Memorial Day Semi-Annual Back-to-Basics … Part 1

It’s time for my semi-annual back to basics rant. Piping is a year round activity for most of us. We love to play most anytime and anywhere. We love to try new tunes and play old ones. Yet unless we stay true to our training, our musicality may slip. At a recent event, a Memorial Day performance, the band gathered at a Bay Area cemetery to play. We arrived, chatted, put on uniforms, warmed up our instruments, then took far too long to tune and hence we did not give enough time to gather with the drummers and run through a set of music. There were note errors, missed starts, missed pickups and cut-offs. Overall the performance was a ‘B’, but not the ‘A’ we should be performing at. There are many factors affecting a performance. By Memorial Day, every piper worth his, or her, salt should be hitting their stride, a plateau of performance, if you will. And if we’re not, then you need to attend my Semi-Annual Back-to-Basics blog!

The Highland Bagpipes are one of the most physically challenging of instruments to play. To play well a piper must be practiced confidently on his or her chanter (for the tune), have strong lungs and strong lips (to play steady and controlled), a strong arm (to play steadily and well) and a well-tuned instrument. When one of these (chanter, lungs, lips, arm & instrument) is off, the others will (not may) suffer.

A piper needs a strong lips, strong arm and a lot of breath to keep the pipes going. Practicing daily for twenty to thirty (or more) minutes helps develop the strength and stamina a piper needs to play well. You can tell a lot about a piper’s practice time by how long their lips last until he starts to sputter and loose air through his lips. The more you practice on both practice chanter and pipes to the point of sputter, then recover rest, the stronger you will become. Add strong breath support and a strong arm, both gained through practice, and you can then maintain strong and steady pressure keeping the tune, both chanter and drones, playing with an even sound.

Truth be told, it is just what my parents told me when I decided to take up alto saxophone in elementary school: practice and you improve; skip practice and you don’t, your decision son. My parents are very wise. Did I heed their advice through high school: sadly no. I practiced sporadically, or increased practice close to a performance. I was never a star player. Years later, I found out that you don’t just try bagpiping. The bagpipes are a strong taskmaster if you want to improve. Play your chanter every day. If you are new to piping, play your practice chanter until your lips sputter, then return later that day for another session. Soon you’ll be practicing for 30 or more minutes. With strong lips then practice can concentrate on the music. When you are on the pipes (be sure to take time to tune), do the same thing. Your lips, lungs and arm will strengthen allowing you to, once again, concentrate on the music.

Happy piping.

On the Piper of Tobruk, PM Rob Roy

PM Robert 'Rob' Roy

In June of last year I wrote about a Scots piping hero Bill Millin — who led troops during the D-Day landings in 1944. Many, if not all, have heard of his bravery in piping the troops ashore at Normandy. Yet three years earlier, at the Siege of Tobruk, April - November 1941, in Libya, North Africa, another soldier achieved similar hero status piping for the troops. His name was Robert "Rob" Roy.  

A Scotsman in the 2nd Battalion Black Watch, piper Rob Roy gained the title of Piper of Tobruk for his role in the breakout at Tobruk after being besieged by Axis forces led by Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel during the 241 days. The Port of Tobruk was a key location for the Allies as it was the only major port between Tripoli and Alexandria. Holding it forced the Germans to transport needed supplies over the 1500 km of desert. The location of the port also posed a threat to that same German supply line. The battle was fierce with repetitive bombings and ground assaults. Tobruk marked the first time that the advance of the German Panzers (under Rommel) had been brought to a halt.

As the Allies started their offensive to break out of the Axis stranglehold, Roy was called to play his pipes. Felled by a bullet at the start of the breakout, he got to his feet and continued playing, only to be hit again. Once more he got to his feet, but was hit a third time. Unable to get up this time, he kept playing his pipes while lying on the ground. Pipe Major Roy continued a distinguished military career serving in India and Burma, Gibraltar and Scotland as RSM.

PM Roy passed away on August 24, 1960 while rehearsing for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. After his death, a military funeral took place at Hayfield Cemetery in Kirkcaldy, when his pipes that had inspired men on the battlefield were heard again — in lament. Five senior army officers who had commanded Pipe Major Roy were among those who joined his widow Hilda at the graveside.

It has been 53 years since PM Roy’s death, and yet his daughters Alice and Margaret, and son Robert are still amazed when they hear of history buffs remembering Roy and his service to his country. As Alice and Margaret recalled last year, "As young children we grew up with the sound of pipes being played by students in every spare room in our Dundee home. Their sound still evokes a curious mix of emotions — they cheer you up one minute, yet make you feel a little sad and homesick at the same time. The drone of the pipes, wailing a slow lament, turns your mind to all those who gave their lives for their country. “

As long as men are stirred to fight for liberty and freedom, men like PM Rob Roy will be stirred to serve and fight. As Roy’s daughter said so eloquently of the soldiers who gave their last breath for their country, “They may be gone, but none will be forgotten."