The Bagpipe

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    The

    Bagpipe

    click image for bagpipesound (175kb wav) 

    or here for the same in mp3

    format

    The origins of the

    bagpipe can be traced

    back to the most ancient

    civilizations The

    bagpipe probabl!

    originated as a rustic

    instrument in man!

    cultures because aherdsman had the

    necessar! materials at

    hand" a goat or sheep

    skin and a reed pipe

    The instrument is

    mentioned in the Bible#

    and historians believe

    that it originated in

    $umaria Through

    %eltic migration it was

    introduced to &ersiaand 'ndia# and

    subseuentl! to reece

    and *ome 'n fact# a

    *oman historian of the

    first centur! wrote that

    the +mporer ,ero knew

    how to play the pipe with

    his mouth and the bag

    thrust under his arm. 

    -uring the .iddle

    /ges# however# thebagpipe was heard and

    appreciated b! all levels

    of societ! 

    http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/bagpipe.mp3http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/bagpipe.mp3http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/bagpipe.mp3http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/bagpipe.wavhttp://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/bagpipe.mp3http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/bagpipe.mp3

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    Bagpipes have alwa!s been made in man! shapes and sizes# and have been pla!ed

    throughout +urope from before the ,orman %onuest until the present da!

    .edieval pipes usuall! had a single drone 0 see contemporar! illustrations of

    %haucers Canterbury Tales for +nglish single0drone pipes /round 12 (give or

    take 5 !ears)# most shepherd0st!le pipes acuired a second drone / third drone is

    added about after 155 $ee paintings b! Brueghel and the illustrations in&raetorius Syntagma Musicum The *enaissance also saw the advent of small# uiet

    chamber pipes such as &raetorius 4ummelchen or the rench shuttle0drone

    models# some blown with bellows under the arm rather than with the mouth  

    The construction of the bagpipe allows a continuous suppl! of air to be maintained

    B! sueezing the bag with his left hand while a breath is taken# the flow of air can be

    kept up in both the drone pipes and chanter 6ther features of this instrument are

    the mouthpipe and the double reed of the chanter and drone The mouthpipe

    contains a round piece of leather hinged onto the bag end which acts as a one wa!

    valve /s the pla!er blows air in# the flap opens when he stops blowing the air

    pressure within the bag forces the flap shut The chanter has seven finger holes anda thumb hole# and has a usual range of an octave and one note 

    The bagpipe is ideal for solo dances and monophonic music 't has been mentioned

    for use in pol!phon!# but if so# problems would arise The drone would preclude the

    possibilit! of an! change of mode# and the continuous sound would prohibit

    observance of rests 

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    http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/images/beverley/bagpipe.jpg

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    .usica /ntiuas collection includes a replica with

    two drones patterned after Brueghels Peasant

    Wedding # and a Hummelchen (little bumblebee)

    bagpipe which is modelled after the smallest of the

    four included in &raetorius Syntagma Musicum of1819 The Brueghel model is smaller than a highland

    pipe and loud# but not as piercing as a toda!s

    highland pipes The &raetorius model is tin! and has

    sweet and delicate tone# making it useful both as a

    solo instrument and in ensemble with other

    *enaissance instruments The chanter has a range

    from c1 to d2 and two drones tuneable to  and c or g  

    and d  This bo:wood replica was made b! ;olfgang

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     Provisional Catalogue 'y Types, -Iowa *ity, /1=>5

    • T! 7! Podnow Bagpipes and Tunings -+etroit,

    /1=95

    • ! *ollinson The Bagpipe -London, /1=35

    • +! &ac"illan 'The &ysterious *orna"use', #arly

     "usic( vi -/1=35

    #! +! *annon A Bi'liography of Bagpipe "usic 

    -%din.urgh, /14:5