Bagpipes have been used by the Celts in one form or another throughout their history. As we know the Celts journeyed throughout Europe and beyond, it is fair to say that there has been a connection between the modern pipes and the pipes used in the civilizations of ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia, where each has fashioned it own design of pipes.
The most commonly recognized pipes come from the Scottish Highlands. Ireland also has two styles of pipes the war pipes, which you blow into to make music and a Uilleann pipes, which uses air from a set of bellows.
The Great Highland Bagpipes are the best known of several types of Scottish Bagpipe, they are very loud instruments that are best played outside! The bag is inflated with the mouth, and there are 2 tenor drones, 1 bass drone and an open chanter usually pitched in Bb, but the music is written in A.
It is usual to use a Practice Chanter when learning the Highland bagipes. The practice chanter has a narrower bore than a pipe chanter, and is cheap and quiet enough for use in the home.
A practice Chanter is the best way for a beginner to learn tunes; this lets you concentrate on the notes without having to worry about keeping the bag full and steady pressure going. I think you need to practice both jobs separately before you try to put it all together. So as soon as you are sure you want to continue you will need a set of bagpipes.
It is a different story for Irish and Northumbrian pipes. Normally you would start with a practice set of Irish, and jump straight in with a normal 7 key set of Northumbrian
SCOTTISH SMALLPIPES
The Scottish Small bagpipes are bellows blown, with three drones, bag, bellows and chanter. The fingering is the same as the Highland bagipes and in Bb, the spacing is the same too, but this is a sweet sounding quieter alternative which is very popular with Scottish pipers. They are a versatile folk instrument too, and a set pitched in D, is an ideal session instrument.
IRISH PIPES
The Irish or Uilleann pipes have reached quite an advanced state of development. Unlike most other bagpipes, the reed will overblow, giving them a range of two octaves, and the addition of regulators gives them an extra dimension.
The regulators are closed ended chanters each of a different pitch, and speak when a key is pressed, the keys are arranged side by side so chords can be played (this requires great skill). Uilleann (or Elbow) pipes usually play in D, and the full set has a chanter, three drones, and three keyed regulators. The half set has no regulators, and the practice set has no drones either.
Recently the first practise chanter for the Irish pipes was introduced. Previously beginners would usually start with a practice set, and later trade in for a half set with drones. However it is now possible to learn the fingering before you learn to operate the bellows.
It is best not to use the drones until you have good control of the bellows and bag, as the drones use extra air, and make it harder to keep steady pressure for the chanter. It is possible to add drones to a practice set, and some even come with the main stock fitted and the extra holes blanked off.
If you follow this route you will be without your pipes for a while when you upgrade. In my experience, it is cheaper in the long run to either go for the half set at the outset, and just don't use the drones at first, or to trade in when you are ready.
Northumbrian Small pipes
The Small pipes are probably the quietest of the Bagpipes, and have a closed chanter which basically plays one octave. The keys are used to extend the range. Small pipes pitch is generally nearer F than the nominal key of G.
There is no practice set available for the Northumbrian pipes. Beginners can get a simple 3 drone set without keys, but the best option and most popular one is to get a regular 7 key set, and not use the drones until you are ready. If you buy a simple set, you will lose out on trading up, and the saving at the outset is not huge anyway.
Many thanks to Hobgoblin Music
