|
DRP&D recognizes that its future is tied to new players. Therefore, we have extensive programming designed to teach musicians and non-musicians how to play either the bagpipe or Scottish drums. Regardless of age, we can teach you. Current members have started as early as 10 years old and as old as 53 years old.
Playing the bagpipe or Scottish drum is 90% commitment and 10% skill. If you want to learn, you can be taught. What can't be taught is desire and commitment. You have to have both to learn to play any of the bands instruments with competency.
How will we teach you? ...
We recommend the following program for beginners:
- Come and visit a practice, or two, or three. See how we conduct ourselves. See if we are the kind of organization you would like to belong to. Most importantly, do we have the programs to meet your learning needs?
- Try us out. We will provide you with a practice chanter (that's the vertical flute like instrument that all pipers use throughout their playing life to learn new repertoire or dust off technique) or sticks and pads for drummers. We will provide starter sheet music for practice at home.
- Individual lessons will be provided each week (free of charge) that can start with the basic chanter notes or basic drum beats and holding of the sticks, through to scales and exercises, then on to basic tunes.
- Once you have decided to join us you will be expected to purchase your own practice chanter or drum sticks and pad.
- Individual or small group lessons will continue every Monday from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. There will be no tests as you will proceed to learn at a rate comfortable to you. However, progress through person practice will be expected.
- Once you have mastered the basic notes and techniques, you will begin to learn and to memorize basic marches - Brown Haired Maiden, High Road to Gareloch, Scotland The Brave and Amazing Grace. These are all popular tunes at Scottish Games Massed Bands.
- At this point you will need to purchase a bagpipe. A drum is provided to drummers - sorry about that pipers, but drums are much less expensive. A Scottish Bagpipe runs from $700 to $6,000, depending on what you can afford. Often a band member can point you to a good place to purchase.
- Weekly tutoring sessions will now be half practice chanter or drum pad and half playing your instrument.
- As you become more proficient on the bagpipe or drum, you will begin to join the band when it warms up on the tunes that you have learned giving you an opportunity to begin enjoying your days and months of practice.
- Once you have these basic tunes learned and can play them with the band you will begin to work on the band's full repertoire.
We recommend the following for Intermediate and Experienced players:
1. Come and visit a practice, or two, or three. See how we conduct ourselves. See if we are the kind of organization you would like to belong to. Most importantly, do we have the programs to meet your playing needs?
2. Receive your book of band repertoire so that you can work on any settings difference versus tunes you have already learned and how we pay them.
3. Participate immediately with the full band on tunes that you know.
4. Join our practice chanter session from 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm that begins every Monday practice. At that session we go over any tune, any part that you want to work on. Doing so is excellent review for our experienced band members.
5. You would be welcome to attend our Thursday night extra practice sessions for pipers at the Pipe Major's kitchen table 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Generally, more advanced tunes used in band competition events are learned and practiced. Often 20-40 minutes is spent on several bars of music seeking correct notes, playing together and, most importantly, musicality.
6. As soon as you know the music, join our competition circle and participate at Scottish Games band competitions with us.
If we haven't listed what you need, come talk to us. We are small enough and flexible enough to work up a custom program with you as long as it is consistent with band objectives and needs.
|
