The bagpipe is a reed instrument, typically featuring either a single or double reed, with an air reservoir housed in a bag. A standard set of bagpipes consists of four key components: an air supply, a bag, a chanter (the melody pipe), and at least one drone (a pipe that produces a continuous note). Traditional bags were made from animal skins such as goats, sheep, or cows, though synthetic materials like Gore-Tex are now widely used.

The drone produces a constant note, usually harmonizing with the chanter, which is played by fingering the holes. Air is supplied to the bag either by blowing into a blowpipe or using a bellows. The player uses arm pressure to push air through the reeds, creating sound.

Bagpipes have ancient origins, believed to have been developed in Mesopotamia. From there, the instrument spread westward to Greece and Rome, and eastward to Persia (modern-day Iran) and India.

Modern Bagpipe Players

Moving forward to the 20th century, bagpipes became very popular in Western Europe, specially in Ireland, Scotland, Brittany (France), and Galicia and Asturias (Spain) thanks to the Celtic music wave that blossomed in the 1970s. Notably, Irish bands such as The Chieftains, The Bothy Band, and Plantxy played an essential role in highlighting the bagpipe as a solo and ensemble instrument in contemporary folk music.

Later, Galicia in northwestern Spain became another hotspot for the bagpipe, although this time it was soloists instead of bands. Carlos Núñez became one of the top, and most popular, pipers in the world. His music incorporates Galician folk, Pan-Celtic sounds, world music, rock and other influences. At the same time, Galicia produced two of the top female pipers: Susana Seivane and Cristina Pato.

In neighboring Asturias, in northern Spain, award-wining piper José Ángel Hevia Velasco, better known as Hevia became a worldwide sensation. Hevia pioneered the MIDI electronic bagpipes he invented. His 1999 debut album, Tierra De Nadie (No Man’s Land) was a hit in Europe and went triple platinum in Spain.

Although most people associate Scotland with its marching pipe bands, contemporary Scottish folk and Celtic rock bands use bagpipes extensively. These include Tannahill Weavers, Battlefield Band, Breabach, Albannach, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Saor Patrol, and Wolfstone.

One of the most important Scottish soloists was influential piper Gordon Duncan. He played with leading folk and pipe bands. Additonally, Duncan released albums for Greentrax as a solo performer and composer.

Top Pipers

Uilleann (Irish) pipes: Calum Stewart (Ireland), Cillian Vallely (Ireland), Davy Spillane (Ireland), Declan Masterson (Ireland), Jerry O’Sullivan (USA), Mick O’Brien (Ireland), Paddy Keenan (Ireland), Ronan Browne (Ireland), Seán McKiernan (Ireland), Troy Donockley (UK), Jarlath Henderson (Northern Ireland).

Highland Bagpipes : Roddy MacLeod (Scotland), Bruce Gandy (Canada), Angus MacColl (Scotland), Eric Rigler (USA), Fred Morrison (Scotland), Jack Lee (Canada), Jamie Holton (USA), Jori Chisholm (USA), Stuart Liddell (Scotland), Willie McCallum (Scotland), Liam Kernaghan (New Zealand), Kyle Warren (Scotland), Andrew Carlisle (USA), Robert Watt (Ireland), Andrea Boyd (Canada), Margaret Houlihan (Ireland/Scotland), Hazel Whyte (Scotland).

Northumbrian smallpipes: Kathryn Tickell, Alistair Anderson, Andy May.

Scottish smallpipes: Fred Morrison, Iain MacInnes, Brìghde Chaimbeul.

Galician bagpipes: Anxo Lorenzo, Carlos Núñez, Susana Seivane, Cristina Pato, María López Carballo, Nadia Vázquez, Xosé Manuel Budiño, the Sondeseu folk orchestra, Pedro Álvarez, and Daniel Bellón.

Asturian bagpipes: Xuacu Amieva, José Ángel Hevia, Berto Varillas, Flavio Rodríguez Benito, José Manuel Tejedor, Santi Caleya, Llorián García Flórez, Pablo Carrera González, Andrea Fernández Joglar, Álvaro Álvarez Fernández, Jesús Fernández, Rubén Alba Garcia, Fernando Vázquez Cárcaba, and Daniel Álvarez Moya.

Breton pipes: Patrick Molard, Enora Morice, Gwenael le Corronc, Quentin Muenier, Gwendal Thieme, Helori Saout, Yvonnick Beauvaisr, Hervé LeFloc’h.

Swedish bagpipes (säckpipa): Anders Norudde, Olle Gällmo, Per Gudmundson, Anna Rynefors, Börs Anders Öhman, Erik Ask-Upmark, Alban Faust (Germany/Sweden).

Other pipers: Dick Hensold (USA), Juraj Dufek (Slovakia).

Bagpipe Bands

The pipe band tradition dates back to the Roman Empire, when legions used bagpipes to scare enemies. However, they are primarily associated with British Empire military units based in the UK and its former colonies. Currently, military-style and folk pipe bands are most prominent in Scotland, Brittany, Ireland, the United States of America, Canada, Spain, and India.

Scotland: Massed Pipes and Drums of the Scottish Highlands, ScottishPower Pipe Band, Johnstone Pipe Band, Greater Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band, Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band.

Brittany: Bagad Kemper, Bagad Lann-Bihoué, Bagad Cap Caval, Bagad Brieg, Bagad Vannes-Melinerion.

Bagpipe contests

• The prestigious MacCrimmon Trophy is staged annually at the Lorient Interceltic Festival in Brittany, one of the biggest Celtic music festivals in the world.
• Glenfiddich Piping Championship (Scotland)
• Balmoral Classic Competition (USA)
• International Bagpipe Contest, Gela (Bulgaria)

Gayda and Tulum Pipes Added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

In 2024, traditional bagpipe (gayda/tulum) making and performing of North Macedonia and Türkiye (Turkey) was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The traditional bagpipe (gayda/tulum) is a traditional woodwind instrument that is made and performed across the area that includes North Macedonia, and the Eastern Black Sea and Thrace regions of Türkiye.

Crafted from boxwood, the bagpipe is associated with folk music and is typically played in events such as weddings and festivals. A symbol of cultural identity, it reinforces a sense of belonging and is a key part of many other traditions and customs, including harvesting and transhumance (seasonal movement of livestock) practices.

Women in Scottish Piping and Drumming Key Study Findings

The National Piping Centre (NPC) released in 2024 findings from a landmark study addressing the representation and inclusion of women in Scotland’s piping and drumming community. Conducted in collaboration with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the study, Women in Piping and Drumming: Equality, Inclusivity, and Diversity (EDI), launched in April 2023 and aimed to assess women’s experiences, identify barriers, and establish a baseline for inclusivity within the traditional arts.

Key Findings from the Research

The study, based on responses from approximately 300 participants, highlighted several critical themes:

• Lack of representation and visibility of women in the community.
• Male-dominated environments and insufficient community support for women.
• Sexism and inappropriate behavior, with 52% of respondents reporting instances of sexism and 24% strongly agreeing they had experienced inappropriate behavior at piping events.
• Gender-based challenges, as 52% of retired participants cited gender as a factor in their decision to leave.
• Encouraging progress, with many respondents noting improvements, though significant gaps remain.

In response to the findings, the NPC launched two key initiatives as part of its Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy:

The Maket Collective

Launched in August 2024, this initiative highlights the achievements of six influential women in piping and drumming. Named after Lady Maket, history’s first known piper from Ancient Egypt, the project creates an online hub featuring videos, photos, and event details to amplify female voices in the field. The collective also organizes performances and events, fostering a stronger community for women in the arts. The six Maket Collective Ambassadors for 2024 are Andrea Boyd (piper), Brìghde Chaimbeul (piper), Mackenzie Forrest (snare drummer), Margaret Houlihan (piper), Sarah Staub (tenor drummer) and Hazel Whyte (piper).

The Stand Project

This allyship initiative encourages members of the piping and drumming community to stand against discrimination and support inclusivity. Participants pledge their commitment by wearing a free pin badge, symbolizing solidarity and promoting a welcoming environment for all.

Bagpipe Festivals

• Piping Live!
• William Kennedy Piping Festival

Bagpipe museums

• Museo Internacional de la Gaita (International Bagpipe Museum), bagpipe museum in Gijón (Asturias), Spain.
• Museum of Piping, National Piping Centre

Bagpipe organizations

• The National Piping Centre, the primary location for the promotion of the study of the music and history of the Highland Bagpipe and other Scottish piping traditions. It has a teaching school, restaurant, hotel, bagpipe shop, Museum of Piping and wedding venue within its premises and runs the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and Glasgow International Piping Festival – Piping Live! Find out more at www.thepipingcentre.co.uk.
• Asociación de Gaiteiros Galegos, Galicia, Spain.
• The Bagpipe Society, UK.
• International Bagpipe Organisation.

Types of bagpipes

• British bagpipes: Highland pipes, Scottish smallpipes, border or lowland pipes (Scotland), Northumbrian pipes.
• Croatian bagpipes: surle, Slavonske gajde, duda, Istarski mih, Dalmatinski mih, Hercegovački mih, mih s pelješca.
• French bagpipes: cornemuse and musette.
• German bagpipes: dudelsack, marktsackpfeife, huemmelchen, dudy or kozoł, dreibrümmchen.
• Irish bagpipes: uilleann pipes, great Irish warpipes.
• Italian bagpipe: zampogna.
• Spanish bagpipes: gaita gallega (Galicia), gaita asturiana (Asturias), gaita de boto (Aragon), gaita leonesa (Leon), gaita sanabresa (Sanabria, Zamora), gaita de fuelle (Salamanca), sac de gemecs (Catalonia), xeremies (Mallorca).

Bagpipe Books

• Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method – Book/Online Audio
• Pipers: A Guide to the Players and Music of the Highland Bagpipe by William Donaldson
• Traditional Irish Music for the Bagpipe by Dave Rickard
• Bagpipes: A National Collection of a National Treasure by Hugh Cheape
• Temperando. La gaita gallega y su mundo by Fernando Molpeceres and Darío Nogueira.

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(headline image: piper Carlos Núñez)