After seeing the Strathclyde Police youtube posted a few weeks ago, and hearing the Delmenhorst Standoff, I really think it's time to create/acquire the Bagpipe Equivalent of the time-life "Classical Thunder".

When I am at the gym, I have headphones on and am listening to bagpipes... for two reasons. One, I associate bagpipes heard in the distance with the days I've competed on the field, and I feel psychologically it helps me. Two, music with lyrics always screw me up when I'm focusing on a lift.

However, I find my current meager collection of Bagpipe music in iTunes is hit-or-miss with the faster tempo and rapid progression, and I find myself with a particularly slow tune, and I have to fast forward - I'd rather just make a playlist full of faster tempo pipe and drums.

So, if anyone can give me suggestions, as well as maybe name a few actual albums or songs I could acquire, as I'm really a novice with even being able to pick out a tune, even though I've been a musician for 2/3rds of my life.

In my experience most albums have a mixture of tunes so you need to pick a few that suit. You could end up buying lots of albums to get a few suitable tunes. Try downloading from "tinterweb"

If you stick to reels that should get the blood pumping. Some stirring march tunes do it for me, my favourite being the traditional back to barracks tune The Black Bear.

Although I was brought up with the pipes ringing in my ears I am not a player and have now turned to listening the more modern trend of bands playing "rock" and popular tunes on the pipes. Red Hot Chilli Pipers being my current favourites.

Good luck in you quest.

"Energetic" is in the ear of the beholder, I suppose, because I often find slower tunes more powerful/energetic than faster ones.

The energy doesn't necessarily come from speed: oftentimes fast tunes have no "life" in them at all! It's all in how they're played, in the musicality and expression.

For the last decade or so it's been standard practice for top bands to start off their Medley/Selection with an upbeat, hammering, evenly-timed Pentatonic-in-the-key-of-A 4/4 Hornpipe/Reel kind of thing.

Dozens and dozens of these tunes have been composed over the last decade, many of them trotted out by one band for one season, then never heard again.

It's a relief to the ear to recently hear some top bands break away from this trend and play relaxed swinging tunes to start off their Medley, such as Castle Dangerous.

Anyhow, I'm a Pipe Band fanatic and every year I buy the DVD from the World Pipe Band Championships so that I can see and hear all the World's best bands. They also issue CDs every year but I like the DVDs.

For me, the most energetic pipe band music is a well-played MSR.

For me, the best pipe music is solo pipes and traditional pipe bands. The idea of using pipes in mixed bands, Celtic Rock bands and the like, is great, but the actual sound of these groups doesn't do anything for me. I've never heard anything that I would prefer to hearing Field Marshal Montgomery playing a good MSR.

There is an album titled "Piping Up" which I think fits what your looking for. Lots of great up tempo piping tunes. I think you will especially enjoy Gordon Duncan's "An Mhaighdean Mhara / Tain In the Rain / the Cape Breton Fiddler's Welcome to the Shetland Isles / Ash City" which is track 8 on this album. Hope that helps at least a bit.

Two words: Wicked Tinkers

Red Hot Chili Pipers!

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Originally Posted by castledangerous

Two words: Wicked Tinkers

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*** !

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Originally Posted by Tartan Hiker

Red Hot Chili Pipers!

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*** ! again...


:funmeter2:

Sounds like you are looking for The rogues.
Dropkick murphys are irish but might work.
A YouTube search and a bit of following the suggested songs might get you in the right direction.

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Originally Posted by Mikewood

Sounds like you are looking for The rogues.
Dropkick murphys are irish but might work.
A YouTube search and a bit of following the suggested songs might get you in the right direction.

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Note the original post, he doesn't want lyrics harshing his groove.

Although much better live, give Rathkeltair (www.rathkeltair.com)a try. Usually each album (sorry old school speak) has two or three instrumentals. Neil really gets wound up.

Chris Shepherd