How to Eliminate Crossing Noises For Good

by Jori Chisholm, Founder of BagpipeLessons.com
Last Updated: August 4, 2026

The short version

A crossing noise is an extra blip of sound between two notes, and it is not mysterious. It happens for one reason: you dropped a finger before you raised another one. Drop first and, for an instant, more fingers are on the chanter than either note calls for — and that usually sounds as a low G.

The rule that fixes it: raise all the fingers that need to raise, then drop the fingers that need to drop. In that order, every time.

Yes, this means a split second of “false” fingering as the fingers pass in the air. That is correct and preferred. At speed you cannot hear it or see it — whereas a crossing noise is loud and obvious even when it is quick.

What a Crossing Noise Actually Is

A crossing noise is an extra sound that we don’t want, caused by incorrect timing with your fingers. It shows up as a little blip between two notes — most often a low G — and even when it is very quick, it is really audible.

The important thing to understand is that it is not a magical sound that appears out of nowhere. It doesn’t arrive from the crossing noise gods. It is a specific, identifiable thing your fingers are doing: dropping a finger before raising another one.

Think of two fingers passing each other, like two people walking past each other on the street. Where do they actually pass? They have to meet in the air. If they meet on the chanter instead, that contact is the crossing noise.

The Trickiest Transition on the Scale: D to E

The hardest transition going from low G up to high A is where you switch hands — right between D and E.

On D, everything is up on the bottom hand except the pinky, which is down. The next note is E, where the ring finger is up on the top hand and on the bottom hand everything is down except the pinky, which is up. That is four or five fingers moving in one instant, and everything on the bottom hand switches places.

Going up: D to E

Here is exactly what I do when I play it correctly. To go to E, I raise the ring finger on the top hand a split second before I drop the three on the bottom. Lift, then drop.

Reverse that — drop those three fingers first and then raise the ring finger — and the moment those three come down you get that low G. Very, very audible.

Coming down: E to D

Same principle in reverse. Coming down to D, raise the bottom-hand fingers first, then drop the ring finger. Drop first and the crossing noise is back.

The rule, in one line: if you hear a crossing noise, look at which fingers are dropping and which are raising, and make sure you raise all the fingers that need to be raised, then drop the fingers that need to be dropped. That gets you your clean transition.

Why the Brief “False Fingering” Is Correct

It is true that for a small fraction of a second you do have a false fingering. You’re opening up, so for that split second you’re on a false fingering, and then you drop and you’re on a proper D.

But look at your two choices. Either you drop first and get a crossing noise — that little blip which is really audible even when it’s small — or you open first and get a very short false fingering.

The second is definitely the correct and preferred way to go. Played fast, you can’t hear that tiny false fingering and you can’t even see it. The crossing noise you hear every time.

Why Crossing Noises Come Back Under Pressure

This is the part that frustrates experienced players. You’ve worked on crossing noises, you know you’re not supposed to make them, you usually don’t — and then one comes out anyway.

Crossing noises come out when your hands get tight, or when you get tired. Often that happens in a performance situation. Factor in some nerves and there’s just a little of that timing error — and there it is.

Here is the mechanism. When your hands are tight your fingers don’t fly off the chanter — they come down faster, they come down harder, and they want to stay down. So instead of the lift-then-drop you trained, the drop slams down and the lifting finger comes up behind schedule. That is exactly where the crossing noise comes from.

Which means crossing noises are often a hand tension problem wearing a different hat. If yours only appear under pressure, work on the tension, not just the timing.

The Three-Step Drill

Take any note combination where you get a crossing noise. C to E is a great example, because it’s a common trouble spot. Build it up in three steps, and stop at whichever step the noise appears.

Plain note change. Just C to E, nothing else. Hands really light. Check: timing good, hands relaxed and loose, no crossing noise.
Add the grace note. Hands still loose, grace note on the beat, no crossing noise.
Add the doubling. Now play the full E doubling.

At any point when you move up a level you may get a little clenching move. That is useful information — it tells you exactly where the problem lives. If steps one and two are clean but the doubling is problematic, your top hand is tightening in anticipation of the doubling. When the hand tightens, the finger that makes the note is slower lifting off the chanter. You’re thinking E, but that finger is locked down by tension. So it isn’t really a crossing noise problem at all — it’s an E doubling problem.

Lead with the finger that makes the note

A lot of players have a thought built into their actions that they don’t even know they have — that the bottom-hand fingers have to come down to make the note. They don’t. Going from C to E, the difference between C and E is that one finger lifting on the top hand. That’s what makes the E.

So lead with the finger that makes the note, and the rest will follow. This works for any note combination where you have a crossing noise to fix.

What to Do When You Hear One

Identify the exact fingers involved. Don’t treat it as a general fault. Name the transition and name the fingers.
Check the order. Everything that goes up goes up first; everything that goes down goes down second.
Check your hand tension. If it only appears when you’re tired, nervous or playing fast, tension is the real culprit.
Drill it in isolation. Plain note, then grace note, then embellishment. Enough reps to build the habit, so you can play the tune and not think about it.

Related Guides

Secrets for Making Your Pipes Easy to Play — an easier instrument means looser hands, which means fewer crossing noises.
Learn Tunes Fast — how to build clean technique into a tune from the start.
The 80/20 Rule for Steady Bagpipe Blowing — steady pressure frees up your hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a crossing noise on the bagpipes?

An unwanted extra sound between two notes, usually heard as a low G blip, caused by dropping a finger before raising another one. For an instant more fingers are on the chanter than either note requires, which sounds a lower note.

What causes crossing noises?

Finger timing, not finger speed. If fingers that should rise and fingers that should fall move together, or in the wrong order, the ones that land first briefly sound a note you didn’t intend.

How do I fix a crossing noise?

Raise every finger that needs to raise first, then drop every finger that needs to drop. Identify the exact fingers in that transition and drill the note change on its own before adding grace notes or embellishments.

Which note transitions are worst for crossing noises?

D to E is the trickiest on the scale, because that’s where you change hands and nearly every finger moves at once. C to E is another common trouble spot, especially with an E doubling. Some transitions can’t produce one at all; others are very likely to.

Why do crossing noises come back when I perform?

Tight hands. Tension makes fingers come down faster and harder and makes them want to stay down, which breaks the lift-then-drop order. Fatigue and nerves both increase tension, which is why the problem reappears exactly when you least want it.

Isn’t the momentary false fingering a problem?

No. Raising first does create a very brief false fingering as the fingers pass in the air, but at speed it is inaudible and invisible. A crossing noise is audible every time. The false fingering is the correct trade.

About Jori Chisholm

Jori Chisholm is a world-renowned American professional bagpipe player and teacher. He played with the six-time Grade One World Champion Simon Fraser University Pipe Band for 19 years and was a featured solo performer for the band on multiple occasions. He is a successful solo competitor, winning the United States Gold Medal four times and winning top prizes at many top competitions including the Northern Meeting at Inverness, the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban, the Royal Braemar Gathering, and the Cowal Highland Gathering.

Jori started BagpipeLessons.com in 1999, in hopes of bringing pipers of all levels and experience valuable, trusted information, tools, support, and inspiration. In 2003, Jori was the first piper to teach bagpipes online. He has been featured in a New York Times front page story about the growth of online music lessons. Jori also founded the world’s first online-only piping and drumming competition, the World Piping and Drumming Championships, which has become a highly popular and celebrated event.

Jori has invented several popular, award-winning, and patented products for pipers including the Tone Protector™ chanter cap with two-way humidity control, the Tone Protector™ Reed Case, InTune Mic™, the Bagpipe Gauge, the Piper’s Ultimate Reed Poker, the Piper’s Advantage™ Bagpipe Phone Mount, and the Piper’s Metronome™. Jori lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife and two sons and enjoys traveling, exploring the great outdoors, and of course, music of all kinds.

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