Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

Andrew Douglas and the Piper's Dojo Team
  • 4.6 (9)
  • HOW TO
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Dojo engages thousands of bagpipers around the globe, by harnessing the power of the internet to help connect those in the world who share a specific passion; enriching one's life through bagpipes.

  1. 3D AGO

    494 – The Most Important Skill For Pipers to Master (Dojo Conversations Episode 154)

    Rhythm isn’t just something you add to music. It’s the thing that makes music possible in the first place. In this episode, Andrew and Jim step back from fingerwork and technique to tackle something far more fundamental: rhythm as the organising force of all music, and even of time itself. What starts as a discussion about rhythm for pipers quickly becomes a deeper exploration of pulse, perception, subdivision, and why so many piping problems are actually time problems in disguise. This is part one of a foundational series that reframes rhythm not as a mechanical skill, but as a way of understanding how music moves, breathes, and exists. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Introduction & a Timely Segue 02:26 – What Is Rhythm for Bagpipers, Really? 03:14 – Music as the Art of Time (Not Just Sound) 04:28 – Why Sound Cannot Exist Without Time 08:52 – Piobaireachd and the Subtleties of Time 12:20 – Introducing the Rhythm Course 13:34 – Defining the Big Three: Beat, Tempo, Rhythm 15:03 – Audio Example: Active Child – “Hanging On” 16:49 – What Is a Beat? Definitions and Real-World Examples 21:52 – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (and Why It Matters) 23:35 – Subdivisions and the Infinite Scale of Rhythm 25:00 – Frequency, Pitch, and the Fifth Interval 28:19 – Bagpipe Example: Angus MacColl 31:52 – Why Playing with Audience Clapping Is So Hard 36:00 – Spotting “Time Problems” Disguised as Musical Problems 37:15 – Victor Wooten, the Metronome, and Feel vs. Precision Check out the Victor Wooten video we mention in this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X1fhVLVF_4

    39 min

  2. FEB 2

    493 - Why Fundamentals Beat Shortcuts Every Time (Dojo U Strike In Q&A Session)

    Improving your piping isn't about chasing quick fixes; it's about rebuilding your playing from the ground up. This week in our Q&A session, Andrew and Carl tackle some common (and misunderstood) questions in piping, from drone reed warm-up and finger speed to pibroch traditions and playing with other instruments. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:05 – Do Drone Reeds Need to Warm Up? 06:00 – Interactive Player Harmony & Feature Updates 06:55 – How to Get Faster Fingers (Without Shortcuts) 15:30 – Why Pibroch Players Walk While Playing 19:00 – Five Phases to Bagpipe Freedom Course Overview 25:10 – Standard vs B-Flat Chanter Explained 30:00 – Concert Pitch & Playing with Other Instruments

    36 min

  3. JAN 26

    492 - Does Generalism Triumph in a Specialized World? (Dojo Conversations Episode 153)

    Exploring another interest isn’t automatically a distraction. It might be the thing that keeps your main passion alive. This week, Andrew and Jim take a listener question about drumming vs. piping and turn it into a wide-ranging (and very relatable) conversation about generalism vs. specialism – why we feel pressure to pick one lane in piping and drumming, whether side interests actually hold us back, and how curiosity, play, and cross-training might be the real long game. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:01 – Banter and a Hand Drum 05:45 – The Listener Question: Will Drumming Hurt My Piping? 06:41 – The Core Fear: If I Split My Focus, Do I Lose My Edge? 07:31 – Ancient Survival vs. Modern Choice: Where Specialisation Comes From 09:31 – Now We Get to Choose — So Why Does It Feel So Hard? 10:26 – Paralysis by Analysis & the Overwhelm of Too Many Options 11:56 – Infinite Choice, Infinite Potential… Infinite Stress 17:42 – When Another Instrument Feels Like a Calling 22:03 – Barrier to Entry vs. Restorative, Fun Activities 23:03 – Discipline vs. Enjoyment: The Tension We All Feel 23:49 – Maybe It’s Not Either/Or — Maybe It’s a Mix 25:00 – Could Drumming Actually Improve Your Piping? 26:25 – The “Range” Idea: Why Generalists Can Thrive in a Specialist World 27:19 – Generalism as a Modern Advantage 29:41 – Cross-Training in the Arts 35:11 – The Gym Analogy: Training Different “Muscle Groups” of Skill 35:34 – How Multiple Passions Create Unexpected Connections 36:10 – Cross-Pollination Between Skills 37:05 – The Plateau Problem with Early Specialisation 38:01 – Pressure on Kids to Pick One Thing Too Soon 40:02 – When Success Turns Into Golden Handcuffs 40:39 – Why the Cost of Trying Something New Is Usually Low 41:29 – The Myth of “World Class” as a Decision-Making Tool 42:47 – Being More Relaxed as a Path to Better Outcomes 45:37 – You Only Go Far If You Actually Enjoy It 48:29 – Notice This: Many Top Players Are Actually Generalists 50:49 – Random Skills That Pay Off Later (Typing Story) 52:37 – So… Does Generalism Triumph?

    54 min

  4. JAN 20

    Winter Storm Concert - 2026

    Enjoy this full recording of the Winter Storm Concert livestream, streamed live on Facebook as part of Winter Storm 2026 – The Pipes and Drums Event in Kansas City at 8pm on Saturday, January 17th, 2026, featuring World Champion Pipers and Drummers from Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, and the US, pipe bands and ensembles, piping soloists, sizzling Highland drumming, and much more. This audio was clipped from the Winter Storm Concert livestream provided by the Piper's Dojo / Dojo University. Events like Winter Storm are possible thanks to donations from kind supporters – help them continue to bring this world-class event to the United States (and the world via livestream!) each year by donating to the Midwest Highland Arts Fund today: https://mhaf.org/product/donations-payments/

    2h 5m

  5. JAN 19

    491 - Do You REALLY Need Tone Enhancers? (Dojo U Friday Strike-in Q&A Session)

    High altitude tuning, dry climate disasters, and the great tone enhancer debate take centre stage this week as Andrew and Carl tackle another round of real-world piping problems. From managing a stubborn high G at elevation to why soaking your reeds is a bad idea in dry environments, the conversation is packed with practical advice you can actually use. Things heat up with a passionate discussion on tone enhancers – including why Carl wants to rip them out of your drones and Andrew is (slightly) more forgiving. We also dive into memory tricks for tricky pickup notes, the psychology of learning tunes, and whether you really need to take your burls so seriously. The episode wraps with a grounded look at competition score sheets and how to read judge feedback without spiralling. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 00:00 – High G Hole Tuning at Elevation 07:30 – Moisture Management in Dry Climates 12:00 – Plastic Bag Storage & Humidity Control 19:00 – When Your Mid Tenor Drone Won’t Stay Off 23:00 – The Great Tone Enhancer Debate 28:00 – Graduating from Tone Enhancers 31:00 – Balance Tone Drones (Andrew Admits Ken Was Right… Sort Of) 33:00 – Why Pickup Notes Are Easy to Forget 40:00 – The Deer on the Road Analogy for Learning Tunes 43:00 – The Great Burl Consistency Question 48:00 – Reading Competition Score Sheets Without Overreacting

    42 min

  6. JAN 12

    490 - How To Level Up Your Piping In Just 6 Months (Dojo Conversations Episode 152)

    What if you could level up your piping – within 6 months? This week, Andrew and Jim lay out a complete week by week training blueprint designed to take you into next season feeling calm, confident, and genuinely prepared. Whether you’re aiming to move up a grade, make the band, or simply play better than you did last year, this episode gives you a clear path forward. They break down exactly how top pipers structure their year, build tempo in a sustainable way, stay accountable, and avoid the last-minute panic that so many of us know too well. From setting up your “sacred practice space” to surviving life’s inevitable interruptions, this is a practical, no-nonsense guide to real progress. 6 months from now, you could be wishing you’d started… or you could be walking into the season feeling unstoppable. Check out the 6-month plan here: https://www.pipersdojo.university/6monthplan Here's what we cover this week: 00:00 – The coffee analogy 00:30 – Failure to plan is planning to fail 00:40 – Why now is the perfect time for a 6-month plan 01:40 – What “next level” really means 04:30 – The importance of unplugging 06:10 – Setting up your calendar (26–28 weeks out) 10:50 – Preparing your materials and practice space 11:40 – The sacred practice space concept 14:30 – Closet-door practice setup hack 15:30 – Why you need a recording device 16:00 – Creating your feedback plan 18:30 – Wildcards: micro and macro interruptions 20:10 – The maintenance routine explained 21:30 – Building in buffer weeks 23:00 – Important omissions from the plan 23:50 – Why tuning isn’t explicitly included 24:20 – Expression and phrasing: not what’s holding you back 26:50 – The tempo strategy explained 28:00 – Starting at 50% tempo 29:00 – The clever tempo ramping system 30:30 – Metronome magnification techniques 32:10 – Customizing the plan for your life 35:30 – Block 1: Tune prospects and building 37:30 – Block 2: Narrowing down to two tunes 39:30 – Block 3: Memorisation focus 40:00 – Testing tunes at low-stakes gigs 41:00 – Block 4: Painfully slow embellishments 45:30 – Block 5: Rhythmic accuracy (ASAP) 46:00 – Block 6: Go time – all bagpipes, no practice chanter 47:00 – The feeling of being truly prepared 48:00 – Wrap up & where to get the plan

    50 min

  7. JAN 5

    489 - How To Play Pipes In Cold Weather (Friday Strike In Dojo U Q&A Session)

    Cold weather and classic piping dilemmas take centre stage this week as Andrew and Carl dive into playing bagpipes in harsh conditions. From poly pipes and moisture control to the uncomfortable truth that cold weather is always tough, the conversation blends practical advice with lived experience. Things lighten up with a discussion on lactose-intolerant bagpipers at games before shifting to one of the biggest band questions around: play it as written, or as the band does? We wrap up with leadership insights, iconic tune drift, and a clear-eyed look at what grace notes are really for. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 00:07 – Playing Bagpipes in Harsh Environments 03:17 – Poly Pipes, Moisture & Cold-Weather Gear 06:06 – Testing Your Limits & Learning by Experience 09:08 – The Reality of Playing in the Cold 11:00 – Existential Bagpipe Questions 13:13 – Lactose-Intolerant Bagpipers & Games Food 15:00 – Playing as Written vs Playing as the Band Does 20:00 – Iconic Tunes, Drift & Common Mistakes 23:00 – Band Leadership, Settings Masters & Grade Levels 26:00 – Over-Analysis

    37 min

  8. 2025-12-29

    488 - Everything We Learned About Bagpipes This Year (Dojo Conversations Episode 151)

    In this annual Year in Review, Andrew and Jim reflect on a big year of piping, podcasting, and life at the Dojo – revisiting standout moments, recurring lessons, and the ideas that shaped the year. Let us know in the comments: what was your standout moment from the year – or the episode that helped you most? Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Opening Banter & New Year’s Greetings 01:40 – Three Years of Podcasting & Friendship 03:15 – Why We Do a Year in Review 04:30 – Simple Tools & Building Better Pipers 06:00 – Why Recording Your Practice Changes Everything 07:45 – The Mystery of the Police Officer Thumbnail 09:00 – How Often Should You Learn a New Tune? 11:00 – Stacks of Tunes & Embracing Variance 13:00 – Why Subjective Feedback Gets Confusing 15:00 – Hacks for Grade Five Pipe Bands 17:00 – Why Learning Feels Hard Before It Gets Easier 19:30 – Parenting, Teenagers & Life Lessons 22:00 – Do You Really Need a Digital Tuner? 23:30 – Is the Practice Chanter a Real Instrument? 25:00 – The Cheat Code to Becoming Great at Bagpipes 27:00 – The Three-Step Formula for Steady Blowing 29:00 – How to Start a Pipe Band 30:30 – Moisture, Reeds & Finding the Balance 32:00 – Why Mentorship Matters 33:30 – Fear of Being Wrong & Progress 35:00 – The Three Minute Drill & Listener Q&A 36:30 – Why Multitasking Holds You Back 37:30 – Jim’s Dumb Games & The Tuning Game 39:00 – Speculative Bagpipe History & the Dojo Anniversary 40:30 – Looking Ahead & Final Reflections 41:30 – Gratitude, Optimism & Closing Thoughts

    42 min
See All (483)

4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The Dojo engages thousands of bagpipers around the globe, by harnessing the power of the internet to help connect those in the world who share a specific passion; enriching one's life through bagpipes.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew Douglas and the Piper's Dojo Team
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    483
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

You Might Also Like