Master Bagpipe Fingerwork Fundamentals ...a Dojo University "Core" Course
An in-depth course unveiling the 6 Basic Fingerwork skills that work together to create all bagpipe music.
When You're Done, You'll Walk Away With a Plan For
GUARANTEED IMPROVEMENT
... utilizing The Six Simple Objective Fundamentals Skills for Bagpipe Fingerwork:
What if you didn't have to struggle to extract great music from any bagpipe tune you chose?
Instead, what if the challenge was simply just how much music you could extract?
It probably sounds crazy, but bagpiping is no different than any other mastery oriented skill. For some reason, we are all led to believe that piping is a mystical endeavor, and that the secrets to piping lie deep in the souls of famous players but - guess what - it's not!
Just like a basketball player has certain fundamentals to master in order to be part of a great team (dribbling, defense, boxing out, and of course shooting), bagpipers have a set of basic fundamentals they need to master as well.
Are you following me?
"Hoping and praying" (and PAYING?) that the right piece of bagpipe advice comes your way is no way to learn bagpipe tunes. At least, not very many. And not very fast.
So how am I suggesting you learn bagpipe tunes?
How do you take a new tune, totally undeveloped, and convert it into something that sounds great, with only a "routine" amount of time and effort?
Well, that's exactly what you're about to learn...
FACT: There are Six (And ONLY Six) Fundamental Skills a Bagpiper Must Master In Order to Play Great Tunes, Every Time. (...Oh - and they're not complicated, by the way...)
Fundamentals are the life-blood of any (and every) tune.
It sounds a bit boring... but I've got news for you; it's true.
That's why going to a few private lessons with a "famous" piper every now and then just isn't enough. Even the best, most well-intentioned instructor can't distill solid, repeatable, masterable fundamental skills in the short time that you're there for your lesson.
Indeed, bagpipe "lessons" in the traditional sense of the word are for refining your fundamental skillset, for adding the "icing" to the cake that you've generated based on your own existing skillset.
So...where do we get the proverbial "cake"?
Where do we go to develop a clear sense of direction, a repeatabe system for creating darn-good music out of any tune we approach?
Well, that's where this course comes in.
By the time you've finished the Fingerwork Fundamentals "Core" Course here at Dojo U, you'll have developed a keen sense of the 6 key bagpipe fingerwork fundamentals that you need to produce great music out of any tune you attempt.
Now, you'll have each and every tune 95% of the way to greatness before you show up at your lesson. You'll be a true piper, ready to express yourself with your music - instead of struggling to just make something come out of the instrument.
What You'll Learn In This Course
The Six Non-Subjective Concepts that Make Great Fingerwork.
Would it have been easier to say "objective"? Sure, probably. But the fact that the six fingerwork fundamentals are free from the many subjective fallacies that cut pipers down a out there in the bagpipe world is what's most important. We'll learn what the 6 fundamentals are, and how they'll help you become a great piper, in this course.
How Bagpipe Fingerwork Relates to "Real" Music
In this course, we'll spend time to carefully study exactly how each element of bagpipe fingerwork relates to essential "real-world" musical concepts. Great music should have melody, rhythm, articulation, dynamics - and guess what? Pipers have tools to produce all of those things!
The Measurements that Matter (and the J*nk that doesn't).
Rather than searching for "expression," "lift," "light and shade," etc., in this course we'll teach you to measure your Scale Navigation by the absense of the three types of crossing noises. To guage your gracenote quality based on the consistency of great size and sync. To "build" great expression by learning great micro- and macro-dynamic skills.
How to Implement Concepts to Generate Improvement
After each lesson is taught, we'll spend time to carefully discuss how to best-implement what you've learned to generate efficient improvement. Most of us can't spend 3 hours a day drilling fingerwork. So, what can you do in 5-10 minutes per day? The great thing about developing a simple, objective bagpiping skillset is that practicing that skillset can be simple and objective as well!
The course interface makes it easy for you to consume the content and track your progress. Enroll Today >>
You'll learn how the 6 fundamentals of bapipe fingerwork come together to produce amazing music - and that focusing on them beats the fallacies of subjectivity any day of the week. Enroll Today >>
Learn the Six Fundamentals of Bagpipe Fingerwork Today!
"In today’s technological age The Piper’s Dojo has created an educational institution where pipers of all levels can obtain much needed instruction. Living in Memphis I am in an area devoid of higher instruction, The Dojo has given me an extremely affordable outlet where I can learn on my time from some of the top pipers in the world allowing my playing to truly flourish"
Ken Hiner, Memphis Tennessee
"As a piper for a Service Connected Band, I learned to play tunes, but I couldn’t hear the music. Being a member of the Dojo has taught me to “live within the beat.” The art of expression through ALAP and ASAP has shown me that there is so much more to the notes on a page! Thank you!"
Martin Miller, Brewster NY
Bagpipe Fingerwork Fundamentals Course Details
In this 16-hour course you'll learn everything you need to know to master the simple, objective fundamentals that make excellent bagpipe fingerwork.
Module 1: Scale Navigation
- Intro to Scale Navigation
- Types of Scale Navigation
- Crossing Noises
- Types of Crossing Noises
- The "Phantom," and Crossing Noise Diagnostics
- Implementaton & Action Steps
Module 2: Basic Rhythm
- A Rhythm Overview
- The Three Key Rhythmic Figures
- Playing to the Foot
- Developing an "Inner Framework"
- Conclusion
Module 3: Gracenote Quality
- Gracenotes Overview
- Observing the Gracenote System
- Simplifying Tunes Using the Gracenote System
- The Two Essential Gracenote Parameters
Module 4: Embellishments
- Embellishments and their Steps
- Embellishment Steps in Depth
- The Cardinal Rules
- Implementation Exercises
- Embellishment Beat Placement
- Embellishment Recovery
Module 5: "ALAP/ASAP"
- Introduction to Bagpipe... Dynamics?
- ALAP/ASAP Basics
- Advanced ALAP/ASAP Theory
- Sizes of ASAP
- ASAP/Embellishment "Fusion"
- ASAP Syllable Study
Module 6: Pulsing
- Pulsing Basics
- Balancing Pulses
- ALAP/ASAP vs. Pulsing
- Strong-Weak-Medium-Weak, and the Heavy Left Foot
- Implementation Exercises
Module 7: Analysis
- Analyze This (Performance Examples)
- Analyze That
- Hands-on exampls
What You'll Get: When you enroll today, you'll receive instant access to:
- The Fingerwork Fundamentals Course
- 7 Core Modules
- 30+ Video Lessons
- PDF Lesson "Handouts"
- Quizzes after each lesson.
- Final Exam at the end of the course
Plus, upon successfully completing of the course and the final exam, you'll also receive "Belt Level Points" towards yor next Dojo University belt-level. A great way to measure your achievement as you take more courses and gather more experience in the bagpipe world.
Course Details: Tuition: $149 Level: Beginner through Advanced (you should be able to play a few tunes all the way through before attempting). Setting: Online/Virtual Course Length: 15-20 Hours Expected Completion Time: 1-3 Weeks
How It Works
SIGN UP
Sign up by clicking "enroll now." Direct access will be sent to your inbox.
TAKE THE COURSE
The course take 15-20 hours to complete, with several in-depth modules, quizzes on each module, and a final exam.
PASS THE TEST
At the end of the course, 80% or higher on the final exam means you've passed and you're now a trained expert!
FINGERWORK FUNDAMENTALS COURSE (WITH QUIZZES AND FINAL EXAM)
Just $149
The Fingerwork Fundamentals Course
- 7 Core Modules
- 30+ Video Lessons
- PDF Lesson "Handouts"
- Quizzes after each lesson.
- Final Exam at the end of the course
Course Details:
- Level: Beginner through Advanced (you should be able to play a few tunes all the way through before attempting).
- Setting: Online/Virtual
- Course Length: 15-20 Hours Expected Completion Time: 1-3 Weeks
Who Should Take This Course?
Sally the Solo Piper
Develop your knowledge and skills, learn what to practice and why you're practicing it. See results.
Band Player Bob
If you want to create great unison with the rest of the group, this will be your go-to reference, at any level.
Pipe Major Pam
If you need your band to play better together, give them the vocabulary and tools they need to do so.
"Cool" Bagpipe Teacher Tim
Make your students better by teaching them the 6 simple, objective, fingerwork fundamentals.
Martha the Mom/Spouse
It's always super handy when your mother and/or spouse helps you with your fingerwork. For real. It is!
Why Should You Take This Course?
If you're a soloist...
...this course will set you apart from the pack.
Unlike other pipers who amble and wander through the difficult subjective terrain of bagpipe learning and performing, you'll have a clear path to mastery. One that's measurable, and easily (simply) improved upon on a day to day basis.
The bottom line: It'll make you a better piper.
This is the exact same method we've used in and around the Dojo to produce winning performances at the professional level all the way to the entry-level grade.
And we've held nothing back in this course. This is the playbook.
So, if you want to:
- Enhance your enjoyment of piping
- Move up the ranks of solo competing
- Learn to develop your students faster, and better, with more enjoyment along the way
...this course is for you.
If you're in a band...
... do you ever struggle to create great unison in your goup?
Or, if you do get decent unison, do you struggle to "find the music" in what's being played?
A band that embraces the Dojo fundamentals - i.e. a band where each individual is striving for great Scale Navigation, Basic Rhythm, Gracenote Quality, Embellishments, ALAP/ASAP, and Pulsing - literally can't NOT drastically improve unison and musicality on a day to day basis.
Think about it - if each individual has a deep (and ever-improving) knowledge of each facet of fingerwork, and experience making adjustments on-the-fly to the core tenants of each fundamental, the hard work of creating unison and great music is happening automatically, organically, within the group.
As a side-note, this is the exact same system of fingerwork we've taught to several world-champion juvenille bands, and the one we used to bring the Oran Mor Pipe Band from the middle of the pack in Grade 2 to qualifying for the World Championship Final in Grade 1 in just a few short years.
So, if you're a rank-and-file member of a pipe corps, or if you instruct a pipe section - this course is must if you're serious about moving the needle in the right direction.
Learn the Six Fundamentals of Bagpipe Fingerwork Today!
About Your Instructor
“My name is Andrew Douglas and I'm the founder of the Piper's Dojo and creator of Dojo University, our online learning portal for bagpipers. I'm super excited to be your guide as we drill into some of the most esstential fundamental elements of being a great piper... So glad to have you aboard!"
— Andrew Douglas
A bit more about Andrew:
- Founder, Creator, and CEO of the Piper's Dojo and Dojo University
- 2017 World Champion with Inveraray and District Pipe Band
- 2017 Winner of USA Silver Medal for Piobaireachd
- 2008-2013 Pipe Major of Grade 1 Oran Mor Pipe Band
- Multi-prize winner, Silver Medals at Oban and Inverness
- Former Winner of B-Grade Strathspey/Reel at Oban (2004)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: "Is this course right for my ability level?"
A: Chances are, yes!
If you can play a few tunes from start to finish, this course will definitely open your eyes. Yes, even if you are a professional piper it'll open your eyes.
If you are "brand spankin' new" to the practice chanter, wait on this course until you've completed your tutor of choice and are comfortable playing a tune or two.
Q: "What is a 'core' course?"
A: A "core" course is an A-to-Z, soup-to-nuts, in depth bagpipe course.
If you've been around Dojo U for long at all, you'll know that we offer a wide variety of resources, materials, and activities to help make this truly the world's first "piping school" on the web. Some of our courses are "short and sweet," with only the bare-essentials presented. Other courses are somewhere in between. "Core courses" are the full story, 100%
Q: "How long will it take to access my course when I deliver it?"
A: Immediate. We'll send you a username and password to access the course right to your email address.
Q: "Can I download the course to watch offline?"
A: This course is hosted and protected "in the cloud." If you have an internet connection, you can literally access this course anywhere, on any device. Unfortunately, none of the video materials are downloadable onto your device for offline viewing. (The documents and other share-ables are though!
Q: "Can I do this course on my phone/tablet?"
A: Yes! Our updated interface jives extremely well with all modern devices.
Q: "Is there a guarantee?"
Yep...all our trainings have a 30-day, no-questions-asked guarantee.
In other words, if you aren't happy for any reason, just let us know and we'll give you your money back. We obviously don't think it'll come to that, but if you're even the least bit worried if this will work for you, then put your mind at ease.
You either get the results you want or you get your money back. It's as simple as that!
Learn the Six Fundamentals of Bagpipe Fingerwork Today!
Dojo University Is Different
Yes, you can find bagpipe instruction elsewhere on the internet and in person, but a Dojo University course is unique because it's built and taught by real-world bagpipers who have actually built these courses based on real-world experience (read: successes).
In other words, we aren't people who couldn't do so we made a course instead. We've been in the trenches teaching AND performing - we detest untested theory and believe that the best way to learn something is to roll up your sleeves and get your hands a little dirty. If that sounds appealing, then welcome! In Dojo U you've found your bagpipe home.
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