Introduction to the Great Highland Bagpipe - The Great Highland Bagpipe

The Great Highland Bagpipe

Reviewing the history of bagpipes provides a broad picture of how and why the Great Highland Bagpipe was developed in Scotland. Some bagpipes were developed to be played indoors, but the Great Highland Bagpipe was designed to be played outside. A piper with a strong reed can easily achieve well over 100 decibels, and the sound can be heard for a mile or more in quiet, rural surroundings. The bagpipe is a complex instrument, and it is really a collection of several reed instruments. Although the bagpipe is complicated, it is easy to understand the function of each part if it is examined separately.

History of the Highland Bagpipe

The Great Highland Bagpipe has been played in Scotland for hundreds of years. It evolved from simpler bagpipes, though it is not known exactly when the second and third drones were added. [1]

The first bagpipes played in the Highlands of Scotland did not have the three drones that are present in the modern bagpipe. However, the third drone has been present for several hundred years. The Great Highland Bagpipe was designed to be played outdoors, and, indeed, the pipes can be heard up to a mile or more away in a quiet, rural setting.

The instrument was originally played solo only. When the regimental piping tradition began, it began to be played in bands. The original music of the bagpipe was piobaireachd. This was the only music played for several hundred years.

In the 18th and 19th century, bagpipes became part of the British military culture. The regimental piper became part of the British military tradition, and pipers were present, and many lost their lives, in World War I and World War II. [5, 6] The regimental tradition still exists today in the British Army.

The Great Highland Bagpipe

The Great Highland Bagpipe is made up of several, separate pieces. An example of a bagpipe is provided in Figure 1, and each of the parts is labeled. Each bagpipe has three drones and a melody chanter. These are tied into the bag, which is covered (as shown in the example). In addition, a blowpipe is tied into the bag as well. Each of these components is described in detail below. Although the layout of the bagpipe is similar between different makers and models, the actual materials used to construct the bagpipe can vary. Typically, a bagpipe is made from African Blackwood or ebony. Other pipe makers may use other, less dense (and less expensive) woods such as rosewood, boxwood, or cocous wood.

The mountings of the drones of the bagpipe will vary between different manufacturers and models. Generally, less expensive sets have less costly materials used for mountings. As the mountings do not affect the tone of the drones, the different styles are described in the section, "Buying a Bagpipe," instead of in this section.

Bag. The bag is the reservoir of air that is used to play the bagpipe, and all of the drones and the chanter are tied into the bag. The bag was traditionally made from sheepskin; however, several other materials are used today. Perhaps the most common materials are elk hide and Goretex. Elk hide is most commonly used in North America. Goretex is a synthetic material that is used in Canmore bags, which have become quite popular.

All natural skin bags need "seasoning." The seasoning process makes the bag airtight and also helps it absorb moisture. By absorbing moisture, the bag will reduce the amount of water vapor that condenses on the reeds. Various commercial products are available today for bag seasoning; however, traditional recipes were honey-based or sugar-based [7] A commercially produced seasoning is probably easier for most pipers to use. A properly stitched and seasoned bag should be airtight. A bag that is not airtight will make a steady pressure, and therefore a steady tone, very difficult to maintain. The advantage of artificial materials such as Goretex is that they do not require seasoning.

In addition to being the reservoir of air, pressure on the bag is what is actually used to play the pipes. The blowpipe allows the piper to keep the bag full, but pressure from the piper's lungs is not what sounds the reeds. [8] The left arm is used to provide pressure on the bag, and this pressure forces air through the reeds.

Blowpipe. The blowpipe is what the piper uses to fill the bag with air. A mouthpiece is at the top of the blowpipe. The mouthpiece is removable so that it can be cleaned, and it can be changed to a shorter or longer mouthpiece to suit a piper's needs. The blowpipe has a one-way valve at its base. This allows air to pass into the bag, but air cannot pass back out the blowpipe. The valve must seat properly, or air will escape from the bag. Traditionally, valves were made from bits of leather; however, rubber valves and synthetic valves are common today.

Drones. The Great Highland Bagpipe has three drones. Drones are simple woodwind instruments. They only sound one note, and they provide a constant background of sound while the chanter is played. Of the three drones, two are tenor drones and one is a bass drone. Though all three drones play the note, "A," the bass drone is one octave below the two tenors. The constant sound of the drones enhances the overall sound of the bagpipe, and makes it much richer sounding than the chanter alone.

Each drone uses a single reed, which can be seen in Figure 2. The drone reed shown here is a synthetic reed. The body of the reed (the black plastic in the picture) has a "tongue" attached to it (the white plastic). This is actually the single reed. The "bridle" is used to control the length of the tongue (the black strap wrapped around the body of the reed). Moving the bridle to make the tongue longer will make the reed less likely to stop, but it will also make the reed flatter. [7]

Because the drones must be tuned, they are made in more than one section. The tenor drones have two sections, and the bass drone has three. The drones are tuned to match the pitch of the chanter.

Chanter. The chanter is used to provide the melody of the bagpipes. The chanter is capable of producing nine notes, and it is in the key of D major. The chanter does not have keys, but instead has eight holes. Seven of the holes are on the front, and a thumb hole is on the back. An example is provided in Figure 3. The chanter uses a double reed instead of a single reed. This is comparable to an oboe or a bassoon. An example is provided in Figure 4.

Chanters are usually made from African Blackwood, but a variety of other materials can be used. Some cheaper sets of pipes are made of softer woods, and these may not be as stable as African Blackwood. Many chanters are made of plastic (typically Delrin). The sound of these chanters has been improving over the years, and they are often used in bands. Because plastic chanters from the same manufacturer are all from the same die, they tend to be easier to tune together than wooden chanters.

The style used to play the chanter is a bit different than a tin whistle or a recorder. With the bagpipe chanter, the middle joints of the fingers are used to cover the holes instead of the finger tips. This seems unusual at first, but this method allows for quicker finger movement off of the holes.

Although the bagpipe consists of many parts, it is not difficult to understand the purpose and function of each part. The bagpipe was originally designed to be played solo outdoors, and the drones on the bagpipe enhance the music that comes from the bagpipe. A melody chanter playing alone would sound quite thin. When the drones are added the sound becomes much more rich and full.

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