There's no substitute for high-quality personal instruction. It's amazing how many different things a beginner can have trouble with, that a set of experienced ears, and experienced eyes, can immediately identify and correct.
Usually the quickest way to find a good teacher is to find the best local band (there are noncompetition bands, and bands that compete in Grade 5 up through Grade 1, 5 being worst and 1 the best) and find out if they have a paid professional instructor, which many bands do. That's the guy you want, the guy who other pipers look up to for instruction.
Beware that there are many lower-level bands (noncompetition bands and Grade 5 bands) who are in a "blind leading the blind" situation, with nobody in the band being a good player, and who don't know enough or care enough to hire a good instructor and get better. Learning in a band like that could damage your progress, perhaps permanently.
If you can't find a good professional instructor locally, you could do Skype lessons with a top-class piper such as Jori Chisholm or our own Neil Clark. Locally here in Southern California we have Colin Armstrong, a brilliant piper and Pipe Major of the LA Scots Grade 1 band, doing Skype lessons. Your progress will be much faster with a top teacher like one of these fellows.
Last edited by OC Richard; 4th December 12 at 05:23 AM.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
Originally Posted by OC Richard
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