Category: Tuition

Editor’s Notebook: Northern Ireland Leads the Breakout/ Interview/ SPA Solos/ Queen’s Own Pictures/ Jakez’s Tune for Bob Hardie

Posted on      by      2 Comments

Cue Steve McQueen and his motorbike……The Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA are leading the great escape with an announcement yesterday of their summer festival. And it will include competitiive solo piping and drumming. It is not clear if these will be held outdoors or in, but anything live and I’ll take it. The date is August 21 in Cookstown. The branch have other summer festival events lined up, though…

More Editor’s Notebook: Northern Ireland Leads the Breakout/ Interview/ SPA Solos/ Queen’s Own Pictures/ Jakez’s Tune for Bob Hardie

A Pipe Band is Judged By Its Poorest Players – P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay BEM

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

The second part of the article from a 1960s issue of the Piping, Drumming and Dancing Journal by P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay, a brilliant player, pipe major and composer. Here he considers march tempi, and then offers an introduction to ceòl mòr or piobaireachd. Read the first excerpt here. How fast should a piper play?  This again is a very controversial point, but try playing a march at a speed of…

More A Pipe Band is Judged By Its Poorest Players – P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay BEM

False Fingering an ‘Unforgiveable Error’- Playing Advice from One of the Greats of Piping and Pipe Bands

Posted on      by      4 Comments

The following is from the Piping, Drumming and Dancing Journal, 1960s. P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay was a brilliant player, pipe major and composer. Tunes to his credit include classics such as the 6/8 Miss Lily Christie, the 2/4 march Jimmy Young, and the hornpipe Tam Bain’s Lum. He won World Championships with the City of Edinburgh Police Pipe Band and came close to doing the same with the legendary Invergordon…

More False Fingering an ‘Unforgiveable Error’- Playing Advice from One of the Greats of Piping and Pipe Bands

Archie Kenneth Quaich Today ‘Live’ Online/ Dan’s New Book/ Eilidh’s Legacy Helps Young Musicians

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

The competition for the prestigious Archie Kenneth Quaich takes place today (Sat., May 22) online. The contest is being run under the auspices of the Piobaireachd Society’s Music Committee. It features 23 amateur pipers several of whom are previous winners of the coveted Quaich. They are, in playing order:Martin Lee Wey Vern , Leslie Barrett, Dugald MacLeod, Alasdair Beaton, Gill Cairns, James Carnegie , Billy WardropeTom Peterkin , Stuart Letford, Lachlan MacDonald, Andrew…

More Archie Kenneth Quaich Today ‘Live’ Online/ Dan’s New Book/ Eilidh’s Legacy Helps Young Musicians

Encouraging News for the Resumption of Piping in Schools and a Rule Change at Highland Funerals

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Reports in the national press have indicated that face to face piping lessons can now be conducted in areas of Scotland where Level 2 covid restrictions and below are in place. This means that all areas of the country, with the current exceptions of Glasgow and Moray, can have piping classes in schools. The Scottish edition of the London Times said children would be able to sing and play instruments…

More Encouraging News for the Resumption of Piping in Schools and a Rule Change at Highland Funerals