How To Fix Your Floppy Strike-Ins (Dojo Conversations Episode 134)

Are your strike ins leaving you deflated? This week, Andrew and Jim break down the real reasons your pipes might not be cooperating – from leaky bags and floppy setups to calibration quirks and climate curveballs. Plus, a little banter about band camp and Misty Mountain mugs to kick things off. Make sure to check back next week for Part 2 of this practical chat about how to improve your strike in technique! Got a topic you'd like us to cover in a future episode? Leave a comment or email us: [email protected] Here's what we cover this week: 00:00 – Band camp flashbacks 01:05 – A light Middle-earth geography squabble 02:46 – Bagpipes and golf: where obsession meets art 03:34 – Calibration 101: getting your drones to play nice 05:46 – Strike-in theory vs. what actually happens 11:30 – Making calibration part of your daily routine 14:55 – Cane reeds: fragile, finicky, but oh-so sweet 16:10 – Climate chaos and the Scotland setup struggle 16:30 – What “efficiency” means in real life and piping 17:34 – The mechanics of a clean strike-in 19:27 – Why setup is everything 21:15 – Fine-tuning your reeds and drones 31:15 – Floppy bags and other setup saboteurs 33:48 – Wrapping up: what’s next in part 2... ____ Dojo University is the longest-running and most successful online bagpiping and drumming school in the world. We teach thousands of students around the world how to play good music – mastering the art of learning and playing the bagpipes and drums in the process – in a highly accessible way that is completely unlike anything else you'll find online or in person, anywhere in the world. We created Dojo U because we noticed that too many pipers and drummers were struggling out there in the world. Bagpiping should be a joyful experience, each and every day you pick up your instrument. If it's not, we strive to fix that before it's too late. And whether you're a complete beginner, a parade or experienced player, a pipe major or drum sergeant, or a pro-level competitor... you can free yourself from musical frustration at Dojo U. At Dojo U, we do things a little differently to how you may have approached learning to play the bagpipes before. One of the key reasons for our ongoing success is that we're always evolving, improving, and growing. We'd love to welcome you back and show you around! Find Andrew and the Piper's Dojo Team here: Dojo University Online Bagpipe School: http://pipersdojo.com Facebook:   / pipersdojo   Twitter:   / pipersdojo   Instagram:   / pipersdojo   SnapChat: pipersdojo