I come from a trained background of instrumental music on both keyboards and all the woodwind instruments. Since taking up piping, both large and small, it has been an eye opener that so few teachers use exercises and there is so little material published on their use. One time at an outdoor GHB band practice I was warming up using a set of exercises I do and the PM told me to quit playing that trash, partly in jest. I've made my own exercises for northumbrian smallpipes and will continue to work on and expand that set of exercises. These include scales, arpeggios, scales in triplet, scales in third and basic interval work. So far just working in G and A but I need to expand to other keys as well. It goes without saying these should be practiced very slowly and accurately.
Problem I have always had and caution those who do exercises and like them (like me) to play music! These are the means to getting there, not the end. I really like the suggestion of the four tunes that contain the elements of all exercise that Tom Clough used. That is a very sensible approach and am going to look up the tunes. Thanks Jack To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
