1. Name Date
Bagpipes
By Phyllis Naegeli
What do you think of when you hear the bagpipes? Maybe you think of
Scotland or England. They are known for their bagpipe music. However, forms
of bagpipes have been around for centuries. Many ancient civilizations had a
"pipe with bag." Art from Egypt, Greece, and Rome shows early forms of
bagpipes being played.
Bagpipes were popular in Europe between 900 A.D. and 1500 A.D. However,
they lost favor to more portable instruments as cities developed on the continent.
The exception to this is the British Isles. Today, they are a part of the British
culture, especially in Scotland.
Much of the history of bagpipes is myth. One story says that bagpipes were
considered an instrument of war. After the English defeated the Scots in 1745, it
is said that Highlanders were forbidden to use the bagpipes. However, they were
used in secret in defiance of the law. This legend earned the bagpipes the title of
"Great Highland Warpipes."
A bagpipe is a wind instrument. It has an airtight bag usually made of leather. The piper blows air into the bag
through a blowpipe. The blowpipe has a one-way valve, which keeps the air in the bag and allows the piper to take
a breath. The bag is held under the player's arm and squeezed to force a constant stream of air through the
instrument. The pipes at the top are called drones. The melody is played on a chanter as the piper moves his fingers
over the holes in this part of the bagpipes. Both the drones and chanter use reeds to produce the unique bagpipe
sound.
Learning to play the bagpipes takes a lot of practice. First a student learns to play the notes on a chanter. Just
learning to blow air through this practice instrument is a challenge. You need to blow hard and steady until the reed
vibrates. On most reed instruments, notes can be separated by stopping the flow of air. Bagpipes are different. The
constant flow of air from the bag makes it impossible to separate notes. A player must use other methods when the
same note is played in succession. The most widely used method is a grace note. This is a quick short note (a 1/32
note) used between the other notes in the melody. Although there are only nine notes to learn on this instrument, it
takes many years to develop the techniques used to produce a melody.
The most well known type of bagpipe is the Great Highland Bagpipe of Scotland. It has three drones, a chanter,
and a blowpipe attached to a leather bag. Highland pipers may play alone or in a band. Usually, the piper dresses in
a kilt made from a plaid material called a tartan. The type of tartan used identifies family heritage (clan) in the
Scottish Highlands. Pipers may also decorate their bagpipes. Sometimes the bag is covered with their tartan plaid
and a rope with tassels is wound around the drones. Pipers are popular musicians at Scottish events, weddings, and
other special events.
Although it is not an easy instrument to learn, the bagpipes are fun to play. This ancient instrument produces
unique, haunting music that is a favorite around the world.

2. Name Date
Bagpipes
Questions
1. Bagpipes were invented in Scotland in the late 1500s.
A. true
B. false
2. What type of instrument is a bagpipe?
A. wind
B. string
C. electric
D. none of the above
3. Air is forced into the bag of the bagpipes through a ______.
A. drone
B. reed
C. blowpipe
D. chanter
4. A beginning student learns to play a chanter before he or she can play the bagpipes.
A. true
B. false
5. How are the notes separated when playing the bagpipes?
A. The piper plays a quarter note.
B. The piper plays a grace note.
C. The piper stops the flow of air with a special valve.
D. The piper stops blowing air into the bag.
6. How many notes must a piper learn to play?
A. nine
B. eight
C. six
D. ten
7. The Great Highland Bagpipes have four drones.
A. true
B. false
8. What is a tartan?
A. a type of bagpipe
B. a type of chanter
C. a type of plaid material
D. a type of ancient bagpipe

3. Name Date
Describe the music played by the bagpipes. How does it make you feel? Do you like it? Why or why not?
Make up a legend about the bagpipes.