Beginners. Beginnig student will spend aproximentally anywhere from 6-12 months working on a ‘practice chanter. This allows the student to memorize become familar notes including gracenotes and the scale as well as the chanterach. After developing their fingering skills enough to play a set of tunes from memory, they will move on to the bagpipes. It is here that the beginnig Student will be working on blowing, squeezing, learning to tune the drones to the chanter, and developing strength and proper playing posture.

Intermediate. The intermediate will focus on blowing steady, playing ‘on the beat’ and expression as well as the execution of the tune. The studen at this stage will be introduced to Ceal Beag (marchses, retreats and slow airs/marches), Ceal Meadhon (middle music: ie Strathspeys, reels, jigs and Horpipes), and Ceal Mor (the great music) aka piobearachd (the classical music of the bagpipes. Also at this point in the learning is that now emphasis will be placed on the physiology of performing, in turn will help the player to be relaxed and well focused while performing in front of an audience or judge.

Advanced. The focus of this stage in the pipers learning process will be to focus on tone, the fine tuning your skills. Alan will assess your skills and weakness, which in turn will help the student become a well rounded player. Alan’s emphasis on relaxing and focusing during performance may be even more important at this level.

Bands. A piper, will focus on playing together, playing on the beat, playing to the center, and other skills which are critical to ensemble playing. Whether or not his/her goals are to win competitions or to play better in front of an audience or to improve hi/her own musical expression, Alan can help you with this as well.

Alan has been teaching the bagpipes for 6 years, and is one of the few full-time pipers in the West and the East. Private or group lessons are available in the daytime, evening, or weekends, at your convenience.
Several of my student on the West coast are now competiting at those highland games, and has several students of beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. While many students are from the Charollote area and take weekly lessons, some students commute from a longer distance and come every other week, or once per month.

RATES FOR PIPE LESSON ARE $15.00 PER LESSON OR $60.00 PER MONTH

Please contact Alan for additional information and to arrange your schedule.