bagpipes

Hazel · bagpipes

I hope there is someone here who knows about bagpipes - other than their beautiful music. There is an ad in a magazine to sell bagpipes - "no blowing in". At the bottom it then says "Mouth or Bellows Blown".

I do know how the bellows workd but I don't think I've ever seen anyone playing a bagpipe without a mouthpiece in his mouth. I just assumed he was blowing into the instrument. Am I wrong?

Please, can someone explain? Thank you.

pogofish

There are many varieties of bagpipe - Contrary to popular belief, the pipes are far from a uniquely Scottish instrument. Indeed, almost every region of Europe as well as Africa & the Near & Far East has some form of traditional bagpipe to its name.

Some are large, some small, some use multiple chanters &/or straight-bore as opposed to a taper & some are mouthblown whilst others use a bellows strapped under the arm or around the body to keep putting air in the bag.

In the Scottish context, probably the most popular alternatives are the Scottish Smallpipes or the more advanced Northumbrian Pipe. Smaller & quite different sounding instruments certainly but in their basic form, very easy for an established piper to switch between. The Smallpipes can be either mouth or bellows-blown whilst the Northumbrian pipes now almost always use bellows.

Some examples here:

http://www.goodbagpipes.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.college-of-piping.co.uk/acatalog/Smallpipes_Reelpipes.html

Hazel · bagpipes

Thank you for the rundown. What I was wondering, though, is why I see what appears to be both mouth-blown and bellows-blown at the same time. Our local band has and uses the bellows but they also appear to be blowing into a mouthpiece. (It is marvelous to see and hear them cut off the sound with a sudden elbow to the bellows.)

Am I wrong? Are they not blowing and using the bellows simultaneously? My apologies if I am not understanding.

pogofish

Interesting. I don't think I've ever seen a dual-blown set of pipes but yes, it would be quite possible to set-up a blowpipe-stock with a second valve to accomodate bellows as well. In some circumstances, that could be a very useful aid to playing.

Hazel · bagpipes

Thank you. I shall try to ask if I am ever in a position to do so. I have two carvings of bagpipe players here. Both are blowing into a mouthpiece and both have the bellows beneath an elbow.

Maybe it is a clue. Both are holding a pipe that seems to extend from the bellows. I am guessing that is where they finger the tune. Am I right there?

Again, thanks. I appreciate your explanations. Hazel