Teach Yourself Bagpipes by Lindsay Davidson

bringing quality 'piping instruction to you for free
Main Index

Back to Welcome page
How to Practice
Order of Study
Rhythm and Reading Music
Exercises 
Tunes

Bagpipes:
Transition to Bagpipes
Tuning a Bagpipe

Getting Better:
Using Midi files
Intermediate exercises
Advanced

Band repertoire

Links:
Where to buy equipment
Links to teachers
Links to Organisations
Links to pipe bands
Links (other)
 HAND POSITION AND THE SCALE


Place your hands on the chanter left above right (reverse if you are left handed),  knuckles in line with the front of the chanter and fingers straight. Your left thumb covers the hole at the back and your little finger on that hand rests away from the chanter.  Place your right thumb on the back of the chanter between your index and middle fingers. Your wrists must be straight to ensure that you play with your fingers,  not your arms.  



With the exception of your little finger and thumb (called by their own names),  the fingers are named after the note they sound when lifted off the chanter.  The first finger on your top (left) hand is called your ‘G’ finger,  middle finger is ‘F’ and so on.

In all of the diagrams that follow,  “X” represents a closed hole and “O” represents an open one.
XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XO OO
X X X X X X O O O
X X X X X O O O X
                 
X X X X O X X X X
X X X O O X X X X
X X O O O X X X X
X O O X X O O O O
                 
LOW G LOW A B C D E F HIGH G HIGH A



NOTE NAMES      LOW G, LOW A,    B,           C,          D,          E,          F,     HIGH G,  HIGH A

Please, follow the note names up in sequence as different browsers and screen settings may display the note names in different positions.

HINTS:

1.         When changing from one note to the next, ALWAYS MAKE THE NEXT NOTE BEFORE YOU CLOSE THE ONE YOU ARE PLAYING.  This avoids mistakes known as “crossing sounds” - extra notes that are not intended.  Another way to think of its is when changing from a higher note to a lower, change from the bottom up,  and when going from a lower note to a higher,  change from the top down.

2.         Try to feel and memorise the position of all of your fingers when playing each note.  This helps your co-ordination to develop.  

 

Rudiments Index

Hand Position and the Scale
Crossing sounds
G Gracenotes
D Gracenotes
E Gracenotes
G,D,E Gracenotes exercise
Strikes
Throws
Doublings - general principles
Low G Doublings
Low A Doublings
B Doublings
C Doublings
D Doublings
E Doublings
F Doublings
High G Doublings
High A Doublings
Grips
Taorluath
Birl
Tachum
Hara


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About this project
Lindsay Davidson
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