The secret to playing slow airs "in time" (eg Flowers of the Forest) is to play them so slowly that no-one can hear the rhythm.

If you can't play difficult tunes up to speed then miss out some of the graces and doublings - the tune's the main thing.

Never practise your doublings slowly. This only exposes faults which lessen confidence.

For difficult parades or competitions stick a small cork in the top of the chanter in place of the reed and just play the drones. Wiggle your fingers a bit and no-one will notice - some-one else in the band (the Pipe Major at least) is bound to be playing.

Never fall into the trap of re-hemping or maintaining your pipes because some-one has told you "it makes them easier to tune" - If God had intended this then hemp would have come in small convenient rolls.

Don't listen to people who tell you not to tamper with your reeds. Just because reeds play well one day doesn't mean that they will the next. Reeds don't like to be neglected so muck around with them as much as you can.

No-one likes a pedant, so don't practise your tunes so often that they sound perfect each time you play them - variety is the spice of life.

To play strathspeys well, think of your favourite sex-symbol doing the Highland Fling and try to get them to jump so high that their kilt flies up!!!

Don't overdo it when building up for a big competition - save yourself by minimising your playing time on the pipes in the weeks leading up to the important event.

Tuning drones can be tricky. Next time the Pipe Major tunes your drones, before putting them away mark their position with some correction fluid - "Close enough is good enough".