Don’t Let Breathing Stop You From Learning The Bagpipes! 

I find it so hard, iv nailed the chanter but the pipes are so difficult, thank you for your great instruction

I like how you said "the arm does most of the work", and this is definitely true. Really, we don't actually 'play' the bagpipes with our breath. We play them with our arm which is squeezing the bag. In other words: when we play on a more "conventional" wind instrument (saxophone, trumpet, flute, or whatever), the air from our lungs is immediately delivered to the sound-making part of the instrument. However, bagpipes differ entirely from any other wind instrument, because the air coming from the lungs (or any other source of air) is delivered to a bag first; you then squeeze or press on the bag to push that air out of it, and that air is then finally delivered to the sound-making part of the instrument which is connected to the bag. In fact, this is why I was actually able to hear you talking even while you were playing the drones, and yet the sound of the drones was completely uninterrupted! If you had blown into the drone pipes directly with your mouth (I.E played them more like a "conventional" wind instrument), that would not have been the case. I had not realized any of this for a long time, probably because I really wasn't educated on how bagpipes work earlier in my life. I new how they sounded, but not how they worked. I've had to explain this stuff to other people who mistakenly think bagpipes are played directly with your breath like every other wind instrument.

Thanks buddy this is something thats deffo got me flummoxed - away to try this just now Cheers

Thankyou Alec. Easy explanation to follow.

Pays to have good teachers. Something I didn’t have. Was kept on practice chanter and never had one lesson on actual pipes. Teachers seem to want Grade 1 student before graduating to pipes. I was happy to play marches and slow airs. Lost interest. Picking it up again after DECADES without teachers! Hoping your videos will be suffice. Thanks!

I've only been on the chanter for 2 months, fortunately with a very good instructor. I just recently stumbled across your videos and have enjoyed watching them. Thank you for the time you put in to these.

thanks so much. I have been struggling with the transition from practice chanter to pipes for a year now! Really helpful.

Just picked up a practice chanter hoping I’ll be able to catch on quickly. Been playing pennywhistles for many years and hope this will be somewhat similar. Thanks for your videos 👍🏼.

Hi just wanted to say a big thanks for these instructional videos there well helpful u have encouraged myself confidence to start learning the pipes 👍

Love your videos. Picking up the pipes for the first time, I have a practice chanter coming shortly.

I have just started transitioning from the practice chanter to the pipes. This is not easy. But I will get there. Going from the practice chanter to the pipes is like having learned to ride a bike then being given the keys for a tank. I am sure your videos will help.

So nice explain in bag pipe striks

My 5 cents here as I was learning how to blow less than a year ago ( and still mastering it of course ). I could't get drones in tune when I weren't steady therefore I couldn't control my steadiness by drones because they were out of tune and I had no 'reference sound' to rely on. And I do know 2 options here. First one is to have a local experienced bagpiper nearby who can tune your drones for you and let you hear how it should sound. Second one is a manometer. During this covid situation it's a really good option. Once I got the idea of steadiness using manomeneter I just made a giant leap to playing in tune. So consider using tools if you have no one to tune your pipes for you.

Thanks Alec. I've been watching some of your beginner videos, and have been finding them very helpful and encouraging. I'm planning to graduate from the practice chanter to a set of pipes in the near future. Fortunately, I have some good teachers, as I have joined a Highland band. I want to get some ideas lined up in my noggin now though, to ease the transition. So, for now, I'll walk around the house doing my one-armed Chicken Tonight impersonation, coordinated with huffing and puffing at the right time 😄

Awesome video and thank you for sharing. .

Thanks for this video,, I am transitioning now and I find it hard,, but these videos are a GREAT help.. So thanks Alec..

Thanks for the info

Thanks once again such a great tip just new to the bagpipes funding it tough

Superb video

I have tried this, but not consistently. It's a helpful tool for sure. Thank you for explaining it.

That you so much this was very helpful for me as a young piper

Thanks for the video just transitioning to the pipes thanks again from Bonnie Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

my drones never sound that beautiful lol! Love your videos! Building the lip muscles is the hardest for me.

The best solution is to get a full set of bagpipes to begin with, learn it all at once! Like you said in the beginning of the video you can master the practice chanter and become so used to playing a thin stick that when you move up to bagpipes with the whole shabang it just becomes like learning it all over again! Probably a controversial statement but there must be others who agree? I play many instruments, including the didgeridoo of which I have 5 (currently) but have owned and played many for many years! So there's knowledge & similarities behind what I'm saying!? Right? 😂

Yesss this is exactly the issue!

This is my biggest challenge right now, thank you

Super great advice, simple, cheap and efficient. I like it and I will try next time I pick up my bagpipe, usually only week end as I need to go out due to the big sound we all like :-)

I'll test it thanks from France

Good advice. I still have good days and off days. One day I feel on top of it and the next could be all... what the heck am I even doing. Enjoy the journey.

Even tuned drones sound cool!!!

I have been playing the chanter for a couple of months now. I have purchased a set of pipes and was struggling to blow the bag and squeeze the arm. I have been flowing you for a few weeks and also liked your FB page. I have put a hung on the chanter and done as you have advised on this utube clip. What would you recommend my next step to play the pipes?

Sir I commend you, im struggling, im new to the bagpipes after months on the chanter iv finally invested in the real deal, I practice drone pressure but struggle to get that extra pressure for a tune to come out of the chanter, I seem to run out of breath 😅

Can you make a chanter tutorial on Wellerman please?

Everytime I blow I get a headache! Haha do you have a video that shows more of the Rythm of when to blow and when to squeeze your arm? I suppose the arm always has some amount of pressure on the bag? I want to play soooo bad. It just feels like quite the workout each time

Jeez... I literally just started and find your videos quite helpful (thanks for that here) but already the practice chanter is KILLING me! I need to blow it so hard, that I can't get over the first like ten notes or so of Scotland the Brave before my lips loose pressure and all that precious air bursts left and right around the mouthpiece -.-

I can get my drones to have a steady note but I find when I start to play melodies on the chanter I have to blow and push extremely hard to get the reeds in the chanter to sound. Am I doing something wrong or just more practice? Thankd

I'm not getting the drone sound. It sounds terrible. Is my pressure to low? The drone reeds are new.

fairly new on the pipes - I keep falling back short puffing breaths - with too much arm pressure on the bag - Help!

Over time you develop circular breathing after about 6 months to a year if you practice at least 4 hours a day

Hi can you get a smaller mouth piece for the bagpipe ie like a slit to breath through instead of the bigger mouth piece

I'm one of those people who has to remember to breathe, every now and then. If I ever studied the pipes, I'd probably die of suffocation xD (even though, many a moons ago, I did study the flute and *didn't* die of suffocation... so maybe?)

Whats the name of the tune you played thanks

Definitiely an ongoing challenge.

4:31 Hahahahahaha

Hello brother.. im from sri lanka.. i need get to some advice for bag pipe.. can i contact via whatsapp

execute order 66, LOL a little we star wars joke bc the 66th comment. I love the content super good stuff I have at least 13% Scottish and have been studying the heritage I might try bag pipes I have played clarinet for a time so I do have musical instrument experience.

I'm recovering from Covid and I'm 72 so it's a challenge.

Born bred te

Your talking about the use of a GOOSE

I so wished you’d have played a tune.