2 GREAT TUTOR PRODUCTS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR STUDENT PIPERS

1. LEARN TO PLAY THE BAGPIPE WITH THE EASY METHOD
First published 2007,
Digital edition published July 2009
Available on CD ROM and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
RETAIL £6 (Digital download version), £9 (CD ROM version postage included)  

Author Bruce Campbell says: “I started teaching over 20 years using this unique method and found that it was hugely successful with advanced players. Over the years I have modified it to make it suitable for beginners and ‘struggling’ pipers. I could never understand why other teachers thought, and many still do, that elements like timing and phrasing as well as playing on the beat come at a later stage. Why not teach them from the start, using the rhythmic qualities of music to help a piper improve. That is what the EAST METHOD is - a logical progression into music which also allows the student to memorise tunes in a fraction of the time that so-called ‘conventional teaching’ takes. The method might be easy but the results are staggering.”

The sample tune is ‘Amazing Grace’ while another six have been added, all complete with notational and sound files: ‘O Gin I Were A Baron’s Heir’, ‘Heather Island’, ‘Morag of Dunvegan’, ‘Lovely Stornoway’, ‘Scots Wha Hae’ and ‘Callin Mo Ruin-sa’ - as well as ‘Amazing Grace’.

This book specialises in teaching the FOUNDATION STAGES of piping. It is the first time that a whole book has been devoted to getting the most important aspects of piping correct.

Two versions are available - a digital download only version which is sent via email and a packaged and presented CD ROM version sent through the post.

Files include;
‘The Book’
BMW playback files
SOUND files for all tunes
SOUND files for all scales and exercises
SOUND files by bars, phrases and lines for ‘Amazing Grace’


2. LET’S LEARN TO PLAY PIOBAIREACHD
First published October 2009,
Digital edition published October 2009
Available on CD ROM and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
RETAIL £6.95 (Digital download version), £10.95 (CD ROM version postage included)  

Author Bruce Campbell says: “Over the years I have been amazed at the myths which surround the playing of Piobaireachd. It is one of the great genres of Scottish traditional music but unfortunately even the vast majority of pipers do not play it. I hope that the release of this CD ROM tutor blows away some of the myths about ‘Piobaireachd only being for elite level pipers.’ It isn’t, it is just great music.”

The  CD ROM is based on an e-book format (with linked sound files) which goes through the various movements and technical variations in common use in Piobaireachd, explains structure, style and classification in some detail and then goes through a complete lesson tune, LAMENT FOR THE OLD SWORD (in the Donald MacDonald setting).

Everything is broken down totally and also linked to musical illustrations so you can listen to the phrase you are going to practice, play it over yourself, and then play back again to check that you are on the right road. Handy hints are placed beside tricky passages.

The lesson tune LAMENT FOR THE OLD SWORD is included on a studio recorded sound file and broken down by Variations while the other links are available through BMW files - all carefully adjusted so that what you hear is what you play.

Two versions are available - a digital-only version available on instant download and a packaged and presented CD ROM version sent through the post.

Files include;
‘The E-Book’
BMW playback files
STUDIO SOUND file for ‘LAMENT FOR THE OLD SWORD’
SOUND files for all movements and variations
SOUND files by phrases, lines and variations for ‘LAMENT FOR THE OLD SWORD’
STAFF NOTATION print file for ‘LAMENT FOR THE OLD SWORD’


3. Complete Piobaireachd Lessons Volume 1 (CD ROM)

Duntroon Publishing/ The Piping School
Bruce Campbell
Includes 4 Piobaireachd and complete lessons on each with pdf e-book, linked studio recorded sound files, sheet music and bmw files.
Struan Robertson’s Salute, Glengarry’s Lament, The Munros’ Salute, Lament
For Sir James MacDonald of the Isles

THE LESSONS on this CD ROM are all presented in pdf format which makes them accessible to a multi platform of computer users.

In the accompanying documents are music files in wave format, studio recorded Highland pipe sound files and bagpipe music writer program. Instructions on how to download Bagpipe Music Writer are also included in a separate document.

By clicking on the identified text in the main pdf document you will be guided to the relevant file which will either then play automatically or in some cases you will have to manually play.

If you wish you only need to follow the text in the file marked lessons. These have all the notes to the playing text as well as linked sound files. However, files in Bagpipe Music Writer are also included in their own separate folder including full tune versions which are handy should you want to make your own print copies.
  The quality of the studio recorded pipe files has been kept high by going into a professional studio and doing re-takes if there was any drastic error. Am I happy with the result? No, of course not - I am never happy with any performance at any time and have always been looking to play the 'perfect tune'. So please be forgiving of the odd lightness in a Crunluadh or Taorluadh - the perfect days have gone!