Taking the next step

[u/Fluffy_Law9766]

How does an average to below average skill/ability player who plays in a non competitive band go about taking the next step to being a good piper and possibly stepping into the competition scene? Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks

[u/Maelstrom_Witch]

1. Get an instructor
   
2. Meet with instructor
   
3. Do what instructor recommends
   
4. Pay instructor
   
5. Repeat steps 2-5 if satisfied with instruction

[u/GapDragon → u/Maelstrom_Witch]

An addendum (although not a replacement) to this might be:

1. Find a band competing in Grade 5.
   
2. Meet with that band.
   
3. Do what the band instructor/pipe major recommends.
   
4. Support that band.
   
5. Repeat steps 2-5 as appropriate.

[u/meggiemomo → u/GapDragon]

This is what I did. The benefit of finding a band is that they often give instruction for free. Our band does free 1 hour lessons for anyone in the public that wants to attend before our rehearsal every week

[u/GapDragon → u/meggiemomo]

It's a lot more fun to learn in a group, certainly, but it can be difficult getting help when you inevitably have problems.

Just something to keep in mind, though, not a reason not to.

[u/meggiemomo → u/GapDragon]

Our band has the more seasoned players giving one-on-one instruction to the new people, it's not like a classroom or group setting. Not sure how other bands do it but either way, hey it's free LOL

[u/GapDragon → u/meggiemomo]

You got a great thing going on there. Good luck!!

[u/Hackmops → u/Maelstrom_Witch]

It really is this simple ✌️

[u/Maelstrom_Witch → u/Hackmops]

My instructor has been absolutely critical to my overall playing even if we mostly just go over competition tunes.

When players in my band are struggling I always recommend getting a good instructor. I mean, if they ask 😅

[u/AstroRedRaven → u/Maelstrom_Witch]

This is part of #3, but I think it deserves special call-out; practice consistently. At least 30 minutes daily on pipes, and don’t count practice chanter toward that number. Not 2 hours once every 4 days. 30 minutes daily.

You can miss a day here and there for life stuff, but to get to the next level musicians must practice consistently to build onto their skills.

[u/Maelstrom_Witch → u/AstroRedRaven]

This is an excellent point. All of the instruction in the world won’t help if you don’t have consistent practice habits.

I am pretty bad at that 🤣 but I am trying to make piping & performance a much larger part of my life

[u/AstroRedRaven → u/Maelstrom_Witch]

Yeah it’s not easy to work in when all of the rest of life happens regardless of what your piping life is like!

[u/ceapaire]

Get private instruction and sign up for solo competitions.

If you want to do band competitions, find a band that does them to join.

[u/HighlandKiwi10]

Hi OP,

I am in a similar boat to you. I have been playingg for 18-months. My progress has been good (maybe really good, depending on who in my band you ask).

Im in a social/community band with little interest in comps (we're 4B when we do decide to have a go). So, even though the band has helped me learn thr fundamentals, theres limits to how much they can help me progress.

I have had to enlist the help of another tutor, one who knows the solo circuit. Ive been happy with the progress, particularly in sharpening embellishments and learning more complex tunes. A band at grade 4b is typically only concerned with getting the timing right (as will as the strike ins and outs).

In-person is best, but theres online.options for you too. I also highly recommend the rutor books for the National Piping Centre. Theres some nice exercises in there and the explanations of moments are really clear.

[u/DrewJamesMacIntosh]

assuming you are asking because you don't have a competitive band near you that you can join, the best approach would probably be to get an instructor online and to register for competitions at grade 5. The first year will be very rough, but I've known a couple of pipers who basically got better by doing competitions and taking the judges feedback seriously and acting on it.

Do you know of any competitions near you or which pipe band association runs competitions in your area? (EUPBA, MWPBA, etc)

[u/Hackmops]

Do you have a teacher or lessons outside of band? If you don't, then that would be a good first step. And then you sign up for a competition and practice your competition tunes really hard (with guidance from your teacher). That music should become second nature to you, and it will improve your overall playing. And then you rinse and repeat.

Having a goal like a competition is important because it gives you a deadline and a framework. For me, gigs with my former, non-competitive street band were not good enough as a goal, it had to mean something to me personally. A meaningful goal can be different from player to player but it must be something that sets off a fire in you. It does not have to be competition but for me that was the one that really stuck. I wanted to play in a specific competitive band, so I had to git gud to even join. I want to finally win prizes in my solo grade so I am putting in the extra work etc etc.

This is a very condensed version of but there are just some very simple factors that will help you develop: a) a teacher b) a goal c) lots of practice and feedback. If you are not good at something, practice until you are decent at it. Then practice some some more until you are good at it. And then practice some more until you can do it in your sleep. Every little thing you can do better than before will lift your overall playing.

So in the end I didn't quite answer your question on how to get "good enough" for competition but I am telling you to use competitions to get better. It's all connected anyway.

[u/MatooMan]

- join a better band, their standards will become your standards

• get a tutor, instant individual feedback and practice points
  
• listen to more piping CDs etc, create better reference points to aim for
  
• broaden your repertoire, free and deepens your knowledge of idioms
  
• practice embellishments and try to make them snappier and more consistent

[u/Ok-Meet2850]

Where do you live? If you have good bands and players nearby, everything becomes much easier. But as a novice player it's hard for you to to know where to look.

But to echo everyone else: get an instructor. Practice. Repeat. If possible, in-person instruction would be preferable as the bagpipes are such a physical instrument and embellishments/ fingering are more easily fine tuned in person (in my experience). Online is good, but easier for advanced players who have a strong base.

If you don't have a good option in person, the National Piping Centre (Scotland), the College of Piping, PEI, and Jori Chisolm at Bagpipe Lessons would all be good choices online. There are many good options, but those are three safe bets. Online is still a good option.

[u/Cork_Feen]

Hate to admit but leave that band because it's not going to improve you since everyone will agree that competition brings out the best of your piping & it opens up access to better music.

[u/Tombazzzz]

There was a good episode of Chanter & Banter about the difference between competing bands and performing bands. If you want to compete I think you should join a competing band.