Frequently asked Questions and Answers
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- 1. What are bagpipes made of?
- The bagpipes are made up of a bag and five 'pipes'. Traditionally,
the bag was made of sheep leather; The bag is made airtight by
treating it with a sealant. In the old days, this would be honey or
molasses; nowadays liquid silicon or a similar substance is used. Most
bags today are now made of Gortex. The pipes were originally made of a
hardwood, such as ebony, and decorated with ivory or silver. Today's pipes
are usually made of less expensive types of black african woods or
sometimes resins.
- 2. How do the bagpipes work?
- The piper breathes air into the blowstick to fill the bag. The
blowstick has a one way valve so the air does not come back at the piper
and blow his head off. The bag is then squeezed under the arm and
maintained at a pressure and air is forced out the other four pipes.
Three of the pipes are drones - two tenor and one bass. These lay across the piper's shoulder and produce the constant humming sound. The drones traditionally were made of bamboo but are now mostly high tec plastics. The last 'pipe' is the chanter, which the piper holds in his or her hands. This is where the melody is played. The chanter uses a twin blade pine reed, similar to an oboe.
- 3. Can you play any song on the bagpipes?
- No. The bagpipes have only nine notes. They are not set in the usual
western major or minor scales, rather, they use the lydean/mixolydean
scale, which places the half tones in a different position.
- 4. Are they always this loud?
- Yes. Bagpipes have no volume control. They are basicly an outdoor
instrument and can sound quite loud when played in a confined setting.
- 5. Are there different types of bagpipes?
- Definitely. Most people associate the word 'bagpipes' with the Great
Highland Bagpipes, but in fact many different types exist. In Britain and
Ireland, for example, there are highland pipes, Scottish small pipes,
chamber pipes, shuttle pipes, and Uilleann pipes. The Britanny region of
France has an altogether different type of bagpipes. Variations can also
be found throughout the Middle East and Africa. Some bags are inflated by
mouth, others by bellows. Some have a single drone, others have many. The
fingering, sound, and melodies produced are markedly different. For more
information, see the site Bagpipes of the World on our Links to Other
Piping Sites page.
- 6. Why do you wear ribbons in your socks?
- Because we would look silly with ribbons in our hair.
