Small Milestone

[Derek Conley]

I think I'm on my 8th lesson now and I'm having a great time. I'm glad to see others beginning like myself! We can all be in this together.

Finally have "Amazing Grace" down well enough.

...however...

...taorluaths are driving me crazy; I have a lazy D finger; birls make me want rip my hair out; and I notice myself practicing the fingering for the heavy throw on D on my steering wheel. I love every second of it.

[SteveB]

BTW Jim congratulations on the milestone. As others have said, each step is important, and mastering one before proceeding to the next is important.
Derek, I do not expect to be that far along by my eighth lesson - congratulations.!!
Slainte

[Andrew Cameron Goodman]

Practice practice practice.. Concentrate on your finger positioning and remember lightly on the chanter you should not have holes indented on your fingers...

[Derek Conley]

Derek, I do not expect to be that far along by my eighth lesson - congratulations.!!
Slainte

Thank you sir, but I confess to picking things up a bit quickly, perhaps due to having played guitar, etc, for over 20 years.

So, I just consider myself lucky, nothing more!

I think it's great that we're all picking this up around the same time.

[ohneplo]

Hmm,

I'm noticing a strong propensity to drink single malt as I walk this path.

Coincidence?

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Think about the timing in that your Father was a beginning Piper at Carnegie Institute of Technology at about the time you were born. Yes, there may have been a dram or so of Scotch involved there . . .

Proud you are taking the time to learn carefully and well!
Cheers,

Bruce

[JimB]

Thanks all, for your kind supporting replies
Lastest news is that I finally have my instructor confirmed (a pipe major with a local band) and I will be starting this coming Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it!!
Just one more question....is the dram taken before playing or after?

[SteveB]

After our training session is when my tutor and I stopped in at the local pub. The landlord said "ANOTHER piping student?" when he saw my chanter sticking out of my backpack. My tutor and I roared, along with several other customers. I found out that service is fast because piping students are allowed to practice while waiting......
Slainte

[piperdbh]

Ahhh, those were the days...
There's a quote in the old "College of Piping" book about someone who stopped for dinner at a stranger's house. The host says to the guest, "I can see you're a piper by the drum of your fingers on the horn spoon." Double Ds become a subconscious habit, and when you hear a tune such as "Amazing Grace", you'll finger it along with whoever is playing/singing it. Too bad we don't hear "Scots Wha Ha'e" or the "Skye Bat Song" here in the US very often. Instead, we get "Rocky Top" and "Rock Around the Clock".
Keep practicing, everybody. Take your time and perfect your techniques on the chanter before you even think about blowing up the full 'pipes. It'll pay off in the long run.

[Derek Conley]

I started hornpipe exercises as of last week.

I need Advil again.