Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
You're learning at a great time, due to the internet.

There are tons of online lessons/tutorials. You can hear all the top players performing, both current players and famous players from the past. You can chat with pipers on Skype or Zoom.

When I started, in 1974, all I had was a couple albums to listen to and the College Of Piping "green book".

There were no pipers around to take lessons from, so I was self-taught the first couple years. Happily then my family moved to an area with more people including several Pipe Bands and a large number of good pipers. I worked my tail off and joined a good band in 1977.

I can't encourage you enough to stick with it. You obviously have the musicianship, that's the biggest part of becoming a piper, as it is with any instrument. The rest is diligent practice or "face time" as the jazz guys call it.

It's critical to make sure that you're doing everything right from the very beginning. Some people, due to not knowing, practice their mistakes and ingrain them into their muscle-memory. Then it takes twice as long to get them on the right track.

As they say

"Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."

I was going to ask what instruments you already play, but in truth it doesn't matter. Many years ago a wise old musician told me

"A musical instrument is merely a mechanical device. The music is in the person."

If you have the music in you, for sure you will become a good piper, if only you diligently and correctly practice the technical details.
All very true!

I was given the green book and promptly got Alfred's book whick speaks to my mind better. Both are helpful, but youtube videos are way more helpful for learning technique.

I agree, the music is in the person. I play many instruments well enough to have fun but without endangering any professionals of their status