You will probably learn the scale in a day or two. It’s only nine notes. If you can read music or have a talent for mimicry, you can probably play a recognizable tune on the practice chanter in a...

“I understand that the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm. Unfortunately, the man-made sound never equaled the purity of sound...

Sir, I believe your expectations are too grand for your budget. Producing an Inverness cape requires several hours of skilled labor plus materials. No artisan worthy of the name will work for less...

Would it be rude of me to inquire the price you feel would be reasonable for the garment you desire?

You seem to recognize that the construction of a bespoke garment requires a certain degree of skill; however you seem unwilling to recognize the value of that skill.

Every gig I've ever played has cost me money!

How do Bagpipers get on their IQ tests?


Drool.

As a piper myself I find this one hilarious!

How does a soprano change a light bulb?

She holds the bulb up, and the world revolves around her.

In another thread OC Richard mentioned a few classic musician jokes. It got me to thinking of the ones I appreciate...

For example:

What do you do if you find a drummer standing on your...

Actually, you may find when it arrives that ALL of those jackets work! I personally think the blue tweed might just be the most attractive combination.

The fascinating thing about canntaireachd is that by singing the tune, one conversant in the art can demonstrate to another not only the notes to be played for a tune, but the embellishments to be...

A little northeast of you The St. Andrew’s Society in Jacksonville is quite active. Also keep the last Saturday in February free for the Northeast Florida Scottish Games & Festival in Green Cove...

As if reading this forum weren’t time consuming enough already, you had to add PETS!!

I may never get any work done!:)

Abigail has been my best friend for almost 10 years now. We discovered...

I'm sorry to say I didn't take note of his pipes. This was around 2012 or so and I was attending a camp at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta. The program was under the auspices of the National...

I was privileged to receive some small instruction from Stuart Samson in a camp setting a few years back. A surprisingly soft-spoken man with an occasional but wicked wit.

Perhaps the alterations...

I don't think you're wrong at all.

Nowadays we see wool tartan fabric as a "luxury good." An expensive indulgence. It is not a necessity.

In days past wool cloth, tartan and otherwise, was...

That is a fascinating fact! That would put the price for a kilt length at something like 5s4d, or a little more than 1/4 of one Pound in 1819 if my conversion in the old units is correct.

If we...

I didn't mean to imply that you did, and I'm sorry if my post came across as contentious.

I suppose the essence of my idea is that in the 18th and early 19th centuries, before industrialized...

Pick any reasonable figure for skilled labor that you like. Personally, I think $30/hour is a little conservative for skilled specialist labor with unique tools.

The point I'm making is that a...

I always find it instructive to put things into economic terms.

By your example, assuming a labor rate of $30 per hour, the labor alone would be valued at $720. Add in the cost of material, (and...

Thank you! That's very helpful to me.

So, I'm trying to gain some insight into the economics of weaving in the pre-industrial age. It seems to me that at approximately 50 threads to an inch and 27 inches wide, warping a loom would be an...

One that I love to play if the "Pibroch of Donald Dhu". Contrary to it's title it's light music, not piobaireachd. Donald Dhu was the son of the last MacDonald Lord of the Isles and he spent most of...

My congratulations as well!

I'm truly envious of creative people. They have the ability to make something which never existed before!

I posted this on a famous bagpiping forum the other day. It's been suggested to me that the good people here might appreciate the story as well.

FYI, Grade IV is the lowest sanctioned grade for...