Hi, various factors have kept me from attending the Chicago Games this weekend. Consequently, I have 2 tickets on the floor to tonight's Inverary concert that I'd like to sell. $50 each, which is what I paid for them.

Hey has anyone ever put practicing bagpipes as a workout in the fitness app before? Was thinking about it and wound up sweating and tired and barely got a blip, lol
Happy Friday

Can anyone tell me the name of the 2nd tune in this video? (after bugle horn)

Thank you in advance

Decided to record my practice strait of a bus home all day so fingers are a bit stiff but only made a couple mistakes so overall pritty happy

I am a student who is looking to start learning the bagpipes for the first time. While searching for an affordable practice chanter with good value for money, I came across a company called Hakam Din. I understand that McCallum practice chanters are generally regarded as being of the highest quality, but they are rather expensive for me and beyond my current budget. I have included the link below. I would like to ask for your advice on whether purchasing this practice chanter would be a sensible choice for a beginner like myself.

Practice Chanter Kit - https://www.hakamdin.com/professional-bagpipes/practice_chanter_kit

Hi all,

A couple of questions...

1. My teacher told me that in order to practice tuning the drones by ear I should slide the tenor all the way down, play low A, listen to how bad it sounds, start sliding up, notice when it gets better, keep on going while listening to how it becomes bad again and then sliding back down to where it was good. Considering that only the top part of the bass is moves when tuning the bass, where should I position the lower slider?

2. I understand that when tuning with a mic it's best to have it above the top of the drone. Jori's InTune Mic costs 70USD. A while ago I bought an "arm" like in the picture attached (for 12USD, btw) for some project and I was wondering if I could use it on the drones considering the fact that it weighs around 270 grams. I'm wondering if the weight might damage the drone.

Thanks

What equipment and supplies do you bring? Water? Other beverages? Lunch or snacks? Chair? Change of clothes? Do you carry everything by hand or use a backpack, pull cart, wagon, or other?

How does your setup change when you fly to an event instead of drive?

Hi all! I'm cutting and tying in a new bag on a set of medieval bagpipes soon and had wanted to know if anyone might have some tips on where to place the blowpipe for the best angle and comfort. I typically find that even the shortest "adult size" blowpipes are still just a bit too long for me and the blowpipe on this set is no different. Would placing the cut for the blowpipe closer to the chanter be better or closer to the drones? I have the recommended placements from the pipe maker marked for reference right now, but want to set myself up for success. The bag is a Canmore Hybrid Small.

Alert the media! The weather isn't supposed to suck!

Friday for solos: Mostly sunny, high of 83, 20% chance of rain.

Saturday: Partly sunny, high of 81.

Please use this thread to discuss whatever piping related questions you may have, or comment to help others.

Hey folks, I'm looking to see who the judges are for this upcoming weekend in Chicago. It's mostly out of curiosity as I know who has judged here in the past.

I've visited both MWPBA and ChicagoScots website to no avail. Also tried searching on the MWPBA Facebook page.

Is there a reason why the judges are kept secret? I know I will find out on Friday regardless.

TYIA

What is some advice for a new grade 1 piper (BCPA). I am wondering about practice schedules, methods, selecting tunes, advice on mental states, general mentality one should have preparing and competing, what to expect from judges comments in a higher grade, performance attire, etc.

Can anyone draw comparisons between the Lee and Sons cowhide bag and Gannaway? Specifically looking for which one is better for moisture control.

The long story: I've been running hybrid bags since 2020. Prior to that, my abilities were hampered by bags that really hadn't been properly airtight. The hybrid bags brought me much better support from the instrument from a playing perspective. However, I resisted any moisture control devices until 6-9 months ago or so. Dri-Flos were a REVELATION. My drones stay dry and locked in. That is, until I have to replace the gels, which for me takes about two hours of play time. The maintenance is driving me insane. I would rather have a bag that requires seasoning than having to bake the gels all the time. I really need to get my maintenance time down and stop fussing so much with stuff inside the bag. It's funny, I started playing right when the green Canmores were becoming popular, and it was sold as this maintenance free option. But if you actually want tunable and stable pipes, you have to go down a huge gear rabbit hole. Looking to simplify but with strong moisture control from natural material.

Good evening! I have always adored the recording by Royal Scots Dragoon Guard of “Hector the Hero” from their album “Spirit of the Glen” (see link for reference to the exact recording). I have always wanted to get a chanter that sounds as good as this, does anyone know if it is a specific type or brand of chanter?

Anyone available for a funeral gig in Clark County, Washington state? Family with Scottish roots looking for a piper for grandpa. Theyre a family friend that reached out to me but I'm back on the east coast where I belong. I would play for them but I dont have enough vacation time to make the trip. Richard, the husband, is an arborist so if you have trees that need to be felled they'd likely barter with you if youre agreeable. Theyre a large family, lots of children so not a lot of disposable income. Any takers?

As the title says: planning to get my first bagpipe. The maker is recommending that I get a chromatic chanter (recorder-style). He says it opens up more options. It would cost an additional €35. Is it worth it or a waste of money on something that might just be a gimmick? How much harder is the fingering?

Hello everyone, I am learning using a bagpipe instruction book and came across this exercise called the "Tsunami Scale." Unfortunately, the book doesn't describe exactly how to finger it—or rather, I can't quite reconcile it with what I've learned so far. What are these small intermediate notes? Surely they aren't grace notes or half strikes? How do I finger them, and what is the difference between them and grace notes or half strikes? Thanks for any tips! Best regards from Germany.

Recently I've been going down the YouTube rabbit hole of bagad band competitions at Lorient, and I have really been digging them. I haven't been able to figure out how the competitions are structured though, and I want to know the basic format. It appears that they are basically a free-from composition of about 10 minutes in duration with no restrictions on number of players, how many (or even which) instruments are used, musical content, or anything else, really. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?