New Asheville resident and chanter learner

[imactony]

Greetings one and all. I have recently moved to Asheville, NC and decided to take up the bagpipe chanter. I have wanted to learn bagpipes for ages and decided to pick up a chanter to get the ball rolling. However, I need some assistance with getting started. I have a DVD that is informative but I cannot seem to get tuning down so I need help. I would appreciate any help that can be mustered. I look forward to the day when I have got the chanter down and have the money available to move on to a set of pipes. Til then it's chanter ho!

[piperdbh]

Welcome aboard from just down 40 at exit 85.
You might want to PM Tartan Hiker. He lives in east Asheville, is kiltmaker to the Montreat 'Pipes and Drums, and his son is an excellent 'piper. He'll know who to get you in touch with. If that doesn't work, let me know and I'll get you in touch with somebody else.

[tulloch]

Get with a pipe band. You have to be with other people playing to learn the nuances. I have been at it two years now and consider myself to have made fantastic progress being able to play a dozen tunes. I sat through the beginner lessons with our band and then listened all evening to the experienced players. The listening is as important as anything in learning. I kept thinking, "and they aren't charging me anything to stay and listen!"

[OC Richard]

There's no substitute for high-quality personal instruction. It's amazing how many different things a beginner can have trouble with, that a set of experienced ears, and experienced eyes, can immediately identify and correct.

Usually the quickest way to find a good teacher is to find the best local band (there are noncompetition bands, and bands that compete in Grade 5 up through Grade 1, 5 being worst and 1 the best) and find out if they have a paid professional instructor, which many bands do. That's the guy you want, the guy who other pipers look up to for instruction.

Beware that there are many lower-level bands (noncompetition bands and Grade 5 bands) who are in a "blind leading the blind" situation, with nobody in the band being a good player, and who don't know enough or care enough to hire a good instructor and get better. Learning in a band like that could damage your progress, perhaps permanently.

If you can't find a good professional instructor locally, you could do Skype lessons with a top-class piper such as Jori Chisholm or our own Neil Clark. Locally here in Southern California we have Colin Armstrong, a brilliant piper and Pipe Major of the LA Scots Grade 1 band, doing Skype lessons. Your progress will be much faster with a top teacher like one of these fellows.

[Nick the DSM]

Contact Grandfather Mountain Highlanders or Everything Scottish in Linville, NC

[OC Richard]

Here they are

http://grandfathermountainhighlanders.org/

Yes they are a legitimate competition band; seems like they have floated between Grade 3 and Grade 4 over the years. Anyhow that band will have some very good players who could set you down the right path!

[piperdbh]

Here they are

http://grandfathermountainhighlanders.org/

...that band will have some very good players who could set you down the right path!

...including the P/M, who taught me, and our own EagleJCS is a former member of the GMHPB.

[Nick the DSM]

...including the P/M, who taught me, and our own EagleJCS is a former member of the GMHPB.

I received a few lessons from one of them as well. They're a good pipe band too.