Adrian Melvin's Deep Dive on Bagpipe Chanter Reed Making (Dojo University Guest Lecture Session)

Great tone doesn’t start on stage, or even in the practice room… it starts at the workbench. This week on the Dojo University Friday Strike-In, Andrew and Carl welcome piping legend and master reed-maker Adrian Melvin for a deep dive into reed making, tone production, band leadership, and the lessons that only come from years at the top level of piping. Here’s what we cover this week: 00:00 – Adrian’s Background & Piping Journey 03:00 – Getting Started in Reed Making 04:54 – Understanding Cane: Arundo donax & Material Variability 05:18 – Staples Explained: Brass vs. Copper & Eye Shape 06:44 – Shaping the Reed: Curve, Sound Box & Precision Tools 09:14 – Sourcing Cane from Spain & France 11:16 – Tying the Reed: Technique & Setup 13:41 – Finishing Process: Varnish, Pitching & Final Adjustments 18:11 – Cane vs. Synthetic Reeds: Ease vs. Tone 22:01 – Band Management & Avoiding Burnout 25:40 – Last-Minute Competition Disasters (And What They Teach You) 31:25 – Backup Reed Systems & Moisture Control 33:19 – Tuning Stability: Temperature & Humidity Factors 35:52 – How to Select a Quality Reed 37:50 – Cane Yield, Staple Differences & Scale Balance 40:16 – Testing & Quality Control Before Shipping 42:03 – Playing Career Highlights & Major Wins 44:53 – Ridge Cut vs. Straight Cut Reeds 46:05 – Adjusting Reed Strength (Including the “McAllister Wiggle”) 50:29 – Closing Thoughts, Resources & New Chanter Design ____ 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