Bagpipes

About the Sound and Character

The sound of the bagpipes is deafeningly loud, sharp, piercing, and entirely continuous. The melody is played over a powerful, droning chord, creating an epic, solemn, and slightly hypnotic soundscape.

Structure and Features

The core of the instrument is an airtight bag (traditionally sheep or goat skin, today often synthetic). The musician blows air into it through a blowpipe. Air from the bag under elbow pressure flows through a melody pipe (chanter) with fingerholes and several drone pipes emitting a constant single tone.

Genres

• Celtic traditional and military music
• Celtic punk and folk rock
• Ceremonial marches and state funerals