Purchased a practice chanter - what shall I do next?

[Calgacus]

Hi,

Learning to play bagpipes, or even just the practice chanter, without a teacher is not a good idea. It is highly likely that you will teach yourself bad habits which you will later regret and find very hard to undo.

If there are no teachers in your area, then there are online tutors available, I suggest you use one.

If you really want to teach yourself, then a starting point might be the book "Rhythmic Fingerwork" by James McGillivray. Also listen to lots and lots of pipe music recordings by the acknowledged masters. Listen to both Ceòl Beag and Ceòl Mòr. Listen to it over and over and over again before you even pick up the practise chanter. Once you've done that, listen to it again. And again. It is critical that you understand how pipe music is supposed to sound, and you must immerse yourself in it if you are to have any deep understanding of the sounds that you are then going to try to recreate.