When I started learning i used to practice till my lips couldnt seal around the PC any longer -it soon gets easier, on the GHB if you time the breating correctly then its possible to play continually for very long periods, I like a fairly strog reed as it gives good tone and a significant difference in pressure between the drones and chanter reeds makes for nice clean striking in, I use a Colin Winstanley universal blowpipe which gives very good airflow and very comfortable, I find that my pipes are not hard to blow but to a non piper would find them almost impossible to blow as its down to the timing, I use Cleartone Drone reeds from Ireland and David Chesney chanter reeds and my pipes have great tone, Ive compared tham to many others and they are monsters they are Colin Winstanley handmades.

Just hammer the PC, and a I used to get the logan tutor book and read and play every tune in it even if you dont know the tune just to practice your reading and get a metranome, I developed a Killer GDE using a metranome for Banjo Breakdown
Heres my beloved pipes !!
Colin Winstanley handmades with an early 80s Warmac Chanter and Ross goretex bag


the ends are all cork no hemp!!