Grade 5 Piping – £25
This level covers the progression from Tutor 1 (T1) to Tutor 3 (T3) and the commencement of Tutor 4 (T4).

Be prepared to play a piobaireachd ground from T4 or equivalent on pipes, plus two four-parted marches, one four parted strathspey and one four parted reel, one hornpipe and one jig from T1 and/or T3, or equivalent. Pipes must be reasonably well set and tuned by candidate. Play basic piobaireachd movements on practice chanter to include crunluath, dare, edre, dre, double echoes, hiharin, rodin and darado and answer questions on theory, maintenance, and basic canntaireachd.

Theory to cover great stave, how to add expression to tunes (dots and cuts), rhythm or beat patterns in different types of tunes (e.g. strong, weak, medium, weak etc), ability to write any of the movements covered in T1, T3 and T4, canntaireachd for the scale notes and gracenotes, ability to write out any part of a tune from memory, simple monotone exercises.

Maintenance questions will cover different types of bags, their advantages and disadvantages, different types of drone reeds, adjustment of drone reeds, chanter reeds: how to select, set and weaken or strengthen; and bringing a bagpipe into playing condition (e.g. if it has not been played for a time or if it has been left for a time in a hot, dry atmosphere).