How to Play Bagpipe Grace Notes

Playing grace notes on a bagpipe is most often done to emphasize important notes in the melody. Since grace notes are short and are not a part of the regular melody of a song, they can also be used to separate notes when several of the same notes are played in a row.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Use a birl grace note for low bagpipe notes. Example: Play a low A and slide the pinkie of your right hand past the low G and back to the low A playing that note again.
2. Play a doubling grace note by playing the note for a brief instance and then playing it again for a regular length of time. A doubling has two or three grace notes in addition to the regular note to be played.
3. Practice the unique doubling for every note on the bagpipes except the high G. Example: Play a high A grace note quickly immediately followed by a high G then back to a high A for the normal length of time. This is a called a double high A.
4. Try an active grace note by raising the finger that is associated with that note. Example: Play an E and raise your finger to produce an F or G in an E doubling.

Tips & Warnings

• Because the bagpipes are steady in both volume and consistency, it's important to use grace notes to show expression in the music being played.
• Practice gracenotes regularly as much of bagpipe timing in the most intricate styles is rarely written down. Often written timings don't accurately represent the music being played.