PDQB Level 2 – Piping (Bagpipes)

National Progression Award Scottish Bagpipes
SCQF Level 4 Certificate

Can be taken by the average beginner within a year to 18 months of starting to learn.

  1. Maintenance
    Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of the following:

    1. Naming all of the parts of a Bagpipe
    2. How to properly replace and remove the Pipe Chanter
    3. How to properly replace and remove the Drones
    4. Correct hemping/sealing of Bagpipe joints
    5. How to correctly tie on and space the Drone cords
  2. Practical
    On the Bagpipes, candidates must demonstrate competence in the following:

    1. Exercises
      1. All doublings (Low G to High A), from any note of the scale
      2. Throw on D from each note of the scale
      3. Grips (including Grips with a B gracenote)
      4. Birl and Birl with a G gracenote from each note of the scale
      5. Taorluaths to Low A from each note of the scale (including Taorluaths from D with a B gracenote)
      6. Tachums
      7. C doublings to Low A and B doublings to Low G with E gracenote as used in Strathspey playing (Round movement)
      8. Basic monotone exercises in Simple and Compound Time
    2. Tunes
      Candidates submit five tunes comprising:

      1. 2 parts of a Slow Air
      2. 2 parts of a March in 3/4 or 4/4 Time
      3. 2 parts of a March in 6/8 or 9/8 Time
      4. 2 parts of a Strathspey
      5. 2 parts of a Reel

      The music is to be presented to the Assessor and played on the Bagpipe in accordance with the written score. The music does not have to be written out by the candidate.
      The tunes submitted must incorporate some of the embellishments from the exercises listed in section a.

  3. Theory
    Candidates must be able to:

    1. Understand Simple Time rhythms
    2. Explain what a time signature is
    3. Place bar lines according to a time signature
    4. Explain what a treble clef is
    5. Identify the time signature from a piece of music presented by the Assessor
    6. Write out all doublings and embellishments in section 2.a.
    7. Write out 8 bars of a Simple Time tune from memory. The tune is to be selected from those submitted by the candidate for the practical section
    8. Be able to draw a note value table and understand relative note durations