I’d like to talk about exercising for better piping. When pipers first read a sentence like that, they’re probably thinking about technique exercises to do with doublings, taorluaths, etc. However, that is different from what I’m discussing today. I am meaning physical hand and arm exercises to increase strength, flexibility, and hand control when playing the practice chanter or pipes.

Essentially, from my experience, the stronger and more flexible your arms and hands are, the less tension you have in your hands and fingers. From there it’s easier to lift and place your fingers on and off the chanter in the correct order. In other words, you are controlling your fingers and not the other way around.

Let’s look at an under-appreciated group of muscles known as the lumbricals. To start, humans have lumbricals in their hands, as well as their feet. But obviously, I am focusing on the ones in the hand. Lumbricals run from your palm up to the large knuckle at the base of your fingers (or thereabouts). They run parallel to the direction of your fingers. What I find the most interesting aspect of lumbricals, is that they attach directly to the tendons that run through your hands. These are the same tendons that help you lift and grab your fingers onto the chanter. Lumbricals are by no means the only muscles that assist in your piping, but they are an under-utilized muscle group that doesn’t get much attention. I have noticed an increase in control over my fingers after explicitly focusing on lumbricals for the last 5 or 6 days.

So, how do you work them and make them stronger? You can start by grabbing a stress ball or something squishy. With a straight finger and thumb, grasp the ball with just a finger and your thumb, similar to how you’d hold the practice chanter. Then gently squeeze down and “pinch” the ball with those two fingers and hold for 1 to 2 seconds, then release. You can do sets of 10, 15, or 20, depending how strong or weak you feel when doing it. You can also do this on each finger, although the pinky is really tough so don’t stress if you can only do 4 or 5 with that finger. Do this a couple of times per week, and it will really help you keep your hands in shape for better control and technique!