The Great Highland Bagpipe

1. The Great Highland Bagpipe A John Gillespie presentation

2. Bagpipes • A bagpipe consists of an air supply, a bag, a chanter and usually three drones. • The most common method of supplying air to the bag is by blowing into a blow pipe. • The chanter is the melody pipe, played by both hands. • Bagpipes feature a number of drone pipes which sound a steady note.

3. The Practice Chanter • A smaller, quieter instrument, than the bagpipe, with a plastic reed and lacking a bag or drones • It is used by beginner pipers to learn basic notes and movements before adding the complication of a bag and drones. • Even after a player progresses to the pipes, they will usually continue to use the practice chanter to learn new tunes and to practice

4. History of the bagpipe • It seems likely that the instrument was first developed in the Middle East. The earliest reference to a bagpipe occurs around 400 BC. • During the 12th century, Europe underwent a flourishing of art & culture and many of Europe's unique bagpipes developed around this time. • In Britain, pipers became part of the traveling minstrel class, acting as carriers of news, gossip & music around the country. • In the Scottish Highlands, the pipers became the chief Celtic musicians by about the 16th century.

5. Pibroch – “pipe music” In Gaelic, the "Great Music" of the bagpipe is referred to as Ceòl Mòr, and "light music" is referred to as Ceòl Beag. • Ceòl Mòr consists of a slow ground movement which is a simple theme, then a series of increasingly complex variations on this theme, and ends with a return to the ground. • Ceòl Beag includes marches, dance tunes, strathspeys, reels, hornpipes, jigs, slow airs, and more.

6. MODERN USAGE • In the Great Highland Bagpipe world, there are hundreds of pipe bands registered with pipe band associations world wide. There are many more pipers who do not play with bands. • Traditionally, one of the main purposes of the bagpipe was to provide music for dancing. In Scotland, bagpipes are commonly associated with weddings and other celebrations. • Over the past 30 years, bagpipes have also made appearances in other forms of music, including rock, jazz & classical music.

7. THE END "A wedding without a bagpipe is like a funeral"