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Background The bagpipe is not so much one instrument as a family of instruments that share certain features; pipes fitted with reeds to produce sound. There are two kinds of pipes, the chanter (melody pipe with finger holes bored in the side) and the drone (an accompanying pipe which plays one continuous note). Different bagpipes will have different numbers of each kind of pipe, never more than two chanters and usually 2 or 3, occasionally 4 drones. The harmonics produced by the drones help give the pipes their distinctive sound, and are an important tool in helping pipers tune their instrument. |
| Solo Piping and Competitions | Piping and the Army | Pibroch/Piobaireachd | The Pipe Band |
The Highland Bagpipe
The Scottish Highland bagpipe has one chanter and three drones (one bass drone
that sounds the key note two octaves lower than the chanter and two tenor drones
that sound the key note one octave lower than the chanter). As the bagpipe was
traditionally only played solo the pitch of the chanter was not a great issue.
The pitch of the key note varies between different players depending on the
kind of chanter and on the reed. At the moment the pitch of the key note that
is written as A sounds somewhere between Bb and B concert pitch:
Back in 1954, Lenihan and MacNeil tested the pitch of different chanters and found that the average bagpipe A was 449Hz (a concert A is 440Hz; the bagpipe A was higher than standard and almost at Bb) since then it has risen considerably again.
Learners begin on a practice chanter, moving on to a full set of pipes when fingering is established and they are ready to blow up the bag.
The Highland Bagpipe scale
The bagpipes are a limited instrument in that they can only play 9 melody notes,
although some contemporary players have discovered ways to play extra notes.
The key note on the Highland bagpipe is A - this is also the note to which the drones are set. (Remember in practice this note sounds about a semitone higher.)
The Highland pipe chanter scale is as follows:
Listen to this recorded example of the pipe scale.
Try singing the scale. Then get some singers (or instrumentalists) to create a drone (make sure you have the correct pitch in relation to the scale) against which the rest of the class sing (or play) the pipe scale.
When you are thoroughly familiar with the pipe scale, try to invent a tune based on it - either some light music such as a march, or a little pibroch of your own. You may, of course, use only some of the pitches available.
In most publications specifically
for the bagpipes the key signature does not appear. This is because on the chanter
the player only has one choice of C (which is sharp) and one choice of F (also
sharp). The Highland pipe scale is therefore like the mixolydian mode, with
its flattened 7th. Amplification means that pipes can now play alongside quieter
instruments such as fiddle, clarsach and voice.
Many tunes cannot be played on the bagpipes because of its limited scale. A
lot of the tunes that pipers play are written by other pipers or are written
especially for the instrument. It is important to realise that the tonality
of the bagpipe and the pitches of individual notes are not the same as those
of orchestral instruments - nor are they supposed to be. The Gs may sound slightly
flat even when compared to the key note, A, but this is the way that they are
intended to be. This is also the case with the C and the F.
Repertoire
Most pipe music can be identified as belonging to one of two main categories.
Ceol-Mor (Gaelic for Great or Big Music) is the term used
for Pibroch (Anglicised from the Gaelic Piobaireachd, literally
meaning piping). Pibrochs are the only type of tune in this group.
The other main category is Ceol-Beag (Little Music or Light
Music) which includes many lighter tune types: marches, strathspeys, reels,
jigs, slow airs, quicksteps and hornpipes. In published collections tunes appear
as a single line of melody only, although of course the drones provide a continuous
accompaniment throughout. Various combinations of grace-notes are used to add
expression and phrasing to the music. These are written in stereotyped ways
to indicate finger patters, although they give no rhythmic indications, and
pipers are taught orally how to interpret this indiosyncratic notation:
If you have a piper in the school, get them to demonstrate these grace notes on a practice chanter.
Canntaireachd (Gaelic, lit. 'chanting')
Canntaireachd is an important tool in the teaching of pipers and the
transmission of repertoire. It is a system of sung vocables conveying the tunes
and specific grace notes. Canntaireachd was once used systematically
but is now employed fairly loosely.
Example of canntaireachd syllables for the pibroch Donald Gruamach's March:
hin-o tra-o ho dro
hio-dro ro-din hio din
hin-to dare-a che-bendre-o...etc
Each vocable defines a different note or embellishment (group of grace notes):
tra or dra signifies a throw on D: 
and dirie shows a crunluath to E: 
The difference between canntaireachd and diddling is that canntaireachd
notes and embellishments have a specific vocable which is transferred directly
on to the chanter; in diddling, people can make up their own sounds and
it makes no difference to the tune or its ornamentation.
Bellows Pipes
There are several different types of bagpipes commonly played in Scotland today:
the Highland Bagpipe (probably the most familiar) the Scottish small-pipes which
are either mouth or bellows-blown and the Border pipes which are also bellows-blown.
Some musicians also perform on the Irish Uillean pipes or the Northumbrian pipes
(both bellows blown). Bellows blown pipes had a widespread history in Scotland
until the 19th century, when they fell out of use. Since the 1980s, however,
they have had a successful revival involving makers, players, publications and
recordings. The Lowland and Borders Pipers Society has been influential in this.
The Scottish small-pipes are similar to the Highland pipes in that they have a chanter and three drones (one of which is tuned to the fifth of the scale) but they are much quieter and are usually pitched in A or D making it much easier to play along with other musicians such as fiddlers, accordionists and guitarists. Some small-pipes are mouth blown but more commonly they are played with bellows which are operated by the right arm (the bag is held under the left arm). The bellows pump air into the bag rather than blowing, which means that the piper can play for longer. The Border pipes work on the same principle but are usually a bit louder and have a harsher sound.
Modern Piping
The bagpipes have, in recent decades, seen a large resurgence of interest and
with this has come a new generation of players, many of whom are combining the
instrument and its traditional repertoire with other genres of music in a new
and exciting way. Amplification means that pipes can now play alongside quieter
instruments. Young musicians like Gordon Duncan are fine composers of tunes
and bands such as Wolfstone create a folk-rock sound through a combination
of pipes and fiddle with drums, bass and guitar. Martyn Bennett has combined
bagpipes with computer generated dance and techno rhythms using sampled drums
and effects. Bands like Salsa Celtica and the Tartan Ameobas experiment
with bagpipes and music from Latin America and other musical cultures of the
world.
SOLO PIPING AND COMPETITIONS
The bagpipes have, until relatively recently, been a solo instrument. They have
their own accompaniment (the drones) and because the pitch varies from instrument
to instrument it is difficult for them to play along with other instruments.
Amongst the many functions that involve solo piping are weddings, funerals,
concerts and recitals, and competitions. Pipers are also in demand to accompany
Highland dancers, and will occasionally play for social dances such as an eightsome
reel or strip the willow.
At weddings the piper’s role can be to play before and after the service at the church or even to pipe the bride or groom up the aisle. Marches such as Highland Wedding (a 2/4 march) or Mairi’s Wedding (a 4/4 march) are popular choices.
Funerals of course require an entirely different repertoire. Laments and slower tunes such as the famous 'Flowers of the Forest' are commonly played at some point during the service.
Good pipers are frequently asked to undertake recitals. This involves a long period of playing, usually of about 45 minutes to 1 hour, with very few stops in between. It is quite rare for a piper to speak in between sets of tunes; normally they will just make a few adjustments to their drones (by moving them up or down). This is to perfect the tuning of the drones if they have gone off pitch during the last set of tunes. As the pipes are played more they get warmer and the reeds get wetter causing their pitch to rise slightly. At these recitals pipers will play a wide range of tunes. Items of ceol beag (light music) are usually played in sets of contrasting tunes such as march, strathspey and reel, hornpipe and jig , or slow air. A pibroch is normally included.
Competitions are widely participated in by pipers. Over the past few years there have been many debates about piping competitions. Some people regard them as being extremely important for the development of good pipers. Many of the finest pipers have come through the ranks of the piping competitions: Pipe Major Angus MacDonald and John D. Burgess for example. Others regard them as standardising the tradition and discouraging players' individual creativity, since the judges will look for a standardised way of playing a certain tune. But there is no question that competitions do encourage a lot of young players to practise hard. There are two different types of competitions at major piping events covering the two categories of repertoire played by Highland pipers. There are two Ceol Beag competitions: one is the march, strathspey and reel (sometimes abbreviated to MSR) and in the other the competitors play a hornpipe and jig. Separate competitions are held for Ceol Mor (big music) or pibroch - regarded by some as the classical music of the Highland Bagpipe. Pibroch consists of a slow tune called the urlar or ground (which functions as the theme), followed by many variations. Pibrochs vary in length from round about ten minutes to some which are nearer half an hour in length.
When playing in competitions the players pay particular attention to the way they “point” the tune. Pointing is a word that means holding important dotted notes for longer than others. This is one way that pipers give expression to the music, as the bagpipes cannot be played louder and softer, creating crescendo or diminuendo - they have a constant volume.
Two of the most prominent piping competitions of the year are the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban and The Northern Meeting held in Inverness where top pipers compete in Silver and Gold Medal competitions. The results of solo competitions are published in piping magazines, one of the best known being the Piping Times.
Institutions like the Piobaireachd Society, the Army School of Piping and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association have played a part in regulating competitions. However, younger players are also creating new tunes often employing unconventional rhythmic ideas, finger patterns and variations. This trend has become known as 'kitchen piping' because of its informality.
Ceol Mor (Big Music)
One view is that pibroch was invented by members of the famous piping family,
the MacCrimmons, on the Isle of Skye possibly as far back as the 1570s. It was
closely related to Gaelic song, although there are different opinions on how
any pibroch should be played.
They were many subjects on which pibrochs were composed: to motivate clans into battle, to inspire them on the battlefield, laments for when people died. Others were composed for weddings and important occasions such as the birth of a chief's son. Many tunes have legends associated with them, and evocative titles: The Desperate Battle, Lament for the Children, Old Men of the Shells, Salute on the Birth of Rory Mor MacLeod and The Unjust Incarceration. The pibroch tradition was at its height in the 17th and early 18th centuries. We have about 300 tunes dating from that time. A small number of modern pibrochs have been composed. The Piobaireachd Society (founded 1903) promotes the music through publications, competitions and research. Pibroch is performed by a minority of Highland pipers today, and is heard mainly at competitions and recitals.
The pibroch is a theme or air (always a slow tune) followed by a series of variations. The air is called the ground in English or the urlar in Gaelic. The ground of a pibroch can be made up of a number of short phrases, some repeated, or can be freer with less definition between phrases. It is often much longer than an ordinary march or dance tune. The type of grace notes used differ from those of the shorter tunes, and the style of playing is very different. Many pibrochs use fewer than the chanter's nine notes, and the character of a pibroch often centres around which pitches are emphasised by the air and its variations. The main variation movements are the urlar, siubhal, taorluath and crunluath. These may be followed by the taorluath a-mach and the crunluath a-mach.
Company’s Lament is one of the simplest Pibrochs. Listen to the ground of this Pibroch:
In some pibrochs repeated phrases are used. Notice that in Company’s Lament there are 4 phrases on each line and how there is a rhythmic repetition of the first 4 phrases. Also notice how phrases 2 and 4 on lines 1 and 2 are the same as each other. Phrase 3 of line 1 is also the same as phrase 3 of line 3.
Listen to the recording of the ground again and then try playing it as you heard it on your own instrument, missing out the grace notes. Remember that although there is no key signature in pipe music you should be playing F and C sharps! Pipe music is rarely played exactly as it is written, especially with regard to tempo and phrasing. Most pipers will go to a piper who is respected for their interpretation of pibroch if they wish to study this form of music.
The variations commonly select the main theme notes of the ground and decorate these with different embellishments (grace-notes) for each variation. For example Variation 1 of Company’s Lament has quite simple gracing and some of the longer notes are still held:
When we get to Variation 2 we find
that the notes that were paused on before have become embellished:
Variation 2 - audio
Variation 3 is embellished even more and we have triplets this time:
The next variation is the taorluath (or turning with four grace-notes in a row). It has more complex embellishments than the variations we have looked at so far.
The taorluath itself looks like this…
Listen to the taorluath movement
played on the chanter:
Here is the taorluath variation of Company’s Lament:
The crunluath variation is more complex again. The crunluath movement contains seven grace-notes before the main note. Listen out for this at the end of Company’s Lament.
There has always been a strong tradition of Piping in the Army especially within the Scottish Regiments. Used to rally the men into action on the battlefield, pipers were often placed in the front line. It was not until the end of the First World War that pipers became regarded as too important to be in the front line of battle. It was also thought that when the soldiers heard the pipes they lost control of themselves and rushed into situations instead of waiting for their commands to be given. Sometimes, even today, the Highland Bagpipes are referred to as war pipes.
All regiments would have their own tunes that would be played for different occasions and situations. A call for meals for example would be different from the tunes played for marching. At the beginning of the 20th century however a number of the same tunes could be found to be played by many different regiments. Tunes such as 'Johnny Cope', 'Highland Laddie' and 'MacDonald’s awa’ tae the Wars' were commonplace in numerous regiments.
Johnny Cope - standard notation
These days the main function of an Army piper is to provide music for marching to. There are a few different time signatures for the march 4/4, 6/8 2/4 or the 3/4 march called a ‘retreat’ in piping. In the Army it is usually the 4/4, 6/8, retreat march or a quickstep that is used for marching to.
The pipe band has its roots in Army music making. One of the earliest written records of bagpipers playing in groups came from the Regimental Orders of the 93rd Highlanders, back in 1805.
In the Army there is also a tradition of the pipes playing along with the military band (i.e. woodwind and brass instruments with percussion). Combined pipe bands and military bands can be heard at the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo which is shown on television every year. One of the famous army tunes that can be heard at the Tattoo is The Black Bear, which is associated with the Royal Scots Guards Regiment.
Black Bear - standard notation
The pipe band is a common sight in towns and cities not only all over Scotland but throughout the world. Top bands include those from Canada and Australia as well as Scotland. They are as familiar for their dress as they are for their playing, and pipe band members do a great deal of teaching of piping in local communities. The pipe band is made up Highland pipers accompanied by side, tenor and bass drummers.
History
One of the earliest records of groups of bagpipes playing together is in the
Regimental Orders of the 93rd Highlanders c.1800. Indeed it is considered by
some that it was in the armies that pipe bands were first formed but there is
no substantial evidence to support this view. We do know however that in February
1854 a War Office order was brought in so that each of the Highland Regiments
had 1 Pipe Major and 5 Pipers. This order was established in other Regiments
shortly after, including the Scots Guards in 1856. It is not known exactly when
drums were added to the pipe band but is thought that it could have been 1854
also. Civilian Pipe Bands were probably first inspired by the Army bands. Bands
such as the Edinburgh City Police and the City of Glasgow Police (formerly Govan
Police) were formed in the early 1880’s. Today pipe bands can be found in almost
every town not only in Scotland but all over the U.K., and overseas. Youth Organisations
such as the Boy’s Brigade have done a lot to promote pipe band playing but increasing
numbers of girls can be found in the pipe bands these days.
Repertoire
The music played in these groups varies from place to place but there are common
tunes that are played by most bands. Many of the marches that are played in
parades are performed worldwide. Tunes such as The Green Hills of Tyrol
(sometimes called the Scottish Soldier) for example, popularised by singer
Andy Stewart in the 1960s, When the Battle is o’er, and Lochanside,
all 3/4 marches, can be heard from any band. Also 4/4 marches like Scotland
the Brave, Murdo’s Wedding and Loch Ruan will commonly be
heard and 6/8 marches, Farewell to the Creeks and Donald Maclean of
Lewis are well known throughout the pipe band fraternity.
Donald Maclean of Lewis - piping notation
Tunes (almost exclusively ceol beag, though some bands are experimenting with including pibroch) are played in sets, or medleys.
Competitions
Although most pipe bands these days are amateur, and participation is mainly
for recreational purposes, competitions are very much a driving factor for bands
and are taken very seriously. There are various different places to compete
and the majority of the competitions are held in the summer months. Most of
the Highland Games have piping competitions - band, solo or both, and bands
can be out competing almost every weekend in the summer. There are league table
for bands, like those for football teams, and the fortunes of bands are closely
followed during the competition season.
Organisation of the pipe band
The Modern pipe band usually consists of between 11 and 16 pipers, a few side
(snare) drummers, a few tenor drummers and one bass drummer. The band is organised
into lines called ranks with the pipers at the front and the drummers behind.
The bass drummer is positioned in the back rank usually beside the tenor drummers
and the snare drummers in the rank just in front of them. The leader or director
of the band is always a piper and is called the Pipe Major, and a Drum Major
(who also arranges the drum parts) is in charge of the drum corps, who may occasionally
perform separately from the band's pipers. The Pipe Major can be found standing
on the far right in the front rank of the band. There are certain commands issued
by the Pipe Major which every player in the band must follow: when to raise
your pipes to play, when to start and stop and so on. The Pipe Major also decides
what music is to be played. Once the Pipe Major has given the command the drummers
usually start the band with two 3 beat drum rolls. On the second of these rolls
the pipers bring in their drones and then on the third beat of this roll they
bring in their chanters, playing E.
The Green Hills of Tyrol - audio
There is a version of The Green
Hills of Tyrol for group performance in the Parts
section of this module.
