| Scottish
Bagpipes An
interview with Chicago Musician and All Ireland Piping Champion
Brendan McKinney By Lou
Carlozo Chicago Tribune Staff Writer.
Highland, or Scottish, bagpipes are believed to date to Roman invasions
of Britain; they were designed to lead an army to war and penetrate
the clamor of the battlefield. Unlike the uilleann player, who uses
a bellows to supply the air, the highland piper fills the windbag
by exhaling into a blowpipe.
The size and shape of the instrument creates a brasher, more
powerful sound than uilleann pipes — highland pipes can
be heard as far as 10 miles away.
Scottish bagpipes probably adopted their present configuration (three
drones and a chanter pipe for playing the melody) around the early
1700s. Unlike the uilleann pipes, which have a two-octave range
and are mostly learned by ear, highland pipes can only play within
a single octave and often require formal training. It also takes
years to develop the necessary lung capacity. |
