Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

Latest Episodes:

332 - How to "hemp edit" your bagpipes (Dojo Conversations Ep 4) Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Hemp is finicky. Day to day, your joints' tightness can change quite a bit, so when it comes to technique, my golden rule: it has to be fast. Watch as I demonstrate how to wrap hemp on your drone or reed seats for a ‘hemp edit’ – when your pipes are already hemped, but just need a little tune up to get them nice and tight to play again. ____ The Piper’s Dojo Weekly Show, Dojo Conversations, brings you weekly advice about how to be a better bagpiper. This episode was first livestreamed on Facebook, so like our Facebook page to receive notifications when our weekly streams go live; subscribe to our YouTube channel; or follow, rate and review wherever you tune in to your favorite podcasts!

331 - The #1, foolproof, top-secret reed manipulation trick (Dojo Conversations Ep 3) Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

Licking, poking, pinching... what's the best way to sound absolutely incredible every time you choose a new reed? In this video, Andrew steps you through how to deal with challenging reeds, and the best way to manipulate them to sound incredible... The Piper's Dojo brings you weekly advice about how to be a better bagpiper. Like our Facebook page to receive notifications when our weekly streams go live; subscribe to our YouTube channel; or follow, rate and review wherever you tune in to your favorite podcasts!

330 Extras - Q&A Wrap Up on Moisture and Reed Strength (Dojo Conversations Ep 2.1) Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

We had some great questions submitted about our last two podcasts in the Dojo Conversations series, a new weekly show where we do a quick dive into some tips on a different piping topic each week. Andrew held a quick follow up Q&A session to answer these, as the submitters probably aren't the only ones curious about these... Got a question for us? Want us to cover a specific topic in future? Add a comment to this podcast, or send it to us on any of our social channels! __________________________________ The Piper's Dojo brings you weekly advice about how to be a better bagpiper. Like our Facebook page to receive notifications when our weekly streams go live; subscribe to our YouTube channel; or follow, rate and review wherever you tune in to your favorite podcasts!

330 - Got Moisture Problems? You Might Be Overlooking These 3 Things(Dojo Conversations Ep 2) Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

We need a certain amount of moisture in our bagpipes. But too much can be a major problem. Too many players reach straight for moisture control systems and fancy gadgets to manage it, but that's treating the symptom, and not the cause. Let's delve into the real causes of moisture issues, including the stuff we need to do when we’re NOT playing... The Piper's Dojo brings you weekly advice about how to be a better bagpiper. Like our Facebook page to receive notifications when our weekly streams go live; subscribe to our YouTube channel; or follow, rate and review wherever you tune in to your favorite podcasts!

329 - Finding the Right Chanter Reed: The Scotland The Brave Test (Dojo Conversations Ep 1) Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

How do you know if your bagpipe chanter reed is the right strength for you? This simple test is a pretty foolproof way to find out... listen as we step you through how to do it, some of the factors that contribute to the the reed strength you need, and some of the pros and cons of easy vs hard chanter reeds. _________________________________ The Piper's Dojo brings you weekly advice about how to be a better bagpiper. Like our Facebook page to receive notifications when our weekly streams go live; subscribe to our YouTube channel; or follow, rate and review wherever you tune in to your favorite podcasts!

328 - Metronomes And Simplified Settings - Don't Take My Word For It - 04.28.2022 Apr 28, 2022

Show notes

Real bagpipers play with all the embellishments in. And they sure as heck never use metronomes, that's just ridiculous. Ok... but what about real MUSICIANS?

Free Workshop at Australia-friendly time! 11 Reasons Pipers Fail Redux Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

In case you weren't aware, I've been putting together some free workshops for anyone who'd like to attend over the long, cold winter here in New York. I ran the first of these in November last year and had huge interest – around 400 pipers from across the US and Canada (plus a few from the UK as well!) tuned in to learn more about the "11 Reasons Pipers Fail." Given how much great feedback we had about the content, I wanted to make it more accessible to pipers in other parts of the world. To that end, I've scheduled a second session, still entirely free, that I'll be hosting at: USA: Saturday, January 29 @ 7PM (New York / EST) New Zealand: Sunday, January 30 @ 1pm Australia: Sunday, January 30 @ 11am (Syd / Melb),10am (Bris), 8am (Perth) In the workshop, I'll take you through a number of core concepts that illustrate how most pipers are already on a collision course with bagpiping disappointment and failure. But, it's not all doom and gloom – understanding the 11 deadly pitfalls in attempting to master any skill will give you a clear road map to making the rest of 2022 the best piping year you've ever had. We'll set up key next actions for you to take to inject some rocket-fuel into your piping aspirations! To read more about the workshop and to sign up visit https://DojoUniversity.com/workshop

326 - Tube vs. Gauge Style Manometer - Will I Ever "Get" Rhythm (Weekly Strike-in) - 01.14.2022 Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

01:20 - Why is a tube-style manometer better than a gauge? 24:25 - Will I ever "get" rhythm "down"? 33:53 - Is Piobaireachd required to become a "real" piper? --> What IS a real piper? If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today!

325 - How much "brain room" is needed to memorize tunes? (Weekly Strike-in) - 01.07.2022 Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

Amongst other Q&A today, we discuss the problem of memorization. Is it possible for a 71-year-old to memorize more than a few tunes? Is the bagpipe freedom process for beginners? How to transcribe the rhythm of a tune you heard on YouTube. Embellishment discussion. If you enjoyed this, you should try a Dojo University Premium Membership. Our premium membership features over 50 courses, 17+ live classes each week, social interaction channels, feedback on your playing, weekly challenges, and more! Try one month for just $1 by visiting DojoUniversity.com/testdrive today!

Free Online Workshop this Sunday Nov 14 - 11 Reasons Pipers Fail Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

Register now at https://dojouniversity.com/workshop ___ As you may have heard, I am putting together some free workshops this winter for anyone who'd like to attend. The first one will be this November 14th, at 1pm New York Time, called "11 Reasons Pipers Fail." So, what's this workshop all about? Frankly, it's been a tough one to put into words. Have you ever achieved a goal, but still felt empty? Have you powered through to the finish line, just to realize (usually immediately) that you were wrong about where the real finish line actually was? Cramming for a big test in high school comes to mind. Usually, a good solid all-nighter would suffice to get me that "A" I needed to "keep my grades up." But it was an empty victory. Next week there was going to be another test, and because I "crammed" for the previous test, I never actually learned the material! So, from there I was stuck in a perpetual cramming cycle. Did I get my "A"? Yep. Was I happy during or after the process? Hell no. And by the way, I remember nothing from any of those classes looking back as an adult. I took nothing away from those experiences. I see the piping world (yes, basically the whole piping world!) stuck in a similar pattern. We set goals. Assuming we meet these goals (and, let's face it, most of us don't), we realize we aren't any happier (or musically satisfied) than we were beforehand... and what do we decide to do to fill the void? Set another goal! 11 Reasons Pipers Fail is going to explore why happiness doesn't live on the other side of success and where we might actually look to find "happiness" (or fulfillment, or whatever it is you're looking for). Fascinatingly, NONE of the 11 Reasons Pipers Fail have anything to do with technique, talent, a great ear, a great teacher, etc. etc. It all has to do with mindset and it all has to do with behavior. During the workshop, we're going to evaluate our mindset and behavior and I guarantee you'll walk away with several huge insights into what's been missing so far in your musical journey, and you'll have a great sense of what you can do starting NOW to begin rocketing yourself forward towards bagpiping success... whatever that means for you. To read more about the workshop and to sign up, click here now. I hope to see you there! Andrew Douglas from the Piper's Dojo

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