Are bagpipes difficult to learn to play?
No. There are only nine melody notes on the bagpipes (compared with eighty-eight on a piano). There are also a handful of standard finger movements used to embellish pipe music. Learning to play the pipes is akin to learning to touch type. • Do I have to know how to play the bagpipes before I can join the band? No. In fact, the band offers bagpipe lessons to those wishing to learn to play. The only thing we ask is that you practice regularly and commit to playing with the band once you become a competent piper. • Are there private instructors available to teach the bagpipes? We will be happy to put you in contact with a private instructor, if you would like personalized instruction. Students who take private lessons generally excel more quickly than those who rely on group lessons. • Do you have to have exceptionally powerful lungs to play the pipes? No. Properly set up pipes are relatively easy to play. Even children as young as 8 or 9 years old are able to play the Great Highland Bag
