Pipe Band Drummer

The word "reps" is thrown around a lot in every pipe band. Every practice we hear...

"Get some reps in"

"We need to rep that some more"

"Don't forget to rep the second part"

What Does this Word Mean?

The…

The word "focus" is thrown around a lot. I hear often hear it in rehearsal and even more often on competition days. What does it mean? Is it possible to practice focusing? If so, what does that look like?

Check…

This week I'd like to discuss the subject of #hashtags. Hashtags are commonly used on Twitter to categorize posts so that others can follow those hashtags and comment, share and otherwise interact. They are incredibly useful! I use them all…

Today marks the start of a new video series on PipeBandDrummer.com: Backyard FAQ. My plan is to answer frequently asked questions I receive from subscribers to PipeBandDrummer in video form and then post them on the YouTube channel for everyone's…

Welcome to the fifth instalment of the "Five Long Minutes" blog post/video series: Five Long Minutes of Cut Fours!

When I was first taught to play a cut four (four stroke roll) there was a disconnect between the way…

This week: Five Long Minutes of Drags! For most pipe band drummers drags are one of the most difficult rudiments to execute properly. Drags are composed of a principal note (big note) and a two smaller notes (two 32nd grace…

Continuing with the "Five Long Minutes" video series, this week: Five Long Minutes of Flams! Flams consist of only two notes. They look innocent enough but they are actually fairly difficult to explain and even more difficult to execute. Flams…

Continuing with the "Five Long Minutes" video series on the PIpeBandDrummer.com Youtube Channel, this week we'll be focusing on accented rolls. Accented rolls are found in each of the five pipe band styles and can range from simple "tap buzz…

After reading an article recently by Pipes|Drums called "The Drummer's Dilemma" I got to thinking about the issue of lead drummers passing on their skills to younger players. This is a difficult and complex issue but it begins…

Have you ever been frustrated when life gets in the way of your practice time? Sometimes, with a busy schedule, it is impossible to find a whole hour to sit down and run through your entire practice routine. As a…

Welcome to the third part of a three part series on slowing down the North American massed band scores. I've saved the 6/8 for last because it has some very tricky parts in it.

1. The very first note of…

This week we'll be discussing the North American massed band 3/4 drum score. The 3/4 is the easiest of the three massed band scores to play but there are still a couple of sections to keep an eye on.

1. …

This week on the blog we'll be breaking down the North American massed band 4/4 drum score. The massed band scores have been around a while and they have quite a history. Dave Coleman, from the Fredericton Society of St…

I have a confession to make that I've never told anyone: I hate competing solo. There. I said it. When it's just me, a piper and a judge, I get nervous, my memory fails me, my hands turn to stone…

Knowing the point of practicing is the most important piece of information you will ever learn if your goal is to improve your playing. It is incredible to me that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE KNOWS this crucial piece of…

Today on the Ups and Downs is the first of what I hope will be many video blogs! Playing slowly is a skill that takes lots of patience and practice but it can have an amazing affect on your personal…

Welcome to the final blog post of "Roll Call"! This week we'll be looking at the execution and use of rhythm syllables for rolls in a strathspey. As I've discussed in previous blog posts the strathspey is the least understood…

In part IX of "Roll Call" we will be learning to identify rolls within the most musically complex style we play: the strathspey. A typical strathspey contains the following rolls types:

• Four stroke rolls
• Five stroke rolls
• Six stroke…

The rolls in a 6/8 march are the most complex you'll find in any style. Whereas the rolls of a 2/4 march contain mostly triplet sixteenth subdivisions, rolls in the 6/8 march contain three distinct subdivisions:

• Triplet eighth notes…

This week we'll be discussing the all important but often forgotten style: The 6/8 March. In competitive piping and drumming the 6/8 march is rarely used. It sometimes makes an appearance in march medleys in the lower grades but…