Bagpipes

The Northumbrian bagpipes are bellows driven and the Irish Uilleann pipes are also bellows drive as are the reinvented Scottish Lowland pipes (based on the Northumbrian pipe design but with the highland chanter). The "Scottish" bagpipes by which I presume you mean the Great Highland Bagpipes are powered via the mouth (the lungs). The Irish War pipes in modern terms is identical to the Scottish Great Highland bagpipe after attempts such as the Brian Boru version with different drones has fallen out of favour. In addition to the method of inflating the bag they differ in the drones, the keys and notes as well as whether they produce a continuous sound (GHB) or a more staccato sound (Northumbrian), the Uilleann can do both:- GHB - Open Chanter - Only 9 notes plus blowpipe and two tenor and one bass drones - continuous tune. Northumbrian - Closed Chanter 2 full octaves, 4 drones, metal keys from 7-17 Uilleann - Open chanter (can be blocked manually) 2 full octaves, 3 drones - Bass, Baritone, Tenor and 3 regulators with keys - Bass, Baritone, Tenor. Can be played as a "half set" without the regulators.

the bagpipes are usually associated with Scotland

HI. Yes they did but not in the way that we see them today.

You can buy a set of bagpipes from a reputable dealer online, but do your homework first!

If this is a gift for someone else - there are a lot of people out there trying to sell knock-off bagpipes that are made in Pakistan. Nothing against Pakistan, but they can't make bagpipes. Disreputable dealers will prey upon people who don't know enough about a quality instrument, and sell these knock-offs at a "bargain" price, but you get what you pay for.

A good set of bagpipes can start at about $800, and go up from there - but see the next paragraph before you buy ANYTHING.

If this is for yourself - you don't start playing on the bagpipes themselves if you are going to learn. You start learning on a practice chanter - they start at about $60 if you buy a quality polypenco (a type of plastic) practice chanter. You learn all your tunes on the practice chanter, so you will always use it. Again, don't buy a Pakistani practice chanter!

Once you've got a practice chanter, and hopefully a teacher - your teacher can suggest when you should get your pipes (and from where). If you are looking for Scottish Highland Bagpipes, check out the forums and links at www.bobdunsire.com

They are not a sales site, but a forum from which you can gain much knowledge and get advice, so you can make an INFORMED purchase.

Wind instruments.

No, not really. The instrument requires a huge amount of pressure to be continuosly blown into the bag, if using the common Highland pipes. There are other pipes which require you to squeeze the bag continuously somewhat as a chicken flaps its wings. But, once you train your chest, throat, and face muscles, it becomes fairly easy.

If you have played a fingered instrument, then the pipes arent TOO much harder. Piping requires many styles of trills, but it's like any other instrument -- you have to practice to get better at it and learn.

Many area have piping groups you can join, and get practice in playing with a group.

Bagpipe chanter and drones use a double reed setup similar but larger to an oboe, except that the bagpipe reeds are inside the pipes, so your mouth never needs to touch them. They need playing around with to get them to sound off reliably, though.

If you get pipes and are serious, try to avoid the plastic ones made primarily in Pakistan.

Bagpipes are LOUD! The volume cannot be modified. The wearing of earplugs is recommended if listening to them indoors.

Yes he does, he played them on Ally McBeal in a couple episodes.

Bagpipes originated in Egypt, were in use in Greece and Rome and most Celtic peoples in Europe had a version. Spain, Italy, Ireland, France England etc all still have bagpipes but the most well known are the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipes. These are mouth blown as opposed to bellows and were spread throughout the world by the British Army regiments from Scotland during the period of the British Empire. Many people descended from the Scot's who settled in North America (USA and Canada) play the bagpipes as part of pipe bands. Asian and Middle East countries have also adopted the pipes especially for military bands and some non military services (Fire & Police) also have taken up the instrument.

Iraq actually

Scotland is most often associated with the bagpipes, and in particular the Great Highland Bagpipe, which is the one most familiar to people.

It all depends on the funeral and who you are playing for, normally slow airs would be played.

Personally, I played Amazing Grace at my grandmothers Funeral...

It all depends, if you are playing at a personla funeral, you can choose, otherwise you may be aske to play specific tunes.

Many hymns are suitable for funerals and most slow airs. Highland Cathedral is also a favorite.

There are different varying sizes of bagpipes, but the common ones are as big as a healthy newborn baby.

Eric Rigler is a very well known piper and typically plays the Uillean and Great Highland Band bagpipes. The Braveheart is most definitely (a majority) of the Great Highland Band bagpipes. The Uillean pipes are much more mellow- they are the type of pipes heard in parts of Lord of the Dance and in the White Stripes rock song "St. Andrew". They are not played upright and it uses bellow straps rather than a blowstick.

I'm from Scotland and i play the bagpipes. I don't have an exact number but from my experience with tattoos and general knowledge i would have to say the number must be up in the 100,000's. There is a hell of alot of folk in Scotland that play the pipes, but it's not the only country with pipebands. There are pipeband all over the world, in just about every continent so it wouldn't surprise me either if the number was in the millions.

The bagpipes are a Scotish instrument played by a mixture of a recorder like pipe and a large bag. The recorder like part makes the notes and the bag that becomes full of air gives it its volume and sound. Some people say that if you can play a recorder, it would be much easier to learn the bagpipes.

It's unknown - evidence appears in the 1300s (ie the bagpipes carried to the Battle of Bannockburn by the Clan Menȝies , but a study to find out about Scots and Irish bagpipes usage was only done in 1760.

The three pipes protruding from the top of the bag are known as drones. The longer bass drone is tuned one octave below the two shorter tenor drones. The pipe protruding from the bottom of the bag, which is held by the piper, is known as a chanter. The low A of the chanter is one octave above the tenor drones.

The association of police, fireman, and bagpipes dates back to the late 1800's when the firefighters and police in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore were predominantly staffed by Irish immigrants - who played the bagpipes. The tradition continues to this day.

Mostly African Blackwood with a synthetic bag.

Miller

Hi. If you are asking did the "Great Highland Bagpipe" originate in Scotland then I would have to say yes although there are several areas within the UK that have their own versions. They were brought over to the UK way back when the Romans invaded. I think they got them from the Asians or Africans.

The SKIRL of bagpipes.

Brass instruments involve the blowing of air into a mouthpiece. The vibrations of the lips against the mouthpiece produce a range of frequencies. ... This forces the air inside of the column into resonance vibrations. The result of resonance is always a big vibration - that is, a loud sound.

http://www.bagpipejourney.com/articles/whoswho.shtml

I recommend looking at Andrew Lenz's site