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North Georgia PiperAbout the Pipes
Bagpipes are an ancient instrument, with roots in the middle-east. (If you have a nativity set that you put out at Christmas, it is not uncommon for one of the shepherds to be a piper, an accurate reminder of the roots of the pipes.) Today bagpipes may be found in a variety of places, but are perhaps most often among the decendents of Celtic people, and particularly Scotland and Ireland. My French neighbor loves the pipes, having grown up in the Celtic part of France and heard them as a child (there was a revival in Breton post WWI of a variety of pipes). I play the great highland bagpipe (GHP) or, commonly, "bagpipes." The pipes are called A' Phìob Mhòr in Gaelic, which means great pipe. These are perhaps the instrument most people think of when they hear "bagpipes" although there are many other types of pipes. Highland bagpipes have a distinct sound and volume, and are best suited to outdoors, or large in-door spaces. The pipes are both a solo and ensemble or band instrument. The highland bagpipe comprises a chanter on which the tune is played, three drones, including two tenor drones and a base drone all tuned to the low A on the chanter, a blowpipe and of course, the bag. The chanter has a double reed (similar to an oboe reed) made of wood. The drone reeds were traditionally made of cane though synthetic reeds today are easier (which is not to say easy) to adjust and tune. The piper blows into the bag, filling it full and keeping constant pressure on the bag with the arm as a breath is taken, so that the air flow to the four reeds is steady. The piper's fingering on the chanter creates the tune. The chanter has just nine notes to work with, and the sound is constant. So the fingering with various embellishments provide the accents, rythmn and variety to the music. The octave plus one also limits what can be played on the pipes, along with the pipe scale, which is not a standard western scale. The pipe scale goes from a low G up the scale to a high A (G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A); the C and E are flat, though not written as such. The A may at one time have been tuned to 440 Hz, but moved up over time--it's common to say the A = B-flat of other instruments. Modern chanters often tune much higher than 440 Hz. However, specially made chanters are designed to tune at 440Hz, enabling a piper to play together with an organ or other instruments. Most notable among other bagpipes are uilleann pipes, often heard in movie soundtracks (even Braveheart), which produce a wonderfully evocative sound, softer than the GHP. They are bellows-driven rather than blown pipes, and through variation of pressure, can play an additional octave. There are also a variety of small pipes, border pipes and shuttle pipes, available in different keys. The great highland pipe developed in Scotland around the 15th century. It's prominence grew later through its use in the Scottish Highland Regiments of the British Army, a tradition that carried it forward as other pipes wanned in popularity. Happily today there has been a resurgence of interest in Celtic music in general and various other kinds of pipes in particular. |
My Pipes & ...My pipes are circa-1960s Graingers and a Kron Medalist blackwood chanter. I play a Shepherd chanter reed, crozier carbon bass drone reed and ez-drone tenors. My kilt tartan is Morrison (muted). On my glengarry (cap) I wear a Campbell clan badge, in honor of my great-grandmother, Isabella Campbell Morrison. I carry a 44-year-old skean dhu (black knife) in my sock, given me by my father. |
Interesting LinksFollowing are links of interest.
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Contact information: Robbie Rogers 404-434-7998 robrogers.piper@gmail.com |
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