Breaking the Mold

Ever opened your pipe case and realized you forgot to pull your chanter out of the stock after yesterday's practice... and a whole civilization has grown in that still-moist bamboo overnight?!

If you have a chanter reed that got a little fuzzy with mold (and this will affect the sound of the reed), it can be tempting to want to try to resurrect it – I mean, you put all that time in to 'breaking it in' and getting used to it, right? 

But can you rehabilitate a moldy reed, or is it toast?

Crafting Great Tuning Sets

Knowing a tune is good.

Knowing a set is better.

Being able to play a good sounding set that also lets you check the tuning on your pipes is the best.

Having a good tune, or set, that allows you to make sure everything sounds correct, but you can also use to entertain, kills two birds with one stone and gives your repertoire depth.

The Story of Highland Cathedral

Regal. Stately. Majestic. It’s one of the biggest bagpipe tunes ever, behind only "Amazing Grace" and perhaps "Scotland the Brave." "Highland Cathedral" is – or should be – in every piper’s repertoire.  But how much do you know about this tune? Time and again you’ll see it listed in programs as "Highland Cathedral" – traditional Scottish bagpipe tune. But that’s wrong.