My 11-year-old and I have been playing chanters for 10 months. He's been on pipes since about six months, and now he's learning how to march with the band. He still needs to learn a number of their tunes, but he knows a few. The important thing is, he's learning how to march.

I just started on the pipes -- it takes us old coots longer to learn new stuff, y'know.

I think expecting anyone to play chanter and wait for a couple of years before they pick up the pipes is a bit unreasonable.