Capitol City Highlanders

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CAPITOL CITY HIGHLANDERS PIPE BAND

Celebrating 25 Years in 2005!

Introduction to Piping | Rehearsals | Piping Links

HISTORY Historians tell us that the bagpipe had its beginning about 500 B.C. in ancient Egypt, not in Scotland like most people believe. It was spread throughout Europe and Asia by the Romans and the Celts as they carried it on their invasions. The bagpipe was popular on these continents through the Middle Ages and was one of the most common instruments used by the wandering minstrels (The Pied Piper was one of these) who furnished much of the music that was played during that time. The pipes remained popular in this part of the world until about the 15^th Century when many of the sophisticated concert instruments were invented and developed; and with their coming, music became more of an indoor activity. When this happened, the bagpipe – definitely an outdoor instrument – died out over most of Europe and Asia. The history and fate of the bagpipes followed much this same pattern in the British Isles – except in the Highlands of Scotland. There, the martial music of the pipes appealed to the fighting, war-like spirit of the Scots and they adopted it as their national instrument. The Chief of each clan had his own piper, a hereditary position handed down from father to son; and schools were established to teach the playing of the bagpipes.

USES AND COST Bagpipes are used for any and all occasions: parties and dancing, weddings, funerals, parades, religious gatherings, and miscellaneous ceremonies like the installation of club officers, conference banquets, and school cultural festivals. When I began playing the pipes in 1961, bagpipes were selling for $80 or $90 for a good, economical set; and for as much as $500 for a set of full-mounted sterling silver pipes. Today, the $90 set costs about $900; and my pipes, which are full-mounted sterling silver, cost $3,200 when I bought them in 1985. Today they are worth about $6,500, so I have them insured for $7,500.

CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION The bagpipes consist of a bag, usually made out of leather such as sheepskin, horsehide, or elkhide; to which are attached three long pipes known as drones, which hum in the background while the tune is being played; a blowstick, which is simply a hollow pipe for blowing air into the bag; and a chanter, the pipe or horn on which the tune is played (the chanter has eight holes, seven on the front side and one in the back, constituting nine notes – low G, low A, B, C, D, E, F, high G, and high A). The bag is usually covered with a bagcover made from material of the piper’s tartan (a tartan, commonly referred to as a Scottish plaid, is the crisscross pattern of colored stripes of varying widths that denotes a certain clan, or Highland family). Air is blown into the bag, which is positioned under the left arm, to inflate it; and the bag acts as a reservoir for the air. When the bag is full, it is given a slap with the right hand which starts the air flowing through the reeds in the three drones (striking the drones) and then the stiffer double reed (similar to that in an oboe or bassoon) in the chanter. The piper then must keep a constant pressure on the bag at all times, and this is done by either blowing air into the bag or squeezing it with the arm. When you stop blowing to take a breath, you squeeze with the arm, and a check valve in the blowstick shuts from the pressure in the bag to hold the air in. When you blow into the bag again, you relax your arm somewhat; and in this manner the bag stays full, the pressure is maintained, the air keeps flowing, and the music keeps going. When you sense yourself coming to the end of the tune, you stop blowing air into the bag and squeeze the bag to “bleed” it down. Then when the last note is played, the arm is released, and the sound stops. The blowing and squeezing must become subconscious, and the main concentration is on playing the tune on the chanter.

LEARNING One does not learn to play the pipes on the bagpipes themselves. The beginner needs to obtain what is known as a practice chanter, which looks like a recorder, and a book of instructions (an instructor is also very helpful). The fingering, notes, doublings, and tunes are learned on the practice chanter; and then the student “graduates” to the pipes. However, the piper always uses the practice chanter for practicing old tunes and exercises and learning new tunes. For lessons, you may call me at 346-3123.