The Bagpipe BASICS Exercise Manual

The Bagpipe BASICS Exercise Manual is the definitive printed companion to Matt Willis’s popular Bagpipe BASICS YouTube video series, bringing together all the core lessons into one professionally typeset, easy-to-reference volume. Designed not only for beginning pipers but for any player looking to improve their technique, this manual delivers what the BASICS series has always been known for: focused, practical, real-world exercises that help pipers play more cleanly, confidently, and musically. For years, viewers have downloaded each exercise sheet individually from Matt’s videos—often printing multiple pages, trying to keep them in order, and flipping between them and a screen. This manual changes that. Now, for the first time, every exercise from the full Bagpipe BASICS series is in one place, printed in a clean, durable format that lays flat and holds up to daily practice. What’s Inside: All exercises from the entire Bagpipe BASICS video series, fully compiled and typeset for print Clear visual layout that reflects the spacing and feel of proper embellishment timing Additional context and explanations not included in the videos, offering deeper insight into how and why each drill works A personal bio from Matt Willis, sharing his background as a professional performer and teacher These are the very same exercises Matt uses with his private students, pipe bands, and personal warm-ups. Whether you’re building good habits from day one or retraining your fingers after years of frustration, this manual provides the structure and repetition needed to build fluency and consistency. Matt Willis is a full-time professional bagpiper and educator with decades of experience teaching both beginners and advanced players. His YouTube channel has helped tens of thousands of pipers worldwide, and this manual is a natural extension of that work—built for those who learn best by doing and who want a physical reference they can return to every day. Perfect For: New pipers who want a clear path to clean technique Intermediate players frustrated with persistent bad habits Pipe bands looking for a standardized warm-up method Teachers in need of a flexible, reliable curriculum base Anyone using the Bagpipe BASICS videos and looking for a better way to follow along With this book, you’ll have a reliable, portable, and expertly designed tool to help you play better, feel better, and sound better on the pipes.