Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

Andrew Douglas and the Piper's Dojo Team
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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. 2D AGO

    498 - Why Most Pipers Struggle With Rhythm (And How to Fix It) - (Dojo Conversations Episode 156)

    Rhythm isn’t just about keeping time. It’s about understanding how music moves – and learning to control that movement note by note, beat by beat. Welcome back to part 2 of our episodes about piping's most fundamental skill: rhythm. Andrew and Jim continue exploring the foundations of rhythmic understanding for bagpipers. They dig into how rhythm actually works in practice: how beats organize music, how tempo shapes space between notes, and why so many piping technique problems are really timing problems in disguise. If you’re serious about improving your timing, we'll give you a better understanding of how rhythm underpins everything from basic marches to the most complex piping repertoire. Want to learn how to master rhythm yourself? Check out our Rhythm for Bagpipers course: https://www.pipersdojo.university/rhythm-for-bagpipers And you can check out the Victor Wooten video we mention in this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X1fhVLVF_4 Here’s what we cover in this episode: 00:00 – Introduction 00:23 – Defining Rhythm: How Musical Events Are Arranged Over Time 04:13 – What Is a Beat? Understanding Regularly Recurring Pulses 06:24 – Beat Notes and Playing on the Beat 10:02 – Tempo: The Rate of Musical Events and Time Between Beats 12:26 – Why the Space Between Notes Matters 13:44 – “Bull Crap Pipers” and the Wiggle & Hope Approach 16:30 – The D Throw Deep Dive: Light vs Heavy (and the Secret Third Option) 20:49 – Victor Wooten and Rhythm as a Lifelong Journey 23:53 – Process-Based Skills: Adjusting Beat by Beat 25:59 – What Is Groove? The Lowest Common Denominator 28:27 – Groove vs Beat: The Pattern Behind the Music 30:56 – Quarter Notes as the Foundation

    34 min

  2. MAR 2

    497 - Why Posture Is More Important Than Bag Size (Dojo U Q&A Session)

    Getting your setup right isn’t about endlessly changing gear – it’s about understanding what actually affects your sound and comfort. This week on Dojo U's Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl answer students' burning piping questions, covering everything from bag choice and posture to competition judging and drone reed lifespan. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Bag Size & Posture: Does bag size affect blowing and squeezing cadence? 04:41 – Hide vs Synthetic Bags: Tone differences and installation methods 12:00 – Tying In Bags: Timing and humidity considerations 15:40 – Competition Judging: When does judging end in Piobaireachd? 19:10 – Blair Chanter & Ergo 2 Review 20:45 – High G Problems: Why it starts sharp and carving the High A hole 29:00 – Time Guru Metronome App Review 32:30 – Tenor Midsections: Does mixing them up matter? 35:00 – Tuning Game Updates & Learning Tips 37:30 – Drone Reed Maintenance: When to replace synthetic reeds

    40 min

  3. FEB 23

    496 – Are Grade 5 Bands "The Primordial Soup"? (Dojo Conversations Episode 155)

    What is grade 5 actually for? This week, Andrew and Jim answer a seemingly innocuous listener question about whether grade 5 bands should use hard reeds or easy reeds. As they discuss the pros and cons of blowing stability and reed strength, they launch into a deeper discussion of growth, retention, culture, and why so many struggling bands are trying to force competitive intensity at exactly the wrong stage.  If you’re running a Grade 5 band, building a beginner program, or wondering why progression feels like wading through molasses, the future of your organisation won't be built by squeezing more out of a small group. It’s built by creating a space where a lot of beginners want to show up and keep coming back. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – “Primordial Soup” 02:23 – The Listener Question: Hard Reeds vs. Easy Reeds 03:50 – The Core Question: How Does a Grade 5 Band Become Grade 4? 06:00 – Losing Star Players 08:00 – Why Individual Development Is the Only Path Forward 10:30 – Fun as the Primary Objective 12:30 – Relaxing Standards at the Beginner Level 14:30 – The T-Ball Analogy: Exploration Before Competition 19:30 – When Intensity Actually Becomes Appropriate 23:50 – Quantity Over Quality at the Entry Level 24:30 – Geographic Patterns: Why Some Regions Produce Top Bands 29:30 – The Cop-Out of Forcing Hard Reeds 31:00 – Scarcity Mindset vs. Building Abundance 33:30 – How School Programs Change the Numbers 35:30 – The BHAG Question: What If You Had 100 Beginners? 39:00 – Targeted Coaching for the Motivated Few 40:30 – The Bake Sale Metaphor and Creating the Right Environment 43:00 – Avoiding the Grade 5 Intensity Trap

    52 min

  4. FEB 9

    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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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4.6
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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
    486
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Piper's Dojo Audio Experience

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