Nature or Nurture: What Makes a Great Piper?
Nature or nurture? Do the top pipers in the world possess some sort of genetic predisposition that allows them to play with speed, grace, and expression?
Category: News & Blog
Posts of news and events from Dojo U
Do You Need 10,000 Hours of Practice?
How do you get good at something? The answer has always been practice, practice, practice. The real question is, how long does it take to get good? There is the saying, that has been around for a while, that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. Does it really take 10,000 hours to become a master?
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.
Better Bagpipes While You Sleep
Learning to play the bagpipes can be demanding. Sometimes, in spite of all your efforts, you 'plateau' or get stuck, never seeming to improve past what you’ve been struggling with.
The Adult Learner
By Dr John H Holcombe
Are you an adult learner? Have you ever wondered why it takes you such a relatively long time to learn a new tune, or to get an embellishment just right?
Bagpipers and the Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military award for members of the armed forces of the Commonwealth countries. This award is given for valor in the face of the enemy of the “most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valor or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.” We are going to look at three bagpipers who have won this award.
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.
Your Old Radio Proves You Already Know Whether a Note is Sharp or Flat
When I listen to feedback from students and acquaintances in regards to what the biggest challenges are with piping, there's definitely one issue that seems…
The myth of multitasking
If you're an adult, living in the 21st century, and you're reading this sentence – chances are you have about a dozen demands on your…
The Power of 'Yet'
After three decades spent playing and teaching bagpipes at every level, I’ve noticed a common trait in the vast majority of pipers. Most of them…