| The Bagpipe | | | | |
| | | | Bagpipe, you can also find the Medieval |
| Description of the Bagpipereservoir. The | | | | Bagpipe, |
| bagpipe's air reservoir directs | | | | |
| anuninterrupted air stream through the reeds. | | | | Medieval Smallpipe, and the Mediterranean |
| | | | Bagpipe. |
| Origin of the Bagpipes | | | | |
| | | | Playing the Bagpipes |
| The bagpipe has it's origins in antiquity. | | | | |
| It wasfound in the ancient world throughout | | | | Beginner bagpipe students do not learn to |
| Asia, in | | | | play musicon the bagpipe. The beginner first |
| | | | learns on thebagpipe practice chanter. |
| North Africa, and across Europe. | | | | |
| | | | The bagpipe practice chanter has three |
| A type of bagpipe is mentioned in the Old | | | | pieces: themouthpiece, the shorter top body |
| Testamentand the bagpipe is also found in | | | | section and thebottom body section with |
| Greek writingsdated in the Fifth Century BC. | | | | finger holes. Bagpipepractice chanters are |
| These bagpipeswere predecessors of the modern | | | | played like a whistle orrecorder. While |
| day bagpipe andwere probably differed from | | | | playing, keep your fingers straight. |
| the bagpipes you seetoday. | | | | |
| | | | Do not to use the pads of your fingers, |
| In truth, the bagpipe's origin is obscure. | | | | rather usethe tips. Place your fingers over |
| Thereason may be due to the nature of the | | | | all the holes,front and back. Lifting one |
| bagpipe. | | | | finger at a time playsnotes. After each |
| | | | practice session, take the bagpipepractice |
| The ancient bagpipe was made of wood and | | | | chanter apart and shake out the moisture. |
| skin,and thus disintegrated without leaving | | | | |
| much ofa record. Another reason is that the | | | | It may take six months to learn your first |
| bagpipe wasa commoner's, or peasant's | | | | songproperly on the bagpipe chanter. |
| instrument. The bagpipeonly became of | | | | |
| interest to the nobility in moderntimes, when | | | | After becoming proficient on the bagpipe |
| the bagpipe was used as an instrumentof war | | | | practicechanter your next step is to learn to |
| to instill fear in the enemy. | | | | play thebagpipe chanter with the bag, but |
| | | | without thebagpipe drones. To do this, you |
| Types of Bagpipes | | | | assemble the bagpipewith bag, bagpipe chanter |
| | | | and mouthpiece. You mustcork off the bagpipe |
| There are many styles of bagpipes. These | | | | drone stocks and play only thebagpipe |
| bagpipesmay feature one or two bagpipe | | | | chanter. You now learn to play the |
| chanters and one ormore bagpipe drones. The | | | | pipechanter like you did the bagpipe practice |
| bagpipe reeds are in eachof the drones and | | | | chanter. |
| chanters. The bagpipe chanter hasfinger holes | | | | |
| for playing multiple notes, while thebagpipe | | | | You also learn to blow your arm off the bag |
| drones' notes are fixed. | | | | andkeep your bagpipe's tone even. |
| | | | |
| The various styles of bagpipes are divided | | | | Once you achieve all of that you are ready |
| into twocategories based on the method used | | | | for thenext step. You uncork the stocks and |
| to fill thebagpipe's air reservoir. The Great | | | | install thebagpipe drones one at a time. Now |
| Highland Bagpipeplayer fills the reservoir by | | | | you are readyto play your bagpipe. |
| blowing with the mouth. | | | | |
| | | | Learning the bagpipe takes time and patience, |
| In the Uilleann Bagpipe, the player fills the | | | | butit is well worth your effort. When played |
| reservoirby pumping a bellows. | | | | well,the bagpipe produces a sound that |
| | | | touches somethingdeep within us. Even people |
| In addition to the Highland Bagpipe and the | | | | who do not like thebagpipes are moved by the |
| Uilleann | | | | sound. |