How to Play Scottish Bagpipes

The Scottish bagpipe requires several simultaneous actions to produce its unique sound. The melody of the song is played on a pipe chanter similar to a recorder or flute. It produces sound by air from the bag moving across the chanter reed. The constant chord is made by three drones, tall pipes that produce sound by air from the bag moving across reeds inside the drones. Read on to learn how to play Scottish bagpipes.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Hold the bag under the left arm with the three drones extending over the left shoulder. The ropes or chords will dangle behind the back. Grasp the pipe chanter with left hand, closing the top three holes on front and the top hole on back by covering them with fingers and thumb.

2. Place the blow stick in the mouth and begin to gently blow air into the bag. Fill it until about 3/4 full or reasonably firm. Stop before it begins to make a low croak. Pinch the bottom of the bag with the right hand.If it makes a small croak, the bag is ready.

3. Remove the right hand from the blow stick and strike the bag on the bottom toward the middle rear. While striking, blow air more forcefully into the bag. This is called "striking in," and the drones will begin to make their tone which will turn into a chord.

4. Move the right hand to the lower half of the chanter, covering the remaining front holes. The bottom set of holes of the chanter will remain open or uncovered.

5. Begin playing the song when the drones are playing smoothly. Apply more pressure to the bag with the arm and begin more forcefully. This will cause the chanter to begin to make the high A note which is the traditional beginning strike-in note for the chanter. Continue playing the song, continuously filling the bag with air, squeezing it out and refilling with air.

6. Prepare for the song to end. Stop blowing air into the bag and use the remaining air in the bag to finish the song. Time the reserved air to be exhausted at the ending note of the song. This timing is crucial and depends on factors such as the size of the bag, the hardness of the reeds and how quickly the bag empties air through the reeds. The goal is to end the song with a crisp ending.

7. End the song. The bag and pipes should be about out of air. On the last beat of the last note of the song, remove all pressure from the bag by lifting the elbow off the bag to stop squeezing the air from the bag. The chanter and drones will stop.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn to play the practice chanter before trying to play a full set of pipes. This will teach fingering movements first, which will make playing the full set less daunting. Learning on a practice chanter is also much quieter.
• Keep the pipe bag airtight. It is a reservoir for air and the more air in the system, the easier it will be to play the Scottish bagpipes.
• While a harder chanter reed plays crisper and louder, it is harder to blow and can be difficult for an inexperienced piper.
• A little moisture helps a chanter reed vibrate and make sound; however, too much moisture on a synthetic drone reed will shut it down. Consider a water trap in the bag or a zippered bag with a filter system.
• Be patient with the strike-in process. It may be difficult to recover from a bad start. Take time to strike-in cleanly.
• The British Isles are home to two very different types of bagpipes; the Irish or Uilleann bagpipes, played sitting down, and the Great Highland or Scottish bagpipes, played standing up.