Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Last Minute Gift Idea!

It's not too late to give the perfect gift for the piper on your list. BagpipeLessons.com Gift Certificates are available in any amount and make it easy to finish your last minute shopping. Shop from the comfort of your own home -- no driving, no crowds and no hassles.

Pipers, forward this link to friends and family to give a hint for what you want this year!

Buy a BagpipeLessons.com gift certificate now!

Your gift certificate can be redeemed for anything at BagpipeLessons.com and also for the revolutionary new Bagpipe Gauge.

Discover how this incredible tool can help you learn to blow your pipes like a pro. More info at BagpipeGauge.com.


Monday, December 20, 2010

BagpipeLessons.com Online Piping Master Class

Last week I announced an exciting new feature at BagpipeLessons.com -- the first-ever online piping Master Class. The response has been fantastic. I received many, many excellent student recordings and here are the first three.  Thanks to you all for your contribution to the online learning community here at BagpipeLessons.com.

If you would like take part in future BagpipeLessons.com Online Master Classes, please sign up for my email list and join the BagpipeLessons.com facebook group.

The concept of the Master Class has been around for generations. It is similar to a regular private lesson in that the student performs for the instructor and receives immediate, personalized feedback complete with suggestions for improvement, practice strategies, practical exercises, and more. The Master Class adds to the further dimension of an audience of other students who can listen and learn from their fellow classmates.

So, have a listen to these tunes and join the discussion. Consider the three main skill areas:
  1. Tone: the sound of the instrument, tuning, reeds, blowing, maintenance, reed set up, and more...
  2. Technique: doublings, gracenotes, crossing noises, beat placement of embellishments, clarity of short notes, and more...
  3. Musical Expression: tempo, rhythm, dot/cut, beat emphasis, and more...
What went well? What needs further improvement? For each student who provided a copy of their sheet music, I have made notes right on the sheet music.

Tune #1: Abercairney Highlanders

Our first piper is Steven Giles from Birmingham, Alabama USA. Steven has been piping for 10 years and takes lessons intermittently. He plays with a Grade 4 band and competes in Grade 2 solos. His tune is the big 2/4 competition march Abercairney Highlanders. He's working on refining the tune and getting it 100% ready for competition.



Read the comments on Steven's tune and the marked up copy of his sheet music.

Tune #2: Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban

Our next piper is Sebastián Geymonat from Montevideo, Uruguay. Sebastián has been piping for 6 years, starting at age 18 and plays with his local Riverside Pipe Band. He doesn't play solos. He is interested in being the best piper he can be and also to eventually teach others in Uruguay. His tune is the 2/4 competition march Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban. He's interested in any comments, but especially about how to play 2/4 marches with proper expression.

Sebastián provided the sheet music for his tune, but he didn't know the source of the tune other than it was from an unknown internet source.  Modern bagpipe computer programs make it easy to typeset tunes, but it also make it easy to alter and distort the music.   Pipers often unwittingly download sheet music not knowing that it is full of mistakes, wrong gracenotes, missing parts, and more.  They spend hours learning an incorrect or incomplete version of their tune. Top pipers know that to learn a tune properly, with all the proper notes, rhythms, and gracenotes the music should be obtained from a respected, trusted source.  That was one of the reasons I created the BagpipeLessons.com Tune Lesson Downloads, to provide correct sheet music for many of the most popular pipe tunes ever written.

 I've marked up Sebastián's sheet music with my comment and indicated the places where his copy of the tune is incorrect.



Read the comments on Sebastián's tune and the marked up copy of his sheet music.

Tune #3: The Banjo Breakdown

Our next piper is Bruce D., who is originally from South Africa currently living in Ghana. He's been piping for 20 years but currently mostly learning on his own due to his location. He's played with bands in the past but not now (again due to his location). He's never competed solo. Bruce is hoping to improve his technique so he can join a higher level pipe band in the future. His tune is the classic jig The Banjo Breakdown and he's looking for pointers on how to get the tune up to speed and keep it clean and controlled.

The sheet music for the Banjo Breakdown, along with mp3 and a recorded lesson are available from the BagpipeLessons.com Tune Lesson Downloads page.



Comments on Bruce's tune:

Bruce, nice job overall. You are definitely on the right track with this tune. The key to good jig playing is a steady tempo and consisten delivery of the triplet rhythms. There's much less to talk about regarding expression in jigs compared to other styles of pipe tunes (marches, strathspeys, reels, etc.). When you listen to the best players of jigs you hear clean, clear technique, a dead steady tempo, and complete control throughout. Unlike our other types of tunes, we don't need to talk about holding and cutting certain notes, we just want to work towards consistent, smooth rhythms.

I think you would benefit from slowing the tune down a little and working get 100% consistent on your rhythms, especially the GDEs. These three gracenote combinations are everywhere in jigs, and they easily get compressed which leads to rushing the beats and loss of control of your tempo. Good jig players are masters at GDEs. Another section to watch out for is the closing phrase of each tune: A-C-E HiA-E-C A. This arpeggio like pattern is quite easy to speed through, again causing an increase in tempo. In parts 3 and 4, there are many strikes. I would work on the strikes, focusing on consistency and control, which will lead to greater confidence, which in turn leads to even more consistency and control.

Jigs are perfect tunes for using your metronome. You played the tune around 105 beats per minute. I think a good strategy would be to play it at a slower tempo, 85-90 bpm, and aim for achieving 100% control of every triplet and beat in the tune. Then gradually build up the tempo. I wrote previously about using a metronome, during our first-ever BagpipeLessons.com 30 Day Practice Challenge. If you don't have a metronome, try this free one online.

Questions?  Comments?  

What your thoughts about these videos?  Have you faced similar challenges in your playing?  What are you favorite tips or tricks for working on your tunes?  Please join the discussion and add your comments below.

If you have an idea for a future BagpipeLessons.com Online Master Classes, please let me know!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Give the Gift of Bagpipe Lessons

Looking for the perfect gift for the piper on your list?  Give the Gift of Bagpipe Lessons!

With gift certificates available in any amount, BagpipeLessons.com makes it easy to find a great gift for the piper or future piper on your list. Shop from the comfort of your own home -- no driving, no crowds and no hassles.

BagpipeLessons.com is the premier online site for learning the bagpipes. Your gift certificate recipient can redeem their BagpipeLessons.com Gift Certificate for any of the following:

Downloadable Video and Tune Lessons: A comprehensive learning solution at a great value! Video Lessons include high-quality video recording with a clear, step-by-step demonstration of your topic. Tune lessons include a studio-quality recording of a tune, professionally-typset printed sheet music, a detailed audio instructional lesson. Also included: an additional sheet of BONUS written instructional materials. For beginners, I recommend the Learn the Pipes Video Series.  Learn more about Video and Tune Lesson Downloads and check out the complete list of tunes.

SKYPE Webcam Video Lessons: Live one-on-one lessons from the comfort and convenience of home. Just like regular in-person lessons but we meet via Skype. I have taught many people around the world with this technology and it works great! Learn more about Skype Webcam Lessons.

Lessons by Tape/CD/mp3: A great long-distance learning solution. The student sends me a recording of their tunes on tape, CD, or mp3. I listen to your recording and record a custom lesson for the student, with a complete assessment of the tunes, suggestions for improvement, playing demonstrations, and a practice plan to help the student achieve their goals. Learn more about lessons by tape/CD/mp3.

In-Person Lessons: For students who live nearby, or are willing to travel to my teaching studio in Seattle. Learn more about in-person lessons.

• CDs: Check out my long-awaited and Album of the Year nominated solo piping album Bagpipe Revolution, and listen to sample tracks and check out the amazing cover art.





Select Gift Certificate Amount

The BagpipeLessons.com Gift Certificate makes the perfect gift for any occasion! Thanks for your support and send me a note if you have any questions!




Saturday, December 11, 2010

First-Ever Online Piping Master Class

I'm very excited to announce a new feature here at BagpipeLessons.com -- the first-ever online piping Master Class.

The Master Class has been used for generations by premier level instructors in other musical disciplines.  The Master Class is similar to the typical individual lesson but with the addition of an audience.  The members of the audience enjoy the benefit of listening to the student's performance and to the teacher's detailed comments.

Today, we're taking the traditional Master Class to the next level -- online!

I'm looking for volunteers for the first-ever BagpipeLessons.com Online Master Class.  Sound fun?

Here's how it works:
  1. You submit a recording of your playing a tune (either video or audio).  A video posted to YouTube is perfect.
  2. I'll create a customized and detailed lesson for you, complete with suggestions for improvement, practice strategies, practical exercises, and more.
  3. Your recording and lesson will be posted online here for others to watch, listen, comment, and learn.
I'm looking for pipers of all ability levels!  If you are interested or have any questions, drop me a note.

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Big or Small Gracenotes?

A common question for pipers concerns the size of gracenotes. Should your gracenotes be as small as possible? As big as possible? How big should they be?

If you look around online, you'll find lots conflicting information on this topic. But if you watch and listen to top players, you'll see they all play their gracenotes the same way.

Check out this new video BagpipeLessons.com Secrets of top Players: Gracenotes.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Concert in Copenhagen, Denmark

I'll be performing a solo concert in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Tuesday, December 14 • 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: Martinskirken
Martinsvej 4
Frederiksberg, Denmark

Tickets are 50 DKK. You may purchase tickets in advance here:



Tickets are also available at the door.

Check out the facebook page for more information.

Please pass along this message to any others who might be interested.

Thanks!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

BagpipeLessons.com Celebrates Eleven Years of Success!

Thank you for your continued support of BagpipeLessons.com.  This week marks eleven years since I started the site.  My goal was to create the world's best site for information on learning to play the pipes.  In 2003, BagpipeLessons.com was the first site to offer webcam lessons.  In 2006, we launched the incredibly popular Tune Lesson Downloads, a complete learning solution to help learn tunes faster than ever before. Earlier this year, I created Video Lesson Downloads with high-quality video demonstrations of all the basics of bagpipe fingering, including the Learn the Pipes series for pipers starting at Day 1.  

BagpipeLessons.com has become the world's premier source for information on learning the pipes.  For beginners to advanced players, the site has grown to offer something for pipers of all levels and interests.  As high-speed internet and webcams have become more popular, so have the webcam lessons by Skype.  Now pipers around the world can receive individualized top-level instruction regardless of where you live.   



It has never been easier to keep in touch with other pipers and stay connected.

Are you on Facebook?   Join BagpipeLessons.com on Facebook.
Are you on Twitter?  Follow BagpipeLessons on Twitter.  


Check out BagpipeLessons.com and keep coming back to the BagpipeLessons.com Blog for the latest news!

We've got some great new things in store for the upcoming months, so be sure to check back.  If you have a suggestions for what you might like to see please drop me a note!  Some of my best teaching ideas have come directly from my students.

Thanks again for your continued support of BagpipeLessons.com.  You have made it possible to build and grow the site into what it is today and you have helped me imagine what the site can offer in future.

Happy Piping!
Jori Chisholm
Founder & Chief Instructor

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Scotland Bound!

Is it August already?  It's been a busy and fun summer, and it is hard to believe that my annual trip to Scotland is here.  This year will have more competitions and performances than ever!

Friday August 6 - Concert with SFU Pipe Band and FMM Pipe Band.  Belfast Waterfront Hall.  More info.

Saturday August 7 - World Premiere of the documentary film "Battle of the Bagpipes" on CBC Television.  Check you local listings!  More info and movie trailer.

Wednesday August 11 - SFU Pipe Band performance at George Square, Glasgow.  1 pm.  Part of the Piping Live!  Glasgow International Piping Festival.  More info.

Saturday August 14 -  The World Pipe Band Championships.  Glasgow Green, Glasgow.  Watch live around the world on the BBC Scotland Website.  More info.

After the Worlds, I'll be touring Scotland competing solo at some of the bigger and smaller highland games around the country.

I'll be posting updates here on the blog, on my twitter page, and on facebook!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Summer Games are Here

The local Highland Games competition season is well under way.  Check out the calendar at the BC Pipers site for all of the details.  The local circuit takes us to the end of July and then it's over to Scotland for the World Pipe Band Championships and the top solo competitions.

Hope to see you around the Games!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Solo Bagpipe Show at NW Folklife

I'll be playing my solo show on the big main stage on Fisher Green on Friday May 28 at 4 pm.

NW Folklife is the largest free folk festival in North America with thousands of performers and volunteers and over 250,000 spectators! http://www.nwfolklife.org/  

Join me at the show and get a great start to the Memorial Day long weekend.  For more info on my music, check out my website: http://www.bagpipelessons.com or my CD: http://www.bagpiperevolution.com/

RSVP at the event page on facebook!


See you at the show!





Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Day 30! CONGRATULATIONS!

We made it!  And congratulations on being a part of the first-ever BagpipeLessons.com 30 Day Practice Challenge.  Way back on Day One, I posed this challenge:

I invite you to join me and my students on a 30 Day Practice Challenge this month. The goal is to practice every day for 30 days straight. I have found through experience with my own piping and by teaching my students that a dedicated, sustained practice routine leads to big breakthroughs.

Here are the details:

Commit to practicing EVERY DAY for 30 days.

That's it.

And here we are at Day 30, the finish line. We covered a lot of ground over the past 30 days. But the main focus was to make your daily practice a priority and just put the time in each and every day for 30 days.

How did you do?

I'd like to offer my personal thanks to all of you who joined me on this 30 Day Challenge. Thanks to all of you who stuck with it and gave your 100% over the past month.  And thanks to those who contributed through their comments and posts.  I know the rest of you were following along and practicing at home.

Thank you!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

New VIDEO Lesson Downloads!

Just a few days ago, I announced a new feature on BagpipeLessons.com -- Video Lesson Downloads.  Today, I'm thrilled to added three more videos -- Taorluath,  Birl, and Grip --  bringing the total to five new videos.

Right now, you can download these video lessons instantly and watch them on your computer or take them with you to watch on your iPod or iPhone!

BagpipeLessons.com Video Lesson Download: Taorluath   
Here's a clearly detailed step-by-step lesson on how to play the Taorluath:
  • Learn the secrets to making a perfectly timed and executed Taorluath. 
  • Learn the important difference when playing the Taorluath from D.  
  • Discover how the Taorluath is similar to the Grip.
  • Watch and listen to the two Taorluath exercises played perfectly.  
  • Play along with the video to perfect your Taorluath and build consistency.
Includes a BONUS pdf one sheet with a full written description of the Taorluath, expanded notation of Taorluath to Low A, to B, and to C, and the two Taorluath exercises demonstrated in the video.
  $4.99
========================================================

BagpipeLessons.com Video Lesson Download: Grip   
Here's a clearly detailed step-by-step lesson on how to play the Grip:
  • Learn the secrets to making a perfectly timed and executed Grip. 
  • Learn the important difference when playing the Grip from D.  
  • Watch and listen to the two Grip exercises played perfectly.  
  • Play along with the video to perfect your Grip and build consistency.
  • Understand the terminology of the Leumluath vs. the Grip.
Includes a BONUS pdf one sheet with a full written description of the Grip, expanded notation of the Grip played from all notes, and the two Grip exercises demonstrated in the video.
  $4.99

========================================================

BagpipeLessons.com Video Lesson Download: Birl   
Here's a clearly detailed step-by-step lesson on how to play the Birl, one of piping's most important  finger embellishments.
  • Learn the secrets to making a perfectly timed and executed Birl. 
  • Learn the important difference between the many styles of the Birl, and the advantages of the different styles.  
  • Discover how to play a birl from any note, including the challenging bottom hand notes B and C.
  • Watch and listen to the two Birl exercises played perfectly.  
  • Play along with the video to perfect your Birl and build consistency.
Includes a BONUS pdf one sheet with a full written description of the Birl, expanded notation of the Birl with and without a High G gracenote, and the two Birl exercises demonstrated in the video.

  $4.99

========================================================

And don't forget the first two Video Lesson Downloads previously added to the collection:  The D Throw and How to Tie in a Bag.

BagpipeLessons.com Video Lesson Download: The D Throw   

Here's a clearly detailed step-by-step lesson on how to play the D Throw, one of piping's most common finger embellishments.
  • Learn the secrets to making a perfectly timed and executed D Throw everytime. 
  • Learn the important difference between the two styles of D Throw.  
  • Watch and listen to the D Throw exercise played perfectly.  
  • Play along with the video to perfect your D Throw and build consistency.
Includes a BONUS pdf one sheet with a full written description of the D Throw, expanded notation of both the light and heavy D Throw, and the D Throw exercise demonstrated in the video.
      $4.99
    ========================================================


    BagpipeLessons.com Video Lesson Download: How to Tie in a Bag  


    This hands on Video Lesson demonstrates every step of tying in a new bag.
    • How to remove your old pipe bag
    • Learn what tools and supplies you'll need to get the job done right
    • Tips for keeping your stocks permanently tight
    • The different ways to tie in the drones stocks vs. the chanter stock.
      $4.99

    I'll be adding many more of these Video Lesson Downloads soon to cover all areas of piping.  If you have a great idea for a Video Lesson Download, please send me an email or post it in the comments below.

    Friday, February 05, 2010

    New! BagpipeLessons.com VIDEO Lesson Downloads (UPDATE: Second Video and BONUS pdf added!)

    Today, I'm very excited to announce a new feature on BagpipeLessons.com -- Video Lesson Downloads.  This new learning solution takes the Tune Lesson Downloads to the next level with high quality video!

    It's been over three since years since I created the incredibly popular Tune Lesson Downloads.  This innovative learning solution includes sheet music, an mp3 recording of the tune, an mp3 audio lesson on the tune, and bonus material.  Pipers from all over the world have learned some of the best known piping tunes easier and faster than ever before.

    Today, you can be one of the first pipers to experience the new Video Lesson Downloads, now available for instant download. Watch the video on your computer or even take it with you to watch on your iPod or iPhone!

    BagpipeLessons.com Video Lesson Download: The D Throw   

    Here's a clearly detailed step-by-step lesson on how to play the D Throw, one of piping's most common finger embellishments.
    • Learn the secrets to making a perfectly timed and executed D Throw everytime. 
    • Learn the important difference between the two styles of D Throw.  
    • Watch and listen to the D Throw exercise played perfectly.  
    • Play along with the video to perfect your D Throw and build consistency.
    Includes a BONUS pdf one sheet with a full written description of the D Throw, expanded notation of both the light and heavy D Throw, and the D Throw exercise demonstrated in the video.
        $4.99

      UPDATE!  I've added a second Video Lesson Download...

      BagpipeLessons.com Video Lesson Download: How to Tie in a Bag  


      This hands on Video Lesson demonstrates every step of tying in a new bag.
      • How to remove your old pipe bag
      • Learn what tools and supplies you'll need to get the job done right
      • Tips for keeping your stocks permanently tight
      • The different ways to tie in the drones stocks vs. the chanter stock.
        $4.99


      I'll be adding many more of these Video Lesson Downloads very soon to cover all areas of piping.  The added visual dimension of the video is perfect for demonstrating the essentials of many piping skill areas.
      • All the gracenotes, doublings, and embellishments
      • Tuning
      • Blowing steady
      • Setting up drone reeds
      • Making your pipes as efficient as possible
      • Tying in a new pipe bag
      • Maintenance
      • Expression
      • Piobaireachd
      • ...and many, many more...
      If you have a great idea for a Video Lesson Download, please send me an email or post it in the comments below.  Thanks!

      Saturday, January 02, 2010

      Happy New Year!

      Happy New Year and best wishes for a great 2010!  Thanks for all of your support over the past year.   It was a great year!

      -some great reviews of my first solo CD, Bagpipe Revolution.  It is selling all around the world.
      -another successful competition tour in Scotland, including many great solo prizes and back-to-back World Championships with the SFU Pipe Band.
      -continued success of my Tune Lesson Downloads.
      -my third United States Gold Medal for Piobaireachd.
      -launch of PipeBandTunes.com -- the first site to offer downloads of complete pipe band music, including pipe scores, drum scores, and bass & tenor scores.
      -and many more!

      This year saw the huge growth in popularity of social networking sites like twitter and facebook.  As a result I didn't posted on the blog as as often this past year, but I've been very active on both of these sites.

      On Facebook:

      Jori Chisholm Facebook Fan Page
      BagpipeLessons.com Facebook Fan Page
      BagpipeLessons.com Facebook Group
      Bagpipe Revolution (CD) Facebook Group
      PipeBandTunes.com Facebook Group

      On Twitter:
      BagpipeLessons.com on Twitter
      PipeBandTunes.com on Twitter

      I'm working on more exciting stuff here at BagpipeLessons.com in 2010.

      Cheers!