Practice Chanter and Book Advice

[EagleJCS]

I'm in the 'first find an instructor' camp. Find your instructor and ask what book and practice chanter they recommend. Some don't really care which book their student chooses because the book simply provides exercises and the instructor skips around using their own sequence of instruction. My piping instructor suggested the Sandy Jones tutorial Beginning the Bagpipe. Which practice chanter they recommend may depend on their personal experience with different brands.

Just about any practice chanter will do, except for the burgundy-colored practice chanter and tutor book combo. I haven't tried one of those myself, but have heard from several others in the band that they started with one and quickly had to move on to a "real" practice chanter. My first practice chanter was a Naill standard-length polypenco practice chanter with counter-sunk finger holes. I still have it, but currently use a John Walsh long blackwood practice chanter that has an integrated moisture trap in the blowstick cap.

Be prepared to spend at least 6 months on the practice chanter learning the finger technique, embellishments and avoiding crossing noises. It may be a year or more before you start working on the 'big instrument' and incorporating blowing, squeezing and finger technique all together.

Best of luck, and welcome to the obsession!