ONE cannot think of a Scotsman without thinking of a man in a kilt playing a bagpipe. But bagpipes are not found in Scotland alone — there are different types of bagpipes in Europe like the Biniou of France, Pijpzak of the Netherlands, Dudelsack of Germany and the Bock of Austria. Some experts say that bagpipes originated from the Middle Eastern snake-charming flute.
Legend has it that bagpipes roused the Scots into siding with the Frenchled Jacobite uprising against the British in the Battle of Culloden (1748). When the British won, they executed the bagpiper for his role in egging on the Scottish troops with his stirring music.
This unique instrument is an aerophone i.e. it uses air to produce music. Bagpipes are usually played outdoors in combination with drums.
The instrument has pipes attached to an airtight bag. The player blows air into the bag through a short blowpipe. When he squeezes the bag under his arm, the air flows out through other pipes – three drones and the chanter – creating its distinctive music as the air passes through the reeds. The drones are the pipes that lie across the player’s shoulder while the chanter below works like a flute. The player controls the melody by working his fingers on the chanter’s holes.
Traditionally the bag was made of leather, but nowadays synthetic material is used. The drones are usually made of wood.