Produced with the best quality from the UK, the P3 is yet another excellent bagpipe from MacCallum, a company renowned for quality and superior craftsmanship. In just a few short weeks, I've gone from essentially a complete beginner to having the basic melody of Amazing Grace down, and a (if I can say so myself) a not too disgraceful attempt at the embellished version. Also had so much fun starting to play around with tunes such as The Skye Boat Song and The Gael. The bagpipe is a unique instrument…and a loud one! Playing the bagpipes boosts confidence for many people, especially as they improve. Young people (and their parents) often remark on this benefit. And it is rewarding for them when the skills turns into a weekend job or into scholarship funds. Piping also offers competitive opportunities for bands and solo pipers at all levels and ages, chances to challenge yourself, meet other players, and earn recognition for progress. Like you will expect from most of these bagpipes, the SL4 also features a nice set of accessories like chanter reeds, a Bannatyne bag with zippers, and synthetic drone reeds and a luxurious velvet bag cover sums up a nice quality. With the McCallum polypenco pipe chanter, you can conveniently hold down on the bagpipes holes and generate the tunes you want.

For bagpipes enthusiasts who are looking for authentic bagpipes that imitate the quality and rendition of a horn, the Gibson R110D bagpipes is the right answer. David Wilton started learning at the age of 6 under the instruction of P/M Willie Whyte in Montrose R.B.L. Pipe Band. He soon begun solo piping lessons with Walter Drysdale, competing successfully in the junior solos circuit until progressing into the senior level at 17. David has enjoyed solo success over the years; most recently winning the first Capt MacLellan Memorial Piobaireachd medal in the P/A grade; P/A Highland and Island Piobaireachd competition in Oban and the A Grade Rams Horn Snuff Mull Piobaireachd competition in London. For the owner, the MacCallam comes ready with a range of accessories that enhance its value and mobility. This is a recommended model as it includes a complimentary copy of Learning to Play Bagpipes by Shepherd as a well as a guide to get started with the instrument.Stuart Samson was born in Laurencekirk and has been playing the pipes since the age of 8. He enlisted into the Army in 1978, as a junior piper and joined the Drums and Pipes of The Gordon Highlanders in 1980. He was appointed Pipe Major of the Gordon Highlanders from 1990 – 1994 and then went on to carry out several Pipe Major appointments including the Pipe Major of the Highlanders and the Warrant Officer Class One Senior Pipe Major at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming. If you don’t have a good instructor near you, there are instructors in North America and throughout the world who will teach online. Use every opportunity you can to travel to workshops and summer schools. They allow for plenty of notes without having to gasp or struggle. Your kids can get a serious sense of pride and accomplishment when they play these bagpipes, as the process of filling the bagpipes with air is not as cumbersome as with other types of bagpipes. For children, this means way more enjoyment, and way less frustration. Iain had may highlights during his Army career playing in and leading the band during tours and Tattoos all around the world, competitions, concerts and many a Beating Retreat and Trooping the Colour. Alisdair joined Western Australia Police Pipe Band (WAPOL) in 1997 and was a part of a very successful period for the band winning the 1998 Grade 2 World Championships, 2001 Grade 1 American Championships and a 10th place at the 2004 World Championships Grade 1.

Ross has 3 solo albums to date Wide Open in 2013, Remembering in 2015 and Sanctuary in 2017, he is currently working on his 4th which is due out in spring 2020.

Cover the 4th, 3rd and 2nd hole of the chanter with the second pad of your right hand index, middle and ring finger. During this time he was also responsible as the Director of Army Bagpipe Music, for coordinating the musical programme and display for the Massed Pipes and Drums at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. He has considerable experience in this field having first performed in the Tattoo in 1979 and many times thereafter as a piper and Pipe Major. Steven is a founding member of Tryst, an ensemble of pipers/ composers exploring new writing techniques for a pipe core. Tryst have created a number of special performances, including appearing at the MG Alba Trad Awards, the annual piping concert at Celtic Connections, a special Celtic Connections concert featuring large scale commissions from each member of the ensemble, and the William Kennedy Piping Festival. Making that first investment on an instrument is always a rollercoaster of thoughts. "Which model should I buy?", "Which bag is the right size?", "What reeds should I get?". These are all questions that you may have and hopefully by reading this blog, we'll help put your mind at ease. Margaret is a qualified examiner for the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board exams (SQA approved) after passing the Institute of Piping Graduate Certificate with distinction in 2004.

Some other notable career wins are the Gold Medals at Inverness and Oban, Senior Piobaireachd Oban (3), Bratach Gorm (4), Silver Chanter (3), Former Winners MSR Oban (5), Former Winners MSR Inverness (4), P/M Donald MacLeod Memorial (9), Springbank Invitational (9), Dan Reid Memorial (7), Donald MacDonald Quaich (3), Former Winners MSR London (5). The bagpipes come with a synthetic bag with good zippers, which make the instrument durable and playable. Naill popyupenco Chanter and chanter reeds are also included for people that want to practice. A velvet bag cover further elongates the durability of the Naill DN2 bagpipes. Reliability is everything that matters in a bagpipe, and this model sure excel in that regard. The RG Hardie bagpipes produce excellent performance during use, whether in a parade or any outdoor functionality. Andrew is an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University, where he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (with honours) and a Master of Music, both in piping performance. In 2021 he was awarded his PhD from the University of St Andrews/The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His dissertation, Competitive Scottish Bagpipe Repertoire from 1947-2015: Convention, Change, and Innovation, explores the development of competition piping light music repertoire and the decision-making processes of competing pipers. Andrew has presented on his research at universities, academic conferences, and piping workshops; the latter being an influence of his belief in a holistic approach to piping education. As a part of this holistic approach, Andrew’s musical teaching method is heavily influenced by Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Today, Andrew is a piping teacher and Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board assessor for The National Piping Centre in Glasgow.In terms of sound, the SL4 delivers a warm, enduring sound and perfect intonation while maintaining a continuous bagged airflow. Margaret began learning the pipes at age 8 and was initially taught by her father Con Houlihan and Stephen Power (ex Scots Guards). The chanter reed is the hardest and loudest reed the bagpipe has. It fits into the chanter where your fingers rest to play a tune (exactly like a practice chanter). Bagpipe Chanter reeds are made of cane which is a fibrous and natural material. These reeds thrive on regular playing to stay stable and easy. These are not the same kind of reeds that fit into your practice chanter.