THE TUNE UP NEWSLETTER OF THE LAUNCESTON RSL PIPES & DRUMS Issue 1. good workout practice session as well.

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1 THE TUNE THE TUNE UP NEWSLETTER OF THE LAUNCESTON RSL PIPES & DRUMS UP Newsletter of the Launceston RSL Pipes & Drums LAIRD BEST AND JOSH SHEPPARD AT THE 2012 CAMPBELL TOWN SHOW Welcome all to the second edition of the City of Launceston RSL Pipes & Drums weekly newsletter THE TUNE UP Once again the input from band members and friends is essential for the success of our newsletter. The same articles are back a special look at good practice habits; it takes time to get into a productive practice routine but all worth it in the long run. Along with some new tune sets same tunes but put together in a slightly different but interesting way. Get ready Pipers and Drummers plenty of changes for both corps. Also snippets of the short but interesting history of the Band. Also a look at the Australasian Edition of the The Scottish Banner We get a mention on page 11. Read on to find out more. Also a quick look at some interesting articles and up and coming events. Remember the success of THE TUNE UP is up to the input from members. A review of The Bagpipestar bagpipe Karaoke system. Its great fun also a good workout practice session as well. Please look at our admin page for important information. Remember this is the page to pass on any type of info to the whole band so send them in to ltonrslpad@yahoo.com.au Remember to check out our web page and our Facebook page Let me know what you thought of our first edition comments and suggestions welcome, remember it s our newsletter. I am still looking for fellow editors to look after a segment(s) of his or her choosing perhaps instrument or uniform maintenance or searching the web for interesting web sites. Swapping links to YouTube and Highland suppliers. What do you want to see in your newsletter? Of course anything that is submitted would first be checked by the editor so as not to possibly offend anyone such as a questionable joke. Drum Major Murray Nickels leads the Band on Parade. Can anyone remember who all the players were on this parade?? Craig Cooper Josh Sheppard Laird Best and Greg Parkinson.

2 2 A HISTORY LESSON OF OUR PIPES AND DRUMS A quick look at the beginnings of the City of Launceston RSL Pipes and Drums. The article below is taken from the Sunday Examiner 19 December While most boys dream of growing up and playing electric guitars, some young Launceston chaps have decided to go for something different-the bagpipes. The recently formed City of Launceston RSL Pipes and Drums Band boasts a perfect blend of youth and experience, thanks to teenage students from Scotch Oakburn College and Brooks High School. And Drum Major Tony Rushton is quite happy with the young Bravehearts who don the kilt and sporran to perform regular gigs that are unmistakable Scottish in flavor. It s hard to get players to stay in the band these days Mr. Rushton said. With work commitments, many band members just don t have the time. Which is why he s happy to have five teenage boys in the band. The Scotch boys are lucky in that they have the Pipes taught to them at school, he said. It s the perfect complement to our weekly practice. The Band performed in the City Park as part of the University of Tasmania graduation ceremony before heading to Lilydale for the Christmas Parade. But for the City of Launceston RSL Pipes and Drums to keep going, they will need some urgent help with sponsorship. We ve borrowed drums from Scotch College, but need to raise about $10,000 for our own Mr. Rushton said. We re also hoping to attract people to the band to play drums. Anyone interested in either joining the band or helping financially can contact Mr. Rushton. The photo is of the first parade of the CITY OF LAUNCESTON PIPES & DRUMS. Anyone with any photos or video of the band please send them into ltonrslpad@yahoo.com.au.

3 3 THE WEB LINKS PAGE Welcome to piping karaoke. I warmed up the pipes checked my pitch (474) popped in the DVD selected 474 on the DVD selected Erin s Green Shores and away I went trying to follow that bouncing ball bouncing over them notes. You will want to do it again and again. Oh yeh turn up the volume of your sound system way up! And enjoy! The CD contains; MP4 digital movie files of the BagpipeStar karaoke tracks grouped into the various pipe chanter tunings. Tuning files to test your chanter s tuning A full music book PDF of the tunes included in BagpipeStar that you can print out. A karaoke song sheet PDF that you can print out to run a piping karaoke session with your piper buddies or pipe band. MP3 files of all the BagpipeStar tunes being played on the pipes so you can hear how the arranger plays them. Though it is not a serious training piece of kit it I think will provide some serious fun listening to pipers having a go. I found using the DVD on the TV very easy to use also a lot of fun. First of all get out your pipes and give them a blow for about 5 minutes, good time to practice some exercises. Now check your pitch by playing low A and checking on your tuner you should be about 47u Select the pitch from the on screen menu then select your tune. Turn up the volume to fairly loud then choose a tune from the on screen menu. I found it easier to let the tune play through to get the feel of the tempo and rhythm. Also have a quick look for any note differences. I found the settings fairly easy and straight forward. Now get the pipes ready on the shoulder click your chosen tune and on screen prompts and drum rolls will count you in. Bring drones in on the drones prompt and sound E when prompted. Now all you have to do is follow the on screen music and the bouncing ball. Have the backing music loud enough so that you can easily hear it. This will help you keep the tempo and rhythm in line with the backing music. I found this is a good exercise in concentration but after a couple of times through you get the feel for the tune. I would suggest starting with a slow tune that you know well. I found playing along with Bagpipestar a good way of picking out your weakness from a tempo point of view. I found that the tempos are slightly faster than what we are used to but not too hard to adjust to. I think the most I have got out of playing Bagpipestar so far is a good playing workout to help boost my playing endurance and because Playing with the music on a big screen in front of me following a bouncing ball I have realized how easy it is to not play what is on the music but what you think is written. A very good point for all pipers to be aware of. So pipers practice often with the music in front of you. Any fun things like this or any other sites of interest can be added to THE TUNE UP also they can be posted on the band Web Site.

4 4 The Chanter Tips and ideas for Lovers of Bagpipes Welcome to The Chanter a page dedicated to the playing and enjoyment of the Pipes. I am looking forward to your articles and ideas on how to increase our playing enjoyment. In this edition I will continue with tips for productive practice. Along with basic exercises systematic practice of doublings, shakes, strikes etc. Doublings along with all embellishments are simply made up of gracenotes plated from one note to another or the same note. When practicing a doublings break it down to individual notes. Do this by playing it first slowly ensuring that you play it even and all written notes are sounded clearly. Then increase the tempo keeping all notes clear and all gracenotes the same length. When playing slow raise each gracenote finger an even height this will help keeping the gracenote clear and even. When playing doublings etc. up the scale play to a tempo this helps keep all doublings etc. even. This practice routine applies also to all types of embellishments. Practicing on the pipes Practice on the Pipes is essential for a confident performance as well as building playing stamina it Helps in achieving a steady pitch by sustaining an even pressure. When practicing on the pipes start by practicing a few exercises for a few minutes to warm up the pipes. Then tune the outer tenor drone then play and hold low A. Listen to the drone for any wavering sound. If you have tuned the drone correctly to low A and you are blowing a steady pressure a steady sound will be produced. If your blowing is unsteady the sound will be unsteady. To achieve a steady tone concentrate on keeping the pressure on the bag with your arm firm. Do not lift the arm off when you blow into the bag but let the air pressure in the bag push your arm up and down. Long firm breaths not short quick breaths will assist with steady pressure. If you find it hard to maintain a steady pressure, check all joints for any air leaks. When you maintain a steady tone repeat the exercise on each note holding each note for one minute. Now practice a few exercises listening for that steady tone of the tenor drone. Have a break then play a slow march or Air that you are very confident playing while listening for that steady tone from the tenor drone. A tip to help you listen to your fingering while play the pipes is to stand facing a corner as this gives very good feedback from your chanter. Listen for each note for a clear exact tone for each note. Play slowly up and down the scale while closely listening to each note. Remember be honest with yourself if it sounds wrong to you it will sound wrong to everyone else. If you have any questions about your practicing or Bagpipe playing ask as someone will have an answer.

5 5 By The Centre, Quick Joke By Anonymous late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. Q. What do you call someone who carries a Piper s pipe box? A. A Drummer Murray: "Hey, Josh. What comes after the first set of rolls?" Josh: "noise." Murray: "Hey, Josh. What comes after the second set of rolls?" Josh: "more noise." A Scotsman applied for admission to the New York City police force. The inspector glared at him and asked, "How would you dispense a large, unruly crowd?" "Weel," replied the Scotsman, "I'm no too sure how ye do it here in New York, but in Aberdeen we just pass the hat around, and they soon begin to shuffle off. As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a grave-side service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper s cemetery in the Ohio backcountry. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical male I didn t stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn t know what else to do, so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around.. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I ve never played before for this homeless man. And as I played Amazing Grace, the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say "Sweet Mother of Jesus, I never seen nothin like that before and I ve been putting in septic tanks for over twenty years." Q. What's one thing you never hear people say? A. Oh, that's the pipe player's Porsche. Jokes and Quotes Once again I need your help as I need lots of Jokes and Quotes for By The Centre Quick Joke page send them in please. Please if you won t show your mum the jokes don t send them in OK thanks. Funny Pics Same as Jokes and Quotes I need funny pictures relating to anything.

6 6 ADMIN PAGE This page is dedicated to passing on important information relating to the running of the band. Such as practice times as well as any changes week to week, details regarding band monthly meetings, updates to contact details of any type. Also to inform members of any tune set changes including list of tunes to be played at the next band engagement. An update to up and coming band events including engagements, extra practices, band dinners, BBQs etc. Feel free to send in anything you wish to pass on to the band and it will be added to this page. Our next band engagement is on the 8 th July 2012 please meet at 10am for an start. I am planning on playing three times each of about 15 to 20 minutes each. Expected finish time around 3pm. Remember our Web Site at For more info please ltonrslpad@yahoo.com.au or ring Craig Cooper The and web sites will be monitored by both Craig and Laird. Please make the most of these resources to enhance our profile across Tasmania. Business cards will be handed out to members please contact Craig for some. On the subject of uniforms if you know of any previous member no longer active that has band uniforms could you notify Graeme so the uniforms could be returned. If any of your uniform needs maintenance or replacing please contact Graeme so that action can be taken. Our uniform is very smart looking and is a visual statement of our overall high standards. Could anyone who changes their contact details including please contact Craig Cooper so I can update our records. Band Practice times are from 7pm to 9pm each Wednesday night at the Launceston RSL building 1 st floor on Wellington Street. Pipe Sargent Craig Cooper is willing to provide extra tuition music or theory, at no cost, or just for some extra fun piping learning some show tunes, on week nights after 7pm at 26 Waroona Street Youngtown near the South Launceston Football Club ground. If you are interested please or ring Craig at cplcoops@yahoo.com or on MOB or after 6pm

7 7 THE TUNE UP Newsletter of the Launceston RSL Pipes & Drums [Street Address] Launceston Tasmania Australia [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP Code]