Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

This week on Dojo's "Friday Strike In" Q&A Hour, Andrew works through a stack of real-world piping questions, starting with how to balance low A and low G and expanding into the practical realities of tuning, setup, and consistency. The discussion covers common chanter issues, when flat notes become a serious problem, and why simple troubleshooting often beats drastic fixes. They also shift focus from gear to players, tackling top-hand tension, posture, and why pipes feel so different from the practice chanter. Along the way, they dig into modern piping life – online lessons on full pipes, staying connected with bands from a distance, and how remote players can still show up prepared and be taken seriously. We finish up with bigger-picture strategy around solo competition repertoire, a clear breakdown of tuning order from chanter to drones, and a look at what’s coming next. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Intro & Balancing Low A and Low G 03:00 – Flat vs Sharp Notes on the Chanter \06:00 – Band Equipment Consistency & Fixes 08:00 – Relaxing the Top Hand 14:00 – Online Lessons on Full Pipes 17:40 – Staying Involved with Bands Remotely 24:00 – Changing Tunes for Solo Competition 29:00 – Tuning Order: Chanter vs Drones 38:00 – Wrap-Up & What’s Next

Ever wondered why some pipers seem to bounce back from mistakes effortlessly – or why your pipes sometimes feel great one day and impossible the next? This week, Andrew and Carl dig into a whirlwind of community questions, from the end of the Insider podcast to the art of conscious practice, performance pressure, equipment choices, and knowing when you’re ready to buy your first full set of pipes. They talk openly about experimenting (and failing) in public, why switching between pipes can throw you off, how nerves sabotage tunes you’ve played perfectly a hundred times, and why focused practice always beats endless reps. You’ll also hear their take on when in-person lessons are essential, how constraints can actually boost your creativity, and what gear Dojo instructors trust in their own playing. 🎵 Tune in at pipersdojo.com! Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Why the Insider Podcast Is Ending (and what’s staying) 03:34 – Learning Through Trying, Failing, and Iterating 03:56 – How to Diagnose Hard-to-Play Pipes (Andrew’s Four Questions) 09:43 – Why Tunes Fall Apart Under Pressure 1 0:07 – Beating Performance Nerves & Preparing for High-Stakes Moments 21:00 – Practice vs. Repetition: Hunting for Future Mistakes 23:26 – When In-Person Lessons Matter (and when online is better) 29:39 – How Constraints Can Increase Your Musical Creativity 33:50 – What Gear Dojo Teachers Actually Use 40:00 – When You Should Buy Your First Set of Pipes

Some episodes are carefully planned… and some are rescued straight out of the garbage can.   This week, Andrew and Jim wrap up the year by rifling through the legendary “maybe later” pile – a collection of rejected ideas, abandoned plans, and almost-episodes that never quite made the cut. What starts as reflection quickly turns into some surprisingly solid piping advice, mixed with the usual chaos.   Along the way, they tackle big questions about marching style, presentation in solo competition, and whether looking polished actually affects results. Then it’s down the rabbit hole with pressure variance testing, tuning by intuition, and why “trial and error” might still beat science when it comes to getting your pipes locked in.   It’s messy, honest, practical… and accidentally one of the most useful episodes of the year.   They also dig into why tradition still matters – from kilts and uniforms to parade culture – and finish with quickfire advice on keeping piping fun for kids, playing without pain, and building real fluency in embellishments.   Got a topic sitting in your “maybe later” pile? Drop it in the comments – we just might pull it out next episode.   Here’s what we cover this week:  00:00 – Intro & End of Year Reflections
  04:50 – The “Maybe Later” Pile: Rejected Topics
  07:50 – Marching in Solo Competition: Big Steps or Little Steps?
  10:30 – Does Presentation Matter in Competition?
  12:30 – How to Own Your Style & Marching Advice
  13:45 – The Blow Trick (Pressure Variance Testing)
  14:00 – Pressure Variance, Tuning & Trial and Error
  22:00 – Tuning Philosophy: Guessing, Intuition & Learning
  27:00 – Uniforms, Kilts & the Value of Tradition
  31:00 – Parades, Outfits & Embracing the Ridiculous
  34:00 – Quickfire: Keeping Piping Cool for Kids
  35:00 – Quickfire: Avoiding Pain (Posture & Comfort)
  37:00 – Quickfire: Embellishment Fluency & Building Blocks
  38:30 – Rhythm, Gracenotes & Abstractions in Learning
  39:30 – Wrapping Up & Looking Ahead

This week, we sit down with renowned piper and composer John Dew for a deep dive into his latest project, John Dew's Pipe Suites. From the story behind the book to the evolution of harmony in bagpipe music, John walks us through his approach to writing suites, the influences that shaped his sound, and why understanding chord progressions is becoming essential for today’s pipers. We also explore his brand-new album, the tools he uses to compose, and what’s ahead for bands travelling to competitions. 🎵 Tune in and join the conversation at pipersdojo.com! Check out John and his music here: https://www.johndew-composition.com/ Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Meeting John Dew & Early Background01:11 – Inside the Pipe Suite Book: The USB Format & Features02:40 – How the Community Reacted: Sales & Feedback03:40 – What’s Actually in the Book? (11 Suites Explained)05:10 – John’s Compositional Approach & Influences08:50 – Harmony, Chord Progressions & the Modern Piping Mindset13:45 – Teaching, Arranging & Why Harmony Matters for Leadership17:23 – Tools of the Trade: Sibelius & Other Software17:55 – Live Demo: Navigating the Book & Listening to Tracks21:19 – John’s New Album: Marches & Fresh Compositions23:20 – The Value of Musical Variety24:49 – Interactive Learning Tools at the Dojo25:45 – Q&A: Lessons, Pipe Majors, Contest Logistics & More36:03 – Do Pipers… Talk to Their Pipes?40:18 – Chicago Games & Band Travel Plans43:56 – Chanter & Reed Talk: Mark II Shepherd, Tuning & Comparisons46:15 – Drone Tuning Tips for Performances49:41 – Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Learning by ear can feel both magical and maddening… and it’s one of the most powerful skills a musician can build. This week, Andrew and Jim tackle how to learn tunes by ear, using the tune “Green Monster” as their test subject. They explore what really happens when you set the sheet music aside and trust your ears, your instincts, and a little bit of trial and error. 🎧💡 Ear learning isn’t just possible—it’s a superpower waiting to be unlocked. Got questions or want to share your own ear-learning tips? Drop a comment below! And a special shoutout to Hannah Focken, whose performance we feature on this week’s episode: https://www.youtube.com/@hannahfocken Here’s what we cover this week: 00:24 – Intro: Why Learn By Ear? 01:07 – Where Did “Green Monster” Come From? 02:41 – Sheet Music vs. Ear Learning 05:43 – Recordings Are Your Best Friend 08:58 – Practical Tools for Ear Learning 12:53 – The Bagpipe Freedom Process 14:30 – March, Jig, Hornpipe… or Something Else? 17:00 – Build a Mental Model First 20:00 – It Gets Easier (Really) 22:00 – Private Lessons vs. Self-Discovery 27:00 – Creativity, Play, and the Joy of Ear Learning