Is It Supposed To Sound Like That?

A music theory workbook - designed for pipers!

This workbook of over one hundred pages has twenty-eight lessons
that provide something for every piper, regardless of current skill
level.

Lessons progress in a manner most helpful to the piping
student in particular, integrating piping and standard music theory.

Each lesson is approximately two pages long, and introduces new
theory, ear training and history concepts in an informative,
casual style. Practice and review exercises follow the lessons.

The curriculum is aligned to help the student study for the theory
requirements for levels one through four of the College of Piping,
The Army School of Piping, the Piobaireachd Society and
The Piping Centre piping certificate examinations.

The workbook specifically covers musical skills and knowledge
necessary for pipers to interact in a knowledgeable and
confident way with other musicians, including:

General music skills for the knowledgeable as well as the novice piper.

Modal music theory, geared specifically towards the Highland bagpipe, and general theory to increase overall
musicianship.

Canntaireachd (Nether Lorn) vocabs. This provides an excellent teaching aid for courses requiring NLC, while allowing
light music students the chance to acquire skills more appropriate to the genre than standard solfege.

Piobaireachd history and ornamentation. (The curriculum is not designed to teach or further piobaireachd technique,
which can only be acquired aurally from qualified instructors.)

Discussion of the written key of pipe music and recognizing the implied key signatures of pipe tunes.

Understanding the unique tonal qualities of the pipe chanter scale and pitch.

Tuning the pipe chanter scale accurately with little or no help (as published in volume 14 of Piping Today).

Interacting with accompanists and conductors, including transposing skills.

The lessons are interesting and relatively painless (according to 82.3% of teenagers and 100% of adults
who have taken the course).

Each lesson is designed to take approximately half an hour to complete although pacing is very individual,
depending on the skill level of the piper, and are designed to be “self-study, work at your own pace”.
They may require more time if given in a class setting due to student interaction. Each lesson is a stand-alone lesson
and students may start anywhere in the course or skip around.

The book also contains a fun little art project
in the back, called . . .

The Jolly Piperman’s Chord-O-Matic

This is a handy gizmo that enables you to quickly and easily
find the notes of major, minor and modal scales and chords.
A ‘must have’ for any piper who transposes music or plays
in ensemble with other musicians!

One side of the Chord-O-Matic will show you:
The key a tune is written in.
The key the tune is in on the Highland bagpipe, and if it is major, minor or modal.

The Other Side of the Chord-O-Matic will show you:
The notes of each major and natural minor scale.
The notes in any major, minor, augmented or diminished chord.

FLASH! You can get FLASHCARDS also!

               Front                         Back

And now for something completely different. . .

The Compleat Piper - An Unconventional and Irresponsible Guide to Piping
A silly book for silly pipers!
In the quest to never take ourselves or our art too seriously, The Compleat Piper leads the way. With a contorted,
irreverent piping history and dangerous tips for playing and maintaining your bagpipes, this little book helps remind us
all that sometimes a little laughter can go a long way in relaxing and having FUN at making music.

                                                              Originally published in the early 1990's, this little book is still funny
                                                              in the new millennium. Published by the International Society to
                                                              Abolish E Doublings, it is a tribute to the funny bone in all pipers,
                                                              both struggling and gifted.

                                                              What readers have said about "The Compleat Piper"

                                                              "I laughed so hard I had tears running down my legs!" - Linda, Alberta

                                                              "It made me snort beer out my nose. . ." - Donna, Maine

                                                              "This is the third time I have tried to tie in a bag and accidentally picked up
                                                                that stupid book instead of the Pipe Major's Handbook!" - John, Idaho

                                                              "Oh gawd! I wet myself laughing!" - Joanne, Tasmania

                                                              "I don't get it." - Bill, Oregon

                                                              "Very funny! Umm, is that me on page 49?" - Andrew, Scotland