Learning to play the bagpipes and drums
We run beginner/improver classes on Monday evening and full band practice on Tuesday evening at the Methodist Church in Newport.
A tutor provides guidance in conjunction with a popular instruction book and practice instrument.
Learning the bagpipes starts with the practice chanter
It is not practical for a beginner to start practicing using bagpipes: instead, a practice chanter is used to become familiar with fingering and tunes. When a number of tunes have been memorised and can be played reasonably well on the practice chanter, it is then time to move on to learning to play the bagpipes. The practice chanter remains useful as a way of learning new tunes without disturbing the neighbours!
Learning to play the chanter as a beginner can take 1 year, though some can achieve this quicker and others will take longer. Becoming an accomplished piper takes years of practice.
Playing the drums
Highland Drumming is a style of percussion accompaniment that is significantly different than most other forms of percussion performance. The most outstanding differences are that the percussion section does not set up a rhythm…… or
“lay down a groove” for the other musicians to follow, and the drum corps (as it is often called) is the only source of dynamics in the band. While the drums and the pipes together play out the intricacies of the tunes, the drum
corps contributes the dynamics, or the “light and shade” to the performance.
Along with the bagpipes you will find the following drums at our practice sessions.
Drum pad
A drum pad and drumsticks provide a convenient way to practice the basics of playing a drum.
Tenor drum
The tenor drummers each carry a single tenor drum. There are two styles of play for tenor drummers, known as rhythm tenors and flourish tenors
Snare drum
The side drummers play “pipe band snare drums”. The side drums are played with lightweight sticks, for speed and a bright crisp tone
Bass Drum
The single bass drummer, as is well accepted in any style of marching band, is the key player in the drum corps maintaining a rock steady tempo