Bagpipes

A bagpipe is a woodwind instrument that produces sound when air from a sealed bag is forced through enclosed reeds. While the Scottish Great Highland bagpipe is the most famous, bagpipes have been played for centuries across much of Europe, North Africa, West Asia, the Persian Gulf region, and northern South Asia. Pipers often call their instrument "the pipes," "a set of pipes," or "a stand of pipes." Because playing requires blowing air into the instrument to create sound, bagpipes belong to the aerophone family.

A basic set of pipes includes an air supply, a bag, a chanter, and usually at least one drone. Many sets have multiple drones or chanters, held in place by stocks—sockets that attach the pipes to the bag.

The most common way to fill the bag is by blowing into a blowpipe. Some pipes require the player to cover the blowpipe tip with the tongue while inhaling to prevent the bag from deflating, but most blowpipes have a non-return valve that makes this unnecessary. Modern instruments often include devices to create a cleaner airflow and collect condensation. Using bellows to supply air dates from the 16th or 17th century. In these "cauld wind pipes," the air is not warmed or moistened by the player's breath, allowing for more delicate reeds. Examples include the Irish uilleann pipes; the border or Lowland pipes, Scottish smallpipes, Northumbrian smallpipe, and pastoral pipe in Britain; the musette de cour, musette bechonnet, and cabrette in France; and the dudy, koziol bialy, and koziol czarny in Poland.

The bag is an airtight reservoir that holds air and regulates its flow through arm pressure, letting the player produce a continuous, even sound. The player keeps the bag inflated by blowing or pumping. Bags are often made from the skins of local animals like goats, dogs, sheep, or cows. Synthetic materials such as Gore-Tex have become more common; some synthetic bags have zips for fitting moisture traps inside. However, synthetic bags can still harbor fungal spores and risk lung infection if not kept clean, though they generally need less cleaning than natural bags. Bags cut from larger materials are usually saddle-stitched, with an extra strip folded over the seam and stitched (for skin) or glued (for synthetic) to reduce leaks. Holes are then cut for the stocks. When made from whole animal skins, stocks are often tied where the limbs and head joined the body, a technique common in Central Europe. Hide treatments vary: some use only salt, while others involve milk, flour, and removing the fur. The hide is typically turned inside out so the fur lines the bag’s interior, reducing moisture buildup.

The chanter is the melody pipe, played with both hands. Every bagpipe has at least one chanter; some, especially in North Africa, the Balkans, and Southwest Asia, have two. The chanter’s bore may be cylindrical or conical. Popular woods include boxwood, cornel, plum, and other fruit woods. Most chanters are open-ended, so the pipe cannot be easily silenced. This forces a constant legato sound with no rests. To create the illusion of articulation and accents, players use technical movements called embellishments or ornaments, which are often highly specific to each type of pipe and require years of study. A few bagpipes—such as the musette de cour, uilleann pipes, Northumbrian smallpipes, piva, and the left chanter of the surdelina—have closed ends or stop against the player’s leg, allowing the chanter to go silent when all holes are covered. A practice chanter is just the chanter without the bag or drones, using a quieter reed for silent practice. The word "chanter" comes from the Latin *cantare*, meaning "to sing," like the modern French *chanter*. A distinctive feature of the gaida’s chanter is the "flea-hole," a small tube often made of metal or a chicken or duck feather, covered by the left index finger. Uncovering it raises any note by a half step and is used for ornamentation in Balkan music. Some gaida types have a double-bored chanter, such as the Serbian three-voiced gajde, which has eight fingerholes: the top four covered by the left thumb and first three fingers, and the remaining four by the right hand’s fingers. The chanter’s note is produced by a reed at its top, which may be a single reed with one vibrating tongue.