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Five Easy Tips that Win Over Piping Judges

Hello pipers! It’s Kevin from Gracenote Apparel to bring you some (hopefully) helpful tips to win over piping judges! So much of what we do is competition-based and everyone is always looking for that wee edge to put them ahead of the pack. Hopefully you’ll be able to take away a few tips from this article that will help you do just that.

Just a wee note - these only pertain to solo piping contests but I’m sure some of the points can be extrapolated to fit into bands or drumming contests also. This list isn’t meant to give you a shortcut to winning a contest – if you’re nae good, you’re nae good. This list won’t change that. So it’s important to get all of the things right that your teacher has been working with you – have a good sounding pipe, play with control and accuracy etc.

What this list WILL do is give you some tips I’ve picked up over the years that will hopefully help bridge the gap between the competitor and the adjudicator and make it easier for them to see things in your favour. Remember, this is a subjective game we are playing so if you can make the judge feel a bit more comfortable about your performance, maybe that will help tip the scales in your favour.

Enough rambling – here we go:

1) Give the judge time to get used to the sound of your pipes

Who knows what the judge heard right before you came on – maybe the last competitor was tuning at 465 Hz and you’re at 480, or maybe the person before you had a sharp D… whatever it was, you’re likely going to sound very different than the person who came before you – give the judge’s ears time to adjust to your sound.

The competitor is never expected to start their tune right away – take two or three minutes at least to play your favourite slow air or a variation of a piobaireachd to help the adjudicator get used to the sound of your instrument. Small imperfections can be forgiven in this time… maybe the judge will get used to your slightly sharp F. But above all, they’ll start to erase the sound of the previous player and hopefully begin to warm up to your sound.

A bonus advantage of doing this is it gives time for the judge to settle (finish writing the tune names on the sheet, preparing his comments section, getting organized etc.). It will also give you time to settle your nerves and focus on the tune you are about to play.

2) Submit tunes the judge will be familiar with

This is a tricky one. Many pipers like to be unique (after all, we do play the bagpipes). But from my experience, sticking to ‘safer’ tunes pays off more often than not. I went through a phase in my piping career where I refused to submit ‘popular’ tunes and would comb the most obscure books looking for a hidden gem, which I would sometimes find. But when it came down to prizes, I’d always get better results with my more popular tunes.

Looking at the top players, it’s not a coincidence that we recognise almost all of Willie McCallum’s, Gordon Walker’s, Jack Lee’s, Angus MacColl’s, Roddy MacLeod’s, Iain Spiers’, and Stuart Liddell’s tunes. They more than anyone would have the license and ability to get away with submitting something more obscure… but they rarely do. I think they’ve had the same experience as I have – submitting tunes that the judges likely know yields better results.

From a judge’s perspective, they feel more confident in the player’s ability if a familiar tune is played. They know you didn’t leave out a second ending, mix up the second and third parts, or leave out half of the doublings. The judge is much more able to sit back and relax and enjoy your performance rather than worry about looking like a fool for placing a player that completely went off the tune.

3) Don’t try to impress the judge with speed

Trust me on this – the judge would rather hear slower and accurate over fast and out of control. Probably one of the biggest downfalls of many pipers is they let the nerves get the best of them and they play too fast and out of control… OR they think that speed will win contests. It doesn’t. Judges primarily listen for three things – a good bagpipe, good execution and fingerwork, and good musicality. Nowhere in there was speed. Playing too fast will take away from those – you have less time and space to open up your execution and it will impinge on your musicality.

Keep it under control right from the start so your tempo doesn’t get out of hand before it’s too late and becomes impossible for you to scale it back.

4) Don’t do anything unorthodox

Keep it simple. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. I’ve heard some crazy stuff while judging – from players breaking into different time signatures/idioms during a hornpipe/jig (like waltz or even strathspey), or submitting tunes with slurs/false notes etc. A good rule to go by is if you don’t hear any of the top pipers doing it (see the list provided in #2), then you shouldn’t be doing it. Save it for the beer tent later on.

All you’ll accomplish is making the judge feel uneasy and ultimately probably won’t give you a prize (even if the rest of your performance was good). Some associations may even have rules that will automatically disqualify a competitor for not following the exact rules of the competition.

5) Print your tune list off in advance

Submitting your tunes to the judge creates for some pretty awkward moments if you’re not prepared. I remember one time having to sing the tune to the judge because I forgot the name… how embarrassing! I’d encourage you to print off your tune list ahead of time – this will relieve stress from your brain having to remember the names, save you time (so your pipes don’t get cold and go out of tune), and makes the judge’s job a bit easier than having to remember the tunes you are reciting off to them (especially if it’s a long list like in the higher grades).

This literally takes less than 5 minutes to do ahead of time and will save you and the judge a lot of added stress.

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10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Playing in a Grade 1 Pipe Band (or any band for that matter!)

I can think back to before I had played in a grade 1 band and getting to that Grade 1 Arena at the Worlds seemed like a mountain too tall to climb. What would it take to get the attention of the Pipe Major of the band I was aspiring to be in and have them give me the nod to have a shot with the band, and even more, get a chance to play in a contest, let alone the worlds? I’m hoping to pass on some of the tips I learned along the way to help you get into any band you want.

When I joined SFU in 2011 I was extremely fortunate that a spot opened up for me at the right time, I was an ‘in town’ player and I had some excellent help from veteran players to help me bridge the gap. I was also fortunate to play both circles in the ‘finals’ with SFU in my first year (check out the photo for proof!) and have managed to do the same at each year since. Part of it is definitely due to favourable circumstances (a spot opening up at the right time in a band that sees some potential in you) but part of it is also in your ‘circle of control’ as they call it. I hope I can help point out a few wee tips to help you make that leap to the top level

So let’s get started:

1) There’s No Excuse for Poor Maintenance

Before we get into some of the less obvious points, let’s start with the simple. Adequate maintenance is a skill you need to develop before you get anywhere near a grade 1 circle. The last thing you want is for the players around you to be having to put hemp on your drones – that’s not a great way to leave a good impression on the pipe major.

Maintenance is a simple skill that any piper can be good at and really shows how hard-working, meticulous, and how much dedication you have for the instrument. Don’t show up with slides too tight or too lose, make sure your bag is seasoned, and take care of the small things like making sure your drone cords are tied properly (and not tangled). Make sure you have drone reeds that are set up properly (not too open or closed), you have fresh tape on your chanter, and maybe even give your pipes a wee polish before the first practice. Remember – first impressions mean a lot, so make sure you look the part. There’s no excuse for poor maintenance.

2) Always Turn Up With a Good Sound

Tuning is a skillset that takes time to develop but it will really pay off. Usually when a new player joins our band, the first thing that happens is they are given a new reed. Firstly, you want to make sure you have the confidence to tell whoever is giving out the reeds if it’s not good enough. You need to know if it’s thin on the top hand, too hard or too easy, and a whole host of other issues that come with new reeds. If it is good enough, you then have to be able to tune it. One of the things that has helped me the most is asking the P/M for the number at which he expects to set the Low A’s (both out of the box, and once it has warmed up). If you know that, you can take the reed home and set it up (near close to) perfectly using any of the whole host of tuning apps and tools available. While most bands have a tuning individual or team to take care of the drones, it’s still very helpful if you turn up with drones well-tuned. Again, it shows you mean business and you’re a professional. Of course, there will always be the odd tweak, but if you can show up ‘in the ballpark’ then you’ll be on your way.

3) Choose your ‘spot’ wisely and take advantage of it

You want to show the people in your new band that you are serious about being there. They can’t tell that if you are standing next to weaker players – they’ll probably automatically blame you. Choose solid veteran players to stand next to (or better yet, the Pipe Major). This will help you adapt quickly (so you know the standard to which you have to meet) and will also help the band’s leadership see how well you fit in. Along with this goes the obvious – make sure you are solid on the tunes and you aren’t making mistakes. Avoid standing near other ‘rookies’ if you can and if you are given a spot and aren’t happy, don’t just let it be – speak to the P/M and ask to be moved and explain why! Remember, they want to see you succeed as much as anyone else and even if you can stand next to the P/M or in the ‘front row’ just until competition season starts, you’ll pick up a lot of valuable skills from having those talented players around you.

4) Develop a Mental Toughness and Never Take Anything Personally

This is a broad topic, but is probably one of the toughest to achieve. So many players are nervous and never meet their full potential. Be so confident with the music that you can overcome any nerves. If this is really an issue for you (as it is for so many) check out sports psychologists like Dr. Allen Goldberg (https://www.facebook.com/DrGPeakPerformance/) for some incredible tips. There’s a whole host of online information about performance anxiety – take advantage of it so you can realize your potential!

Beyond the nerves, you need to be able to take criticism well and have the perseverance to keep improving, even if you get cut.  Too often do great players allow their egos to get between them and success. Never take criticism personally – whoever is giving the criticism only wants the best for you and for the band. You have to be willing to adapt and change to match the playing styles of the band (more on that to come).

5) Be Able to Blow a Strong Bagpipe and Keep It Steady for Up to Two Hours

This one is a bit of a given. Essentially, you need to have the strength to play a decent-strength reed (so that you’re actually adding to the quality of sound) and the stamina to hold the tone through a 7-minute medley at the end of a two-hour band practice. You can practice that – make sure you do this at home before you go to a band practice. Hook yourself up to a tuning app and make sure you can still blow quality tone and not let the sound dip in the slow air, even after two hours of playing. Nobody said this was going to be easy… and there’s no shortcut to solid blowing. Have your teacher sit down and show you how to blow steady and ask them to make they correct you whenever you let the tone dip.

6) Build A Name for Yourself

This one is more to help you get that initial invitation into the band, but also to keep your stock in the band healthy. Rack up the grade 1 or professional solo prizes in the local games and build your resume by playing in decent lower-grade bands. Make sure you have a respectable teacher that will help push you to the next level. If you hope to be an out-of-towner, this point is even more important. As an out-of-towner, you are competing against so many people so you really need to want them want you.

7) Be Able to Blend

Blending in is really the name of the game when it comes to grade 1. You want the area around you to sound like one piper. Listening and adapting to those around you is a huge skill to master. When we do solos, individual expression is encouraged. But most top grade 1 bands have their own expression that doesn’t exactly align with your own style. Learning what that new style is and adapting to match it is key to success.

The other aspect of blending is making sure you can blow tone and be well tuned at all times. If you turn up and your chanter is too sharp or flat overall, or if one note is off, or if there’s a trend (i.e. the top hand is sharp and the bottom hand is flat) then you need to be able to recognize and fix it (or bring it to someone’s attention who will fix it). If it is well tuned, you need to be able to blow it well – as soon as you hear a change in your tone, you need to bring your blowing back to perfect.

With that said, don’t ever be the person that spends half of the band practice alone trying to get their chanter set up – do that at home. And if it’s still not right at practice, tell someone in a leadership position that your chanter needs a listen. They’ll be happy to help.

One of the toughest things is making sure that if someone around you has poor tone or blowing, you need to make sure you don’t change the good job you are doing. Be confident enough in your arm, in your ear, and in your own abilities to be aware when it is or isn’t you that is causing the change. Remember, just because it’s grade 1, doesn’t mean everyone and everything will be perfect 100% of the time. Know when it’s you that’s dropping that percentage down and when it’s not.

8) Get Your Hands Up To Speed

Along with ultra-steady blowing, one of the toughest aspects of jumping up to grade 1 is the increase in tempos. You need to make sure your hands are up to the challenge. Make sure you can handle playing with tempo at home and don’t round off the corners in the tough parts of MSRs, make sure you don’t fall behind in the jigs (or any tune for that matter), and make sure your hands can handle the technical rigors of the strathspeys. If your hands are sloppy at slower speeds, there’s no chance they’ll be ready for high tempos. Work on this on practice chanter and tell your teacher you want to work on this – you’ll be playing your band tunes much faster than your solo tunes so this might not be covered in a lot of solo lessons (which tend to generally be solo-centric).

9) Fit in Socially

As Terry Lee told me when I joined SFU, grade 1 bands can be a “tough nut to crack”. Members have often been in the band for decades together and breaking into that circle can be difficult. Make sure you go to the pub after band, go to parties you are invited to, if you have Sunday morning band practice go for lunch afterwards. Make sure you talk to the people around you in the circle, even the drummers! If the people in your band like you, there’s a good chance they’ll want to keep you and help you succeed! Email the P/M with any questions you have – it shows you are keen to learn and improve. And once you are confident enough, take the initiative to invite your newfound friends to your own get-together. Anything you can do to fit in with your new band will go miles towards them wanting to keep you in the band.

10) Be a Keener

I don’t mean be a geek. But be a keener. That means be the first player in the band to learn new tunes, offer to bring water to band, attend any and all practices, show up to band early, and just generally be willing to put yourself out there. It’s a fine line between doing this and getting annoying to the veterans in the band so don’t over-do it. But subtly asserting yourself into your new environment will tell those with the power that be that you want to be there and want to work hard to bring yourself up to that next level.

I hope this has been useful – I know these tips would’ve saved me a lot of headaches when I made the jump to the big big-time. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to comment below or contact me and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Good luck and I hope to see you in the grade 1 arena!

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Top 10 Gordon Duncan Tracks Of All Time

I've been on a real Gordon Duncan kick lately... and by lately, I mean ever since I first heard this absolute genius over half of my life ago. What always blows me away is that he will have taken a tune he recorded, do it live, and make it even better.

I'm sure I'll miss things, not do some tracks justice, or over-sell others. Tell me what you think in the comments!

Anyways, here we go

**Click the Track Title to Listen to Each Track**

10)  

The Edradour Stagger, The Panda, The Soup Dragon, Roll Out The Snake

(Track 11, Just for Gordon)

Just pure fun. There's nothing to not love about this track - it's unique, creative, and gives a glimpse into Gordon's prowess as an expert composer, and even more impressively, as an improviser.

There are two things about this track that really stand out - how well each of the tunes compliment each other, and when Gordon repeats the tunes and makes the second-time-over even better than the first. Mind blowing.

9)

Marie Madeleine, Fest an Hoc'h, Suite De Gavotte Pourlet

(Track 12, Just for Gordon)

I couldn't leave out Gordon's incredible Breton influence from the list. This track starts off with the beautiful but intense Marie Madeliene. Follows is the incredibly catchy Fest an Hoc'h. A mark of an excellent tune is that it makes you feel like dancing - this tune does that. Finally, we have Suite de Gavotte Pourlet which shows Gordon's unequivocal composition skills and grasp of the Breton style. The last 4 or 5 parts of this tune are absolute magic.

Also props for one of the coolest endings of any tune, ever, at the end of the track.

8)

Eileen Mary Connelly, Angus John MacNeill of Barra, Kenny MacDonald's Jig, Storm in A T-Shirt, Mrs Crehans, The Wild Irishman, Madame Bonaparte

(Track 3, Just for Gordon)

This track just gets better as it goes... and it starts off great. A few classics followed by some real creativity and innovation. I love Storm in a T-Shirt and the execution is next to flawless. The highlight for me is Madame Bonaparte - one of the most exciting tunes in the bagpipe world.

7)

Lorient Mornings/ Grande Nuit in Port Du Peche/ Davy Websters

(Track 8, Thunderstruck)

A very polished piece of music with backing music that puts some other bagpipe accompaniments to shame (see High Drive, Circular Breath). Again, this track just gets more exciting as you go. Like the Zeppelin masterpiece Stairway to Heaven, it just builds to a climax with Davy Websters. This track proves Gordon has more in his repertoire than fast hands and clever false notes... the composition of this piece as a whole is what makes it spectacular.

6)

Rond De Loudeac, Gavotten Ar Menez, Old Hag You Have Killed Me, Langstrom's Pony, Andy Renwick's Ferret

(Track 4, Just for Gordon)

So many things make this a masterpiece track - the incorporation of Breton music, stopping and starting the drones completely (I've yet to see anyone else do this as well as he does), and the inspiring (now) classic Andy Renwick's Ferret which has been covered by hundreds of artists.

5)

Wing Commander Donald MacKenzie / Ash City / The Inverness Incident / The High Drive

(Track 1, Just for Gordon)

I love the opener. This tune needs to be much more popular in the piping world than it currently is. The Inverness Incident is a Gordon Duncan classic...more about that tune to follow. Finally, the High Drive is another Gordon Duncan classic that undoubtedly will be a mainstay of pipers' repertoires as long as the pipes are played. From the first slur on D of this tune his hands are flying and he delivers a flawless performance. What more could you want?

4)

Breton Air/Naimh's Capers/The Inverness Incident/Where's Ma Mace

(Track 9, 1st Grand Concert of Scottish Piping)

The last two tunes in this set are absolutely incredible. Gordon's hands are just flying and his ability to add new execution and little twists and turns at that speed is unmatched. Yes, this track has a few flaws, but that's not the point. To play at that speed and with that much creativity and innovation takes a lot of risk. Put down your judges crit sheet and just sit back and enjoy.

Another incredible performance of these two tunes is from Northwich 1991. Here he plays the same two tunes but with so many new things added. Proof that Duncan is not of this Earth. Check it out (skip to 4:10 for The Inverness Incident, but you won't be aggrieved to watch the whole thing):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnotLTItC9U

3)

Ian Green of Greentrax and Mr and Mrs. Gordon Duncan's Golden Wedding

(Track 10, Just for Gordon)

This track made its way to third position because of how much the piping world loves these two tunes. How is it that someone can take an instrument hundreds of years old and make music that is so different and yet so good?

2)

The Belly Dancer

(Track 3, Thunderstruck)

Incredible musicianship with the backing musicians combined with bagpipe innovation (Duncan's MO) catapults this track to near the top of the list. This track always leaves me speechless. That's it... I've got nothing. Just listen.

And finally...Drumroll please...1)

Thunderstruck/Angus' Thing

(Track 12, Thunderstruck)

No surprises here. A favourite of pipers and non-pipers across the world and probably the most requested bagpipe tune by common-folk at bars, parties, weddings etc. The problem, hardly any of us can play it anywhere near as good as Gordon. Do I really have to explain why this is at the top? The simple fact that Gordon figured out how to make the bagpipe replicate the hammer-on effect of the electric guitar is an incredible feat. And that's just the first 10 seconds of this track.

Thank you Gordon for your creativity, innovation, musicianship, and willingness to take risks with your playing for the sake of our enjoyment. We in the piping community tend to cling to the notion that traditional and clean = good playing. And it might be. But sometimes we need to stop judging and start enjoying. And I think that is how to best enjoy the virtuoso that is Gordon Duncan.

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Meet Kevin McLean - Owner and Founder of Gracenote Apparel

Hi there! First off, thank you for taking the time to both visit gracenoteapparel.com and to read this blog!

Let me tell you a bit about myself - I am 26 (yes, I guess that makes me a millennial), Canadian, and have been a piper with the SFU Pipe Band since 2011 (no, I haven't won the worlds with them.... yet!). I started out in 2003 through the SFU junior program and moved through the organization taking solo lessons from Alan Bevan along the way.

I am one of the biggest piping nerds there is. Whenever I try to strike up a conversation with fellow pipers about having read piobaireachd books by Alistair Campsie, Bridget MacKenzie, Frank Richardson, Seumas MacNeill, the latest Alt. Piobaireachd blog, or even the Binneas is Boreraig Forewords I'm usually given a blank look. I love learning about the instrument and I'm incredibly passionate about learning the history of the music, especially piobaireachd.

In 2016 I graduated from SFU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a minor in history. As part of my degree, I did several co-op work terms including one with Tartantown (yes, my job was to make coffee for Terry Lee).

A big part of my co-op and university experience was learning graphic design skills. I first dabbled with this in Fort McMurray when I worked for Syncrude's public relations department. They wanted me to design stuff for them... unfortunately I had zero design skills whatsoever. I stayed late, asked for help from all of my co-workers (sorry guys!), and spent my evenings watching InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop tutorials so I could just complete the jobs I was being assigned to do. That was when I wasn't busy practicing... but realistically it's not like there's anything else to do in Fort McMurray in the winter.

My next co-op experience was with Tartantown and I helped them design a new website, re-did all of their online and social media marketing strategy (which included using my newly acquired graphic design skills), and took photos of all of their products.

After I graduated, I wanted to undertake a project that used both my love of the pipes as well as my design skills - hence Gracenote Apparel. I wasn't sure how it was going to work but I wanted to create a sort of 'fandom' culture for the instrument. The pipes take so much flak in mainstream society for sounding terrible and is often considered a 'novelty' or even (cruelly) a joke instrument.

I want to change that. Pipers are proud of the instrument they play, the culture it symbolizes, the community it represents, and I want them to be able to show the world that. What we do is so unique and special and so few people in the world get to experience that passion - we should be proud!

I have loved the experience of doing this project so far - meeting tons of new people digitally and then seeing somebody wearing a shirt I designed is an incredible feeling. I'm very open to any suggestions so if you have anything you'd like to see on a shirt, please let me know and I'll do my best to make it happen!

Thanks and I hope you enjoy www.gracenoteapparel.com

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Summertime loves - Game of Thrones + Bagpipes + Green Grass

Only available from www.gracenoteapparel.com