Music Materials for Pipers

Instructional Books, CDs and DVD for Practice Chanter and Bagpipes; also Books of Tunes, Information on Maintenance of the Pipes

College of Piping Bagpipe Books

The College of Piping series of books and recordings is published by the College of Piping in Glasgow, Scotland. Probably the best-known chanter/bagpipe method in the United States, the series is written to be useful both for students studying with a teacher and also for those of you who study the practice chanter or pipes on your own.

BB1. Highland Bagpipe Tutor Part 1 (green book) plus CD-ROM. The 72-page book is a playing manual for beginners. Information on the practice chanter, holding the chanter and playing the scale (with clear drawings), grace notes, throws and doublings, other techniques of playing, reading music, graded tunes with playing instructions, history of the bagpipe. The accompanying CD-ROM has two tracks on it - the audio/visual track shows the pieces in Part I being played and the other track plays as a standard audio CD. We recommend getting both book and CD-ROM, especially if you are going to work on your own without a teacher. Book/CD-ROM set $32.
BB1A. Book only $20
BB1B. CD-ROM only $12

BB2. Highland Bagpipe Tutor Part 2 (red book): This is a book on the bagpipes themselves, not a playing instruction book. It covers the parts of the pipes, the bag itself (function, materials, making a bag, choosing, tying on, seasoning a bag), blowpipe and valve, the pipe chanter, the drones, pipe chanter reed (making, choosing, setting, blowing in), choosing a bagpipe, posture, marching, and advice on lessons.
BB2A. Book only, 64pp. $20
BB2B. New! Set of book plus DVD showing a presentation  $32.

Sale! BB3. Highland Bagpipe Tutor Part 3 (blue book): More advanced lessons on playing (this book picks up where Book 1 leaves off). Eighteen tunes with instructions on how to play them and exercises on special features of the tunes. 79pp. Was $20, on sale at $15.

BB4. Highland Bagpipe Piobaireachd Tutor Part 4 (yellow book) plus CD. This is a tutor book for piobaireachd music, also called ceol mor (big music). This is the real bagpipe music, almost the only pipe music played up into the early 19th century, as opposed to the dances and other light music most commonly played on the bagpipes these days. It is assumed that you know the basics of playing the bagpipe, and are quite good at it, before attempting this book (that's why it's number four in the series). The book is by Seamus McNeill, revised and produced by Robert Wallace. Angus MacLellan and Robert Wallace sing and play each lesson from the book on the accompanying CD. Set of book and CD: $33

Chanter and Bagpipe Lessons DVD

BB12. DVD, Learn To Play The Bagpipe. Seven lessons on practice chanter and then seven lessons on the bagpipes. The lessons incorporate many well-known tunes, including Amazing Grace, Scotland the Brave and the Skye Boat Song. Bonus material: a short worldwide history of the origins of the bagpipe up to the modern day, with 5 minutes of excellent background material. Suitable for all ages.  $29

Piping Method by Bagpipes of Caledonia

BB11. CD pack, The Caledonia Bagpipe Tutor: Learn to Play the Highland Bagpipe. The Caledonia Bagpipe Manual by Fraser McNaughton. This CD/leaflet pack guides the beginner through the tuition process on the practice chanter with seven bagpipe lessons from first principles and plays the music pieces that are printed in the pack. Based on the method of the late Captain John A. MacLellan. Note that practice chanter and chanter (of bagpipes) tend to be used interchangeably. Published in 1994 Scotland, this reprint 1996. 8 1/4 x 5 3/4", 64pp. Sale! Only $15 while they last.

BB10. Cassette only. Learn to Play the Bagpipe: A New Method of Practice Chanter Tuition by Pipe Major R. T. Shepherd. We have a few cassettes left that accompany the Shepherd book, if you have that. Only $5.

Books of Pipe Music

BB30.The Regimental Pipers of the Scots Guards Present A Collection of New Tunes for the Highland Bagpipe. Book I. Over 50 tunes composed by pipers of the Regiment, past and present, in the tradition of other Scots Guards music books. A brief history accompanies each tune. 32 photos. $32

BB31. Caledonia Cathedral: Hymns for the Bagpipe. Arrangements of forty-two hymns for church, weddings, Christmas and other events arranged by Alasdair Trotter for bagpipes. Amazing Grace, Abide With Me, and many other well-known hymns, many rarely heard on the bagpipes. The words are included (as many as seven verses). Published by Bagpipes of Caledonia. $24
BB31A. Sale! Accompanying CD. The hymns are all played by Piper Alastair Trotter on the CD of the same title. Was $22, now $17.

BB34. The Cairngorm Collection of Highland Bagpipe Music: Book 1. A collection of the works of Pipe Major George S. McLennan 1884-1929. Thirteen 2/4 marches, eight  6/8 marches, eight reels, five strathspeys, four slow marches, five retreats and three jigs. Pub. Exile Publishing. $20

BB35. The Cairngorm Collection of Highland Bagpipe Music: Book 2. Fifty-five classic 2/4 marches from various sources, chosen by the publishers as "a legacy to current generations from fellow pipers of old," music that has stood the test of time. This book is reviewed in the Summer 1999 issue of The Voice; "many of these tunes are in books now out of print...if you want top-of-the-range 2/4 marches, buy this book..." Pub. Exile Publishing. $20

BB38. Bagpipe Sheet Music Song Book by Michael Hamilton. 52 tunes: jigs and reels, marches, hymns, airs, standards and strathspeys. Each piece is on a separate page. Size of booklet: 8 1/2" wide x 5 1/2" high. $10

Pipes Maintenance and Tuning

BB40. Highland Bagpipe Tutor Part 2 (red book,also listed above): This is a book on the bagpipes themselves, not a playing instruction book. It covers the parts of the pipes, the bag itself (function, materials, making a bag, choosing, tying on, seasoning a bag), blowpipe and valve, the pipe chanter, the drones, pipe chanter reed (making, choosing, setting, blowing in), choosing a bagpipe, posture, marching, and advice on lessons. Published by the College of Piping. 64pp. $20

BB41. Bagpipe Maintenance Book by Michael Hamilton. Practical tips from a piper. Small booklet, 31 pp. $5.

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BB23. Medieval Bagpipes: A Manual for Two-Drone and Other Medieval Smallpipes. Contains 20 medieval songs, and includes an audio CD of the songs. By Dr. Paul Fehrenbach.