BAGPIPE LESSON
  • Login
  • Beginner
    • Lesson 1: Introduction and Bagpipe History
    • Lesson 2: The Practice Chanter
    • Lesson 3: Practice Chanter Technique, Posture, and Blowing
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Music Theory 1
    • Lesson 5: Beginner Rhythm Exercises
    • Lesson 6: Bagpipe Low Hand Notes
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe High Hand Notes
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Scale
    • Lesson 9: Bagpipe Crossing Noises
    • Lesson 10: Easy Bagpipe Songs
  • Novice
    • Lesson 1: Time Signatures and Note Values in Bagpipe Music
    • Lesson 2: Dots, Cuts & Ties
    • Lesson 3: How to Practice Bagpipes
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Embellishments
    • Lesson 5: Bagpipe Grace Notes >
      • Bagpipe High G Grace Note
      • Bagpipe D Grace Note
      • Bagpipe E Grace Note
      • Grace Note Exercises
      • Songs With Grace Notes
    • Lesson 6: Bagpipe Strikes >
      • Bagpipe B Strike
      • Bagpipe C Strike
      • Bagpipe D Strike
      • Bagpipe Light D Strike
      • Bagpipe E Strike
      • Bagpipe F Strike
      • Bagpipe High G Strike
      • Bagpipe High A Strike
      • Bagpipe Strike Exercises
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe Doublings >
      • Bagpipe Low G Doubling
      • Bagpipe Low A Doubling
      • Bagpipe B Doubling
      • Bagpipe C Doubling
      • Bagpipe D Doubling
      • Bagpipe E Doubling
      • Bagpipe F Doubling
      • Bagpipe High G Doubling
      • Bagpipe High A Doubling
      • 7 Doubling Exercise
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Grip
    • Lesson 9: How to Learn a Bagpipe Tune >
      • First and Second Time Bars
      • Introductory Notes
      • Memorizing Bagpipe Tune
    • Lesson 10: The Practice Goose
  • Intermediate
    • Lesson 1: Buying a Set of Bagpipes
    • Lesson 2: Bagpipe D Throw
    • Lesson 3: Bagpipe Taorluath
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Birls >
      • Regular Birl
      • Low A Birl
      • High G Birl
    • Lesson 5: Bagpipe Triplet
    • Lesson 6: Intermediate Rhythm Exercises
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe Low G Grace Note
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Light D Throw
    • Lesson 9: Bagpipe High A Grace Note
    • Lesson 10: Pipe Band Terminology
  • Advanced
    • Lesson 1: How to Practice Bagpipes Efficiently
    • Lesson 2: Bagpipe Half Doublings >
      • Bagpipe Low G Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe Low A Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe B Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe C Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe D Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe E Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe F Half Doubling
      • 7 Half Doubling Exercise
    • Lesson 3: Bagpipe High G Strikes >
      • Bagpipe High G B Strike
      • Bagpipe High G C Strike
      • Bagpipe High G D Strike
      • Bagpipe High G Open D Strike
      • High G Strike Exercise
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Tachum
    • Lesson 5: Bagpipe Doubling Strikes >
      • Bagpipe B Doubling Strike
      • Bagpipe C Doubling Strike
      • Bagpipe D Doubling Strike
      • Bagpipe Open D Doubling Strike
    • Lesson 6: G-D-E Grace Note Movement
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe Strathspey Movement
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Music Categories and Tempo Guide
  • Maintenance/Tuning
    • Bagpipe Anatomy
    • Practice Chanter Maintenance and Tuning
    • Hemping Your Bagpipe
    • Bagpipe Pipe Bag
    • Bagpipe Blow Stick
    • Bagpipe Drones >
      • Drone Reeds
      • Drone Tuning
      • Drone Cords
      • Drone Problems, Solutions and Terminology
    • Bagpipe Chanter >
      • Bagpipe Chanter Reed
      • Bagpipe Chanter Reed Selection
      • Preparing your Chanter Reed
      • Making Reed Easier to Blow
      • Fix a Double Toning F
      • Taping Bagpipe Chanter
      • Cutting a Hole to Sharpen a Note
      • Pipe Chanter Pitch
      • Protecting Your Bagpipe Reed
      • Pitching Your Bagpipe Chanter
    • Bagpipe Case
    • Bagpipe Pitch and Tuning
    • Bagpipe Moisture Control
    • Bagpipe Stretching
  • Tunes
    • 2/4 Marches >
      • Mairi's Wedding
      • Brown Haired Maiden
      • Teribus
      • The Barren Rocks of Aden
      • High Road to Gairloch
      • Highland Laddie
      • The Earl of Mansfield
      • The 79th Farwell to Gibraltar
      • 42nd Highland Division
      • Sweet Maid of Glendaruel
      • 72nd's Farewell to Aberdeen
      • Liberton Boys Polka
    • 3/4 Marches >
      • Balmoral
      • Castle Dangerous
      • Green Hills of Tyrol
      • When the Battles Over
      • Colins Cattle
      • Bloody Fields of Flanders
      • Lochanside
      • Dream Valley of Glendaruel
    • 4/4 Marches >
      • Robin Adair
      • Scots Wha Hae
      • Scotland the Brave
      • Rowan Tree
      • Wings
      • Blue Bells of Scotland
      • Minstrel Boy
      • Were No Awa Tae Bide Awa
      • Lord Lovat's Lament
    • 6/8 Marches >
      • A Hundred Pipers
      • Bonnie Dundee
      • Steam Boat
      • Glendaruel Highlanders
      • Mucking of Georgie's Byre
      • Atholl Highlanders
    • Airs >
      • Amazing Grace
      • Mist Covered Mountains
      • Skye Boat Song
      • Going Home
      • Suo Gan
      • MacPhersons Lament
      • The Mingulay Boat Song
      • Road to the Isles
      • Loch Rannoch
    • Jigs >
      • Hag at the Churn
      • Rocking the Baby
      • Kesh Jig
      • Tripping up the Stairs
      • Old Hag at the Kiln
      • Paddy's Leather Breeches
      • Galician Jig
      • Paddy be Easy
      • Old Wife of Mill Dust
      • Floating the Flambeau
    • Reels >
      • Piper of Drummond
      • Sleepy Maggie
      • High Road to Linton
      • Gravel Walk
      • Jenny Dang the Weaver
      • The Owl
      • Itchy Fingers
      • Willie Davie
      • Crooked Bridge
      • The Wise Maid
      • Olive Branch
    • Strathspeys >
      • Loudons Bonnie Woods and Braes
      • Orange and Blue
      • A.A Cameron
      • Captain Horn
      • The Campbeltown Kiltie Band
    • Hornpipes >
      • Jolly Beggerman
      • Paddy MacGinty's Goat
      • Moving Cloud
      • The Boys of Blue Hill
    • Songs >
      • Auld Lang Syne
      • London Bridges Falling Down
      • Happy Birthday
      • Yankee Doodle
      • Flower of Scotland
      • America the Beautiful
      • Bridal March
      • O' Danny Boy
  • Contact
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Lesson 1: How to Practice Bagpipes Efficiently


Whether you can dedicate 1 hour a day or 1 hour a week to practice this is the regiment you should follow. Your instrument is like your body, you have to work out every muscle to become fit not just your arms. With the bagpipes you need to practice everything; technical work, tuning and maintenance, tunes and rehearsal time. All four factors are equally important.  
How to Practice Bagpipes Efficiently

Technical Work
This is doing exercises on your practice chanter with a metronome. I have tons of exercises on this website that you should be donating 25% of your practice time to. Its simple, whatever you do poorly, work on that. For example, my weakest technical movements are Tachums, so I work on those the most. However, I have a really nice girl so I don't work on that much. If you aren't sure if your technical movements are good, then record yourself and listen. Work on what you suck at, not what your good at. 

Tuning and Maintenance
Bagpipes are a hard instrument to tune and keep maintained and thats why we have to dedicate 25% of our time to it. Follow my lessons on maintenance and tuning. It doesn't matter how good your fingers are if your bagpipe is out of tune. 

Learning and Improving Tunes
Learn and memorize tunes the way I outline them in these lessons. Phrase by phrase with a metronome. Your better off playing 20 tunes well then 40 tunes poorly. 

Rehearsal 
This step is often forgotten and it may be the most important. Play through your tunes on a nicely maintained and tuned bagpipe the same way you would if someone was watching you. Play tunes from start to finish from memory while marching. If you make a mistake keep playing, remember, your now practicing like there is someone listening and watching you. This is also a good time to work on attacks and cut-offs. 

  • Login
  • Beginner
    • Lesson 1: Introduction and Bagpipe History
    • Lesson 2: The Practice Chanter
    • Lesson 3: Practice Chanter Technique, Posture, and Blowing
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Music Theory 1
    • Lesson 5: Beginner Rhythm Exercises
    • Lesson 6: Bagpipe Low Hand Notes
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe High Hand Notes
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Scale
    • Lesson 9: Bagpipe Crossing Noises
    • Lesson 10: Easy Bagpipe Songs
  • Novice
    • Lesson 1: Time Signatures and Note Values in Bagpipe Music
    • Lesson 2: Dots, Cuts & Ties
    • Lesson 3: How to Practice Bagpipes
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Embellishments
    • Lesson 5: Bagpipe Grace Notes >
      • Bagpipe High G Grace Note
      • Bagpipe D Grace Note
      • Bagpipe E Grace Note
      • Grace Note Exercises
      • Songs With Grace Notes
    • Lesson 6: Bagpipe Strikes >
      • Bagpipe B Strike
      • Bagpipe C Strike
      • Bagpipe D Strike
      • Bagpipe Light D Strike
      • Bagpipe E Strike
      • Bagpipe F Strike
      • Bagpipe High G Strike
      • Bagpipe High A Strike
      • Bagpipe Strike Exercises
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe Doublings >
      • Bagpipe Low G Doubling
      • Bagpipe Low A Doubling
      • Bagpipe B Doubling
      • Bagpipe C Doubling
      • Bagpipe D Doubling
      • Bagpipe E Doubling
      • Bagpipe F Doubling
      • Bagpipe High G Doubling
      • Bagpipe High A Doubling
      • 7 Doubling Exercise
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Grip
    • Lesson 9: How to Learn a Bagpipe Tune >
      • First and Second Time Bars
      • Introductory Notes
      • Memorizing Bagpipe Tune
    • Lesson 10: The Practice Goose
  • Intermediate
    • Lesson 1: Buying a Set of Bagpipes
    • Lesson 2: Bagpipe D Throw
    • Lesson 3: Bagpipe Taorluath
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Birls >
      • Regular Birl
      • Low A Birl
      • High G Birl
    • Lesson 5: Bagpipe Triplet
    • Lesson 6: Intermediate Rhythm Exercises
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe Low G Grace Note
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Light D Throw
    • Lesson 9: Bagpipe High A Grace Note
    • Lesson 10: Pipe Band Terminology
  • Advanced
    • Lesson 1: How to Practice Bagpipes Efficiently
    • Lesson 2: Bagpipe Half Doublings >
      • Bagpipe Low G Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe Low A Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe B Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe C Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe D Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe E Half Doubling
      • Bagpipe F Half Doubling
      • 7 Half Doubling Exercise
    • Lesson 3: Bagpipe High G Strikes >
      • Bagpipe High G B Strike
      • Bagpipe High G C Strike
      • Bagpipe High G D Strike
      • Bagpipe High G Open D Strike
      • High G Strike Exercise
    • Lesson 4: Bagpipe Tachum
    • Lesson 5: Bagpipe Doubling Strikes >
      • Bagpipe B Doubling Strike
      • Bagpipe C Doubling Strike
      • Bagpipe D Doubling Strike
      • Bagpipe Open D Doubling Strike
    • Lesson 6: G-D-E Grace Note Movement
    • Lesson 7: Bagpipe Strathspey Movement
    • Lesson 8: Bagpipe Music Categories and Tempo Guide
  • Maintenance/Tuning
    • Bagpipe Anatomy
    • Practice Chanter Maintenance and Tuning
    • Hemping Your Bagpipe
    • Bagpipe Pipe Bag
    • Bagpipe Blow Stick
    • Bagpipe Drones >
      • Drone Reeds
      • Drone Tuning
      • Drone Cords
      • Drone Problems, Solutions and Terminology
    • Bagpipe Chanter >
      • Bagpipe Chanter Reed
      • Bagpipe Chanter Reed Selection
      • Preparing your Chanter Reed
      • Making Reed Easier to Blow
      • Fix a Double Toning F
      • Taping Bagpipe Chanter
      • Cutting a Hole to Sharpen a Note
      • Pipe Chanter Pitch
      • Protecting Your Bagpipe Reed
      • Pitching Your Bagpipe Chanter
    • Bagpipe Case
    • Bagpipe Pitch and Tuning
    • Bagpipe Moisture Control
    • Bagpipe Stretching
  • Tunes
    • 2/4 Marches >
      • Mairi's Wedding
      • Brown Haired Maiden
      • Teribus
      • The Barren Rocks of Aden
      • High Road to Gairloch
      • Highland Laddie
      • The Earl of Mansfield
      • The 79th Farwell to Gibraltar
      • 42nd Highland Division
      • Sweet Maid of Glendaruel
      • 72nd's Farewell to Aberdeen
      • Liberton Boys Polka
    • 3/4 Marches >
      • Balmoral
      • Castle Dangerous
      • Green Hills of Tyrol
      • When the Battles Over
      • Colins Cattle
      • Bloody Fields of Flanders
      • Lochanside
      • Dream Valley of Glendaruel
    • 4/4 Marches >
      • Robin Adair
      • Scots Wha Hae
      • Scotland the Brave
      • Rowan Tree
      • Wings
      • Blue Bells of Scotland
      • Minstrel Boy
      • Were No Awa Tae Bide Awa
      • Lord Lovat's Lament
    • 6/8 Marches >
      • A Hundred Pipers
      • Bonnie Dundee
      • Steam Boat
      • Glendaruel Highlanders
      • Mucking of Georgie's Byre
      • Atholl Highlanders
    • Airs >
      • Amazing Grace
      • Mist Covered Mountains
      • Skye Boat Song
      • Going Home
      • Suo Gan
      • MacPhersons Lament
      • The Mingulay Boat Song
      • Road to the Isles
      • Loch Rannoch
    • Jigs >
      • Hag at the Churn
      • Rocking the Baby
      • Kesh Jig
      • Tripping up the Stairs
      • Old Hag at the Kiln
      • Paddy's Leather Breeches
      • Galician Jig
      • Paddy be Easy
      • Old Wife of Mill Dust
      • Floating the Flambeau
    • Reels >
      • Piper of Drummond
      • Sleepy Maggie
      • High Road to Linton
      • Gravel Walk
      • Jenny Dang the Weaver
      • The Owl
      • Itchy Fingers
      • Willie Davie
      • Crooked Bridge
      • The Wise Maid
      • Olive Branch
    • Strathspeys >
      • Loudons Bonnie Woods and Braes
      • Orange and Blue
      • A.A Cameron
      • Captain Horn
      • The Campbeltown Kiltie Band
    • Hornpipes >
      • Jolly Beggerman
      • Paddy MacGinty's Goat
      • Moving Cloud
      • The Boys of Blue Hill
    • Songs >
      • Auld Lang Syne
      • London Bridges Falling Down
      • Happy Birthday
      • Yankee Doodle
      • Flower of Scotland
      • America the Beautiful
      • Bridal March
      • O' Danny Boy
  • Contact