| One fundamental point that many pipers forget (especially as beginners, or when learning something new) is to stay relaxed. Keeping your hands, fingers, wrists, and even arms relaxed while practicing can make all the difference in the world in how fast you progress, or even whether you progress at all. We tend to think of tension as equivalent to control, but relaxed hands can move cleaner and quicker than tense ones every time, and if you just let them do their thing, you�ll be fine. Beyond that, it�s just not fun to play when you�re all tense, and I suspect may not even be very healthy (I�ve heard of tense pipers developing carpel tunnel). I point this out because even when I tell my students emphatically to relax, I still have to remind them over and over because they don�t think about it when learning something new. I know it�s just one more thing to worry about, but if you just remind yourself every time it occurs to you when you practice, then you�ll eventually remember more often, and may not even have to be reminded at all some day. It's hard, certainly, but ultimately I believe it is the only way to really get what you want out of your piping. When playing these (and all) doublings in a basic scale exercise, be sure to practice them to a variety of tempos. Perhaps more importantly, be sure to adjust the speed at which you play the doubling to match the tempo you are playing at. (This is a good practice to get into for all kinds of piping work, from exercises to tunes.) In other words, if you are playing at a slower tempo, don't keep playing really fast doublings--just like you wouldn't play really slow doublings at a faster tempo. Varying your practice tempo will improve your finger control considerably while piping solo and will also allow you to adjust for playing with other pipers who don�t have as much flexibility in their piping. Conversely, the confidence and control established by this kind of practice will also allow you to play consistently in the hopes that others can use you as an anchor as they too begin to adjust the timing of their doublings. Practice your doublings slowly and deliberately and gradually build up your speed (either over the course of a session, or, if you�re struggling a little, over the course of several practice sessions). Don�t be in a big hurry though; the old saying is right, the lazy [piper] does do the most work. Be patient early on and get it right, and you�ll save yourself a lot of time, trouble and patience later when you don�t have to correct an old, bad habit. If this is your correction time now, then you know how much you wish you�d have done it right the first time, so don�t cheat yourself this time. Are those enough positive claims to get you rolling? I hope so, so now you just need to do it. |
| The Big Idea In the education world, there exists the concept of "the big idea." That is the main over-riding point you want your students to came away from the lesson with. After a lot of thinking, talking, and writing, I finally realized that once you boil it all down, my piping practice and teaching also has a Big Idea behind it: you need to stay relaxed. This is certainly not an original idea, but, as you read the contents of this web page, you might find it easier to understand some things if you remember where my big focus lies. |