I still need much practice for grace notes , but to see a 6 3 1 2 3 1 (amazing grace) just sets in my head ..... I've done a few of your practices with numbers and it's what works for me lol...

As an older gentleman, I think this might take me a few days instead of a few hours lol , brain and hand connections just aren’t as sharp as they used to be , the joys of ageing not so much , it’s the journey for me and to accomplish and achieve the goals what ever it takes , awesome videos mate , learning a lot , cheers. 👍

Cool. Thanks for helping

I'd love to see a video on tuning a chanter. Thanks

8:55 supination is what that is called technically lol External rotation of the wrist

Im restarting to learn the pipes since my mother passed away and I want to play a proper interpretation of amazing grace when we spread her ashes so Im going back to basics watching your videos, I have some droneless practice pipes and a practice chanter, I just hope I get the $600 I need for my pipe set before we spread her ashes because I want to honor her well

What I'm doing now is using a Tsunami that is one finger at a time so the LA finger goes up and down hearing a clear LG then the B finger alone goes up and down so from LG to a "false" B This all the way up to HA. This gives them a first contact with the chanter and it's holes. the second stage is different tsunami as of B it doesn't go to LG but the LA that is to the hole below. The idea is to start getting some agility before attempting a proper scale. This is only applicable to students with no músical background at all.

I just started in on the Chanter, as a former musician I was much further along than my instructor was expecting. These videos are going to be a great help as I start this journey and path to the pipes. What are your thoughts on the goose upgrades to the practice chanters. Is this something to consider?

Why do people hate the bagpipes so much? I've never gotten so much backlash as I did when I started playing the pipes.

Why do C and D need the lower pinkie finger? When I play it with and without the pinkie, it sounds the same and it's easier. Does that mean I'm doing something wrong? Thanks for your wonderful tutorials and insight!

I need 1 pec bag pipe music book. please send link

Hello Matt, I have just started to play last week, but have been a recorder player for many years and have performed, mainly Baroque Music. I have trouble not to curl my lower right hand around the chanter. Any tips? Thank you, your lessons are great, my teacher is a bit grumpy 🙄

Hiya Matt. Just received my RGHardie twist trap practice changer. I’ve played wood wind instruments (recorder, open hole flute, clarinet) so fingering isn’t an issue, but I have noticed that none of my notes are in tune with yours. The intervals aren’t even in tune with each other. Any ideas?

Thanks for the videos. I just received my chanter yesterday, but it immediately kills my right wrist because I'm so short. Is it alright to take the top off and play with my mouth directly on the reed? It causes no discomfort, but I don't know if it affects the sound. What do you think? Thanks again.

Where do I get the starter note booklet

Hi I'm using a wooden chanter and my one sounds deeper than the one you use. Why is this. Regards Brian

Great stuff. I'm suffering like hell though as I try to override my tin whistle muscle memory.

Can you make these exercises available with just the music notation and not the finger notations? I can't help myself not to read the finger notations.

Total beginner here. I thought having played clarinet for four years in high school would have better prepared me! I am getting two notes per fingering, one a third above the lower note. It seems to depend the position of the mouthpiece and how tightly I hold my mouth. I don't think this is a skill welcomed in pipe bands! Any advice?

Do you do lessons on zoom? Do you know who Derek midgley is? How much do you charge for pipe lessons? I just started a week ago on the practice chanter

How may I contact you off public forum? Tutoring question?

I like to punish myself, but appreciate this approach as an option 😄🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Why is it so difficult to blow through my chanter…. I’m using one my dad has, And it’s like blowing through a tiiiiiiny straw…. Makes me light headed

I am looking at a highland bagpipe on Ebay, are they a good quality for a beginner?

I realy like your vidéos, but where to find a chanter with a good sound and without selling an arm for ? I never play bagpipe, but i realy want to try that (yes i know i'm 50 y o). It's not the tradition in burgundy in France and the local instrument seller's laught at me when i ask for a bagpipe praticing chanter. Where and what the difference on 2 chanter ?

I'm having a bit of trouble controlling my intonation transitioning from B to C. G through B come out right on point but when I finger C, without making an extreme adjustment, I'm blowing a solid C#. I am an absolute beginner (like my instrument literally arrived 3 days ago lol). I just want to make sure I'm developing good habits from the start. I'm playing on a R.G. Hardie long Twist Trap practice chanter with the included reeds. My reed seems to have a solid tone on the other notes so I don't believe that's the issue. Is there a way to shade that note to bring it in (like the tape you use in some of your review videos) or is it merely an air control issue? Also, do you have a video where you address pitch tendencies on practice chanters? Thanks Matt, your videos have been a great help in getting me started on this path and in choosing an instrument.

Hello, totally beginner and alone to learn. Ibwatched your course with interest. I Can play a scale. But my biggest problème is how to blow ! I make duckly noises, it's awful.... How do you and other pipers make a "round" sound on thé practice ? How to show to blow in a vidéo ? 😱

Is it normal to feel out of breath half way through the first staff? I feel like I'm gasping for air.

For love of a princess theres more notes .. dose the other 6 notes have a finger chart by chance ?

I'm quite excited about trying your methods as a novice; but the PDF's won't download or print: response says they're blocked. Am I doing something wrong?

Can one cross finger accidentals? Thanks! 😎

Why is it so hard to blow on my chanter…. It’s like I’m blowing through a tiny straw…. Makes me light headed

Complicated fingerings? *laughs in flute*

More plying and less chatter from time to time.

Why does my chanter sound like a dying duck