Pipes Ready! A Set-up and Maintenance Guide for the Great Highland Bagpipe by Jim McGillivray
This entertaining and information-packed 86-minute instructional video covers all aspects of bagpipe maintenance, from hemping to reed manipulation. It is presented in Jim McGillivray’s clear, lucid and articulate style, with demonstrations of techniques provided throughout. Originally presented on DVD, this video is now available online here: Pipes Ready!
Pipes Up! A Complete Tuning Tutor for the Great Highland Bagpipe by Jim McGillivray
In this comprehensive 2 hour and 20 minute video, Jim McGillivray covers all aspects of tuning the bagpipe – tuning drones, tuning the chanter, tuning two chanters, using a tuning meter, adjusting reeds and chanters to improve tuning, and more. Learn how to solve the problems that will undermine your best tuning efforts. There is nothing like this video anywhere! Originally produced on DVD, this video is now available online here: Pipes Up!
See the shopping cart below for special pricing that will allow you to buy various tutor books and practice chanters in money-saving packages.
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Rhythmic Fingerwork: Instruction in Technique for the Highland Bagpipe
There is no piping instruction book quite like this one, where you are encouraged and taught to improve your music by focusing on your technique. In a nutshell, here is what Rhythmic Fingerwork can offer you:
- 141 exercises covering all techniques needed to play light music (marches, slow marches, strathspeys, reels, jigs, hornpipes)
- detailed instruction on how to play and practice each exercise;
- audio CD recordings demonstrating all exercises;
- and a practical philosophy to help you understand gracenoting.
View Excerpts from Rhythmic Fingerwork
The book is suitable for all levels except complete beginners. Rhythmic Fingerwork has gone through numerous printings since its release in 1998 and continues to draw rave reviews for its common-sense approach to the challenging technique of the Highland bagpipe. In addition to being a great self-study tool, it is also a great practical tool for teachers and teaching programs.
Trade inquiries and band or school orders are welcome. Please email me at jimmcg@piping.on.ca
$40.00 -
Piobaireachd Fingerwork: Instruction in Piobaireachd Technique for the Highland Bagpipe
Piobaireachd Fingerwork takes exactly the same approach as its predecessor, Rhythmic Fingerwork, breaking down the challenging technique of Piobaireachd into manageable morsels that are understandable, and then bringing them together into complete movements. There are 118 exercises and five complete Piobaireachds to help you put the exercises into practice. All are recorded onto MP3 files that are easily downloaded from a web location specified in the book.
The book deals not only with Piobaireachd movements, it also describes the most common Piobaireachd variations (dithis, siubhal, breabach, etc) and how they have traditionally been played.
One whole chapter is devoted to helping you learn how to read scores as printed in the Piobaireachd Society and Kilberry collections. Another details the intricacies of canntaireachd, the pipers’ musical language.
Piobaireachd Fingerwork even addresses movements as they were published well before the Piobaireachd Society, in the works of Angus Mackay, Donald MacDonald and others.
If you’ve always wanted to try Piobaireachd, or if you want to improve your fundamentals in a logical, proven, and easy-to-understand method, this book is for you!
View Excerpts from Piobaireachd Fingerwork
Trade inquiries and band or school orders are welcome. Please email me at jimmcg@piping.on.ca. See the shopping cart for special pricing that will allow you to buy Piobaireachd Fingerwork and Rhythmic Fingerwork in one money-saving package$42.50 -
The Fingerwork Books Two-Pack
Whip those fingers into shape! Get both Rhythmic Fingerwork and Piobaireachd Fingerwork at once and save a few bucks. (save $6)
$74.50 -
The National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book for Beginners
This tutor was produced by the National Piping Centre in 2001. While also at its best when used with an instructor, if you don’t get to see an instructor very often it lends itself very well to self-study. It comes with a CD-ROM.
Compiled using the extensive experience of staff at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, the NPC’s superb Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book introduces music theory, the notes of the bagpipe, gracenoting, lots of helpful exercises and some basic repertoire. It is professionally produced, with clear directions, good exercises, good beginner tunes, and everything demonstrated on video. The layout is excellent. It also lends itself very well to self-instruction, though it’s a good idea to see an instructor periodically to make sure you are on the right track!
View Excerpts from The National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book
$63.00 -
“The Green Book:” The College Of Piping Tutor
Also known as “The Green Book,” the newly-reformatted Highland Bagpipe Tutor, produced by the National Piping Centre, was formerly the College of Piping Tutor. It was produced in 1953 and has been updated many times since. It is by far the biggest selling piping book ever produced. All exercises and tunes are demonstrated using online videos. It is best used along with an instructor.
Working together in 1953, shortly after the College of Piping was founded, Seumas MacNeill and Thomas Pearston little knew that they were publishing what would become the best selling piping tutor of all time, with hundreds of thousands sold. “The Green Book” has been updated several times since it was first published, with video demonstrations provided online. It doesn’t lend itself as well to self-study as the National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Tutor, but more pipers have learned how to play with an instructor taking them through this book than by any other method. The National Piping Centre recently republished the famous green book, retitling it The Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book One. Fortunately, it’s green, so it’s still “The Green Book” to me.
View Excerpts from The Highland Bagpipe Tutor
$37.50 -
Beginner Tutor Starter Package
You don’t have to stick to one teaching method! Two tutors may in fact be better than one, especially if it is cheaper to buy them both at once! (Regular price CAD $100.50)
$94.00 -
The National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Piobaireachd Tutor Book
Published in 2017, this tutor offers the same high production values and lucid explanations as the NPC’s beginner tutor, but now the subject is Ceol Mor – the Big Music. Again, the book lends itself very well to self-instruction. Recorded demonstrations are streamed from the National Piping Centre website.
View Excerpts from The National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Piobaireachd Tutor Book
$77.50 -
Complete Tutor Starter Book Package: “Green Book” National Piping Centre HBT, Rhythmic Fingerwork
The music of the Highland bagpipe is simple; the technique is difficult. As you proceed through the two beginner tutors you will reach a point where the clear and lucid teaching of technique provided in Rhythmic Fingerwork will help you keep your gracenoting and basic fingering clean. Save money by buying all three. (Regular price CAD $138.50)
$128.00 -
Complete Tutor Package with Poly Chanter
Start with everything you need in this complete tutor starter package: The National Piping Centre’s “Green Book” and Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book, and Rhythmic Fingerwork, along with a McCallum long polypenco practice chanter with a watertrap and a Frazer Warnock reed. (Regular price CAD $268.50)
$255.50 -
National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book with Polypenco Practice Chanter
You can get your piping career started pretty inexpensively with this combo beginner pack that includes the National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Tutor and a McCallum long polypenco practice chanter with a watertrap and a Frazer Warnock reed. (Regular price CAD $193)
$188.00 -
National Piping Centre “Green Book” Tutor with Polypenco Practice Chanter
You can get your piping career started even less expensively with this combo beginner pack of the “Green Book” and a McCallum long polypenco practice chanter with a watertrap and a Frazer Warnock reed (Regular price CAD $157.50).
$162.50 -
National Piping Centre “Green Book,” and “Highland Bagpipe Tutor” with Polypenco Practice Chanter
Add a McCallum long polypenco practice chanter with a watertrap and a Frazer Warnock reed to these two classic tutors and save some cash. (Regular price CAD $230.50)
$220.50 -
Piobaireachd Fingerwork/National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Piobaireachd Tutor Book
You can’t do much better for published piobaireachd instruction than these two comprehensive tutors together! (Regular price CAD $120)
$112.00 -
National Piping Centre Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book 2: Transition to Bagpipes
This tutor from the National Piping Centre provides a step-by-step playing and maintenance guide to help you as you transition from the practice chanter to the bagpipe.
$45.00
