Bagpipes and the Highlands of Scotland are usually associated with each other. But this member of the aerophone class of musical instruments is a very old musical instrument with versions in many parts of the world. They make a sound by filling with air gathered in a bag and blown out and controlled to produce music.

The most popular of these are Scotlands Great Highland Bagpipe and the Irish uilleann pipes. You could find this musical instrument, though, in the Caucasus, the Persian Gulf, throughout Northern Africa, and Europe. It is a traditional instrument in lots of cultures from Spain going east into Turkey, and Poland going south to Tunisia.

A bagpipe set has a bag, an air supply, a chanter, and often a drone. Many of these instruments have spare drones (and chanters) in diverse combinations. The air is put into the bag normally by blowing into a blowpipe or blowstick.

Starting in the 16th or 17th centuries bellows were used to supply air. In the case of these pipes or coldpipes, air is not heated or dampened by the players breathing, allowing bellows-driven instruments to utilize more delicate reeds. Maybe it is the longing for history that makes young people usually of Celtic ancestry to want learn how to play the bagpipes.

Those who are just starting out use a beginner’s pipe. The pipes are the only parts of the instrument that are permanent, because the bags and reeds for both chanter and drone are frequently replaced. Novice pipers usually use the chanter until they master it.

One uses only one drone then proceeds to two or three drones, since these are complex and difficult to play. The number of drones is added gradually as the student gradually masters playing the pipes. It usually takes half a year for the student to play the full bagpipes with a decent level of ability.