Introduction to the Great Highland Bagpipe

History of the Bagpipe

Before learning about the Great Highland Bagpipe, it is helpful to learn a bit about the history of bagpipes. The concept of the bagpipe has existed for several thousand years, and bagpipes appear throughout history and throughout the world. The history of the bagpipe will be reviewed, and this will be followed with an examination of modern bagpipes. Almost every country in the world has developed some form of bagpipe, and, in many countries, these native bagpipes are still played today.

Ancient Bagpipes

Although most people may think of the Great Highland Bagpipe when they think of a typical bagpipe, bagpipes have actually been around for thousands of years. Archeologists have found evidence of bagpipes in the Middle East as early as 1000 BC. Unlike the Great Highland Bagpipe, the earliest bagpipes probably did not use carved wood. Ancient instrument makers relied on material that was already hollow (such as bamboo). [1] As time passed, the bagpipe evolved into a more complex instrument.

Ancient Middle Eastern societies were not the only ancient civilizations that played the pipes. The Romans also played a variation of the bagpipe called the "tibia utricularis." Examples of Roman bagpipes have been found on Roman coins. [1] In addition to Rome, there are indications that the bagpipe was also present in Ancient Greece. The bagpipe is mentioned in Greek literature. [2] After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the bagpipe still maintained its popularity in Europe. Bagpipes were popular in England in the Middle Ages. They are mentioned in "The Miller's Tale" by Chaucer. The pipes continue to be mentioned in literature in later centuries, and they are mentioned by Shakespeare. [1] Each region adapted and changed the bagpipe to suit its particular culture and style of music.

Although there were several dozen varieties of bagpipes around Europe in the Middle Ages, the basic concept behind the pipes remained the same. A reservoir of air was maintained in a bag. Typically, the bag was made of some form of animal hide. A blowpipe or bellows was used to fill the bag with air. Air from the bag was passed through a chanter, which was used to form the melody of the music. There were usually one or more drones also attached to the bag, which sounded a constant tone while the piper was playing.

The benefit of having a reservoir of air in a bag is that the music can be continuous. Unlike an instrument such as a clarinet, where the musician must interrupt the flow of sound to take a breath, the bagpipe can play continuously. This is very useful for dance music. In fact, bagpipes are commonly used to accompany dancers. The drones have the benefit of enhancing the music by providing a continuous background of sound. Even in modern times, a constant, steady sound is often used to add depth and drama to a passage of music. [3]

As the bagpipe was adapted to specific regions, many pipes were developed with a bellows instead of a blowpipe. Pipers could fill the bag by pumping a bellows, and pipers would no longer have to fill the bag with their lung power. There are several advantages to this. The first advantage is that it allows pipers to sing while playing. The second advantage is that air from bellows is not moist. When air is provided by a piper, the breath is full of water vapor. This can condense on reeds, and it can cause them to play improperly.

Modern Bagpipes

In the modern era, there is a multitude of types of bagpipes. Spain, Sweden, Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Greece, and many other countries have developed their own style of bagpipe. [2] Each of these bagpipes have slightly different features. Some have conical melody chanters, and some have cylindrical bores. The number of drones attached to the bag can vary from none to many. Some bagpipes even have four or five drones. The composition of the bag can vary as well. Animal hide is still commonly used, but modern, synthetic materials are becoming more common.

The British Isles and Ireland have several varieties of bagpipe. The Great Highland Pipe is probably the best known of all of these bagpipes, but it is only one of many that exist in Britain and Ireland today. Although most of these bagpipes are not as common as the Great Highland Bagpipe, there are many musicians that play these other bagpipes. Many of these bagpipes are much better suited to playing in an ensemble with mixed instruments (especially indoor performances), and they are often seen in Celtic folk bands.

The Uilleann Bagpipe. The Uilleann, or Union, Bagpipe is native to Ireland. Unlike a Great Highland Bagpipe, it uses a bellows to fill the bag. The Uilleann pipes are typically played sitting down. This bagpipe has a range of two chromatic octaves, which is much greater than the nine notes of the Great Highland Bagpipe. [3] The Uilleann pipes may have several drones, and they may also have regulators. Regulators are like drones, but their notes can actually be changed. A set that has a bellows, bag, and chanter is referred to as a "practice set." A set that has a bellows, bag, chanter, and drones is referred to as a "half set." When regulators are added to a half set, this is known as a "full set" of pipes. It may be many years before a Uilleann piper is ready to play a full set. [4]

Other bagpipes. The Uilleann Bagpipe and the Great Highland Bagpipe are more common than the other pipes in Britain and Ireland, but many other types of pipes still have a strong following. Some of the other pipes that are still played in Britain and Ireland are: the Northumbrian pipes, the Scottish Small Pipe, the Pastoral Pipe, and the Border Pipe.

The history of the bagpipe is extensive, and variations of the concept exist all over the world. Although the Great Highland Pipe was developed to suit the culture of the Scottish Highlands, it evolved from a very old piping tradition that existed for thousands of years before it. Many different types of pipes are still played today, and they all have an individual sound.

garycox@io.com
Date last modified: 8/8/98