Piobaireachd Fundamentals

In-Person and Virtual Workshops

6 class series = $120 or $90 for CAF Members
Each class held 6pm-8pm Pacfic Time

October - 14, 21, 28
November - 11, 18
December - 2

These classes will be held in-person at the Littlefield Celtic Center AND online simultaneously!

In this series Zephan Knichel will help students delve into Highland Piping's earliest form of music, Piobaireachd (Pea-Brock). This ancient style of piping originated on the Isle of Skye by the MacCrimmon's as early as the 14/15th century.

Each tune begins with the Urlar, a slow theme similar to plainchant singing, which incorporates a variety of Piobaireachd specific ornamentation. The tune then progresses into a series of variations on the theme that become more rhythmically and technically challenging incorporating more complex embellishments as the tune progresses. In these sessions we will focus on the foundations of Piobaireachd. We will cover how to play Piobaireachd specific embellishments and learn how Piobaireachd was taught for hundreds of years without the use of sheet music. These sessions will be a great deal of fun for any piper of any skill level*, even those with little to no piobaireachd background.

Throughout the series we will focus on:

·         Learning Piobaireachds: We will survey several tunes in this course and will provide the accompanying materials necessary for continued study following the course.

·         Tune analysis: learning about the form and structure of various Piobaireachds and the stories or legends that accompany them.

·         The History of Piobaireachd: from the 1400s to the present

·         Finger Technique: learning and refining Piobaireachd specific embellishments

·         Canntaireachd: The formal language created to preserve this artform prior to sheet music

·         Singing: Unlocking the music comes from breaking the barrier between the brain and the instrument. Singing is the key to this and will be a part of every session.

Sessions will be presented in person at the Littlefield Celtic Center and online via Zoom. Each session will be professionally video recorded and made available to all attendees. Attendees will also receive access to four Piobaireachd Masterclass videos by Zephan Knichel recorded in 2025 (each teaching a different Piobaireachd, complete with sheet music and audio recordings of each tune), eight Piobaireachd embellishment tutorial videos, and a helpful guide filled with various Piobaireachd resources. Sheet music for everything covered in the course and to accompany the supplemental materials will be provided.

*This series is open to students enrolled in CAFs Bagpipes for Beginners Program who have completed Level 4, or by instructor approval.

*Scholarship and financial aid available. Please email Cayley@CelticArts.org for more information.