A SIMPLE TEACHING ETHOS
My ethos on teaching piping has
certainly evolved over the years.
In that time I have come to separate
the elements of piping into
musicianship, instrument and
technique - and have found that
when isolated and developed in a
logical and structured sequence can
have an amazing effect on a piper's
performance level.
I have allied those thoughts into my own structured method of teaching tunes which relies totally on phrase recognition, identification of rhythm and beat as well as other musical elements, and the repetition of ‘beat sections’ until a tune is perfected and memorised.
In this simple system, which I call the ‘Easy Method’, tunes are learned quickly and correctly.
This desire to see the 'light bulb' go on for pipers and make their playing easier and therefore more pleasurable drives me on as a teacher.
Technique is another issue, and if a piper wants to spend a lifetime perfecting it and developing it then that is great - but you do not need to have great technique to present an enjoyable piping performance.
It is that simplicity which provides the background to my teaching style and which is represented in the many instructional papers and books I have authored over the years.
Bruce Campbell
