How many reeds are in the great highland bagpipe

Simply a top-level reed that will preform well in various kinds of chanters. For a beginner, this shouldn't matter too much but you'll want to be sure you get a reed that is compatible with your chosen pipe chanter. We're always happy to help with any information we can give over the phone or an email. Any cane reed will need to be replaced, but if taken care of and allowed to dry in a reed protector after playing, they can last for years with great longevity.

Concerning drone reeds , you'll want a set of synthetic reeds that don't take much effort to set up. These reeds need to be air efficient and stable from the start of learning. A fantastic brand to start with in my opinion are Ezee Drone Reeds. These reeds are played by numerous gold medal pipers because of their consistent tone and ease of adjustability. Different brands and styles are available but an educated decision should be made by your teacher or other experienced piper.

Cane drone reeds should be avoided by beginners as these reeds are more difficult to work with. This is an investment best made by an advanced player.

All drone reeds require customized attention once out of their package. You'll need to adjust them to the appropriate strength governed by your chanter reed and tuning position on your tuning pin. Head to our "Comfortable Bagpipe" blog for more information on setting your drone reeds. Over time, a new piper will build up a maintenance kit that holds all the items they'll need for proper care of their pipes.

A few of the essential items you'll need to get started are as follows:. Carrying Case for the best protection your pipes can get. Soft-sided models are recommended. Brushes both bristled and fabric brushes are needed to remove debris and moisture.

These items are needed for the most basic maintenance that must be performed after every playing session. Over time, you'll create a kit that has extra tools in it such as scissors, sandpaper files, tuners, mandrels, and more.

You can upgrade your arsenal and customize it for any uses that you might have. These items are for the more advanced player who is adjusting multiple bagpipes and reeds with finesse. Since a beginner will not be using the drones to get started, the drones will be corked off either at the stock or the top of the drone.

The lack of constant moisture running through the drones will let them over dry and must have extra hemp added to the pipes to make sure the hemp seals remain airtight. One of the best things to do when purchasing a set of pipes is to listen to them. YouTube is a fantastic resource for judging the tonal quality of an instrument.

It is smart to compare different brands of reeds, pipes, bags, and chanters so that you come up with the sound you want to achieve. If possible, try a friend or bandmate's set! It is also recommended to ask your teacher or another experienced piper their preference on brands and gauge your choices there.

Our own recorded database of sound products can help you make your desicion as well. You definitely don't want to seek the "cheap" way out in your purchases. Take pride in ensuring that you and your pipes will have the necessary equipment to help you on your way.

Higgins are happy to provide you with all of the advice and information you need to make a worthwhile purchase. We have a team of experienced pipers on call to help you with any questions you might have. Don't hesitate to get in touch by email or over the phone. Higgins, Ltd. Lenexa, KS Telephone: All prices are in USD. Higgins, Ltd.. Sitemap Powered by BigCommerce. Andrew Juneau Knights of St. Andrew Omaha Knights of St.

Andrew Tulsa Knights of St. Andrew Valdosta Knights of St. Andrew Helpful Videos. FAQ's J. Measurement Guide J. Contact Us J. Site Information. Please wait Call us on Sign in or Create an account. Recent Posts Caring for Your J. When am I ready for Bagpipes? Your First Set: A new beginner piper will usually want a new instrument to play. Where to Start? Parts of the Great Highland Bagpipe: On our website and throughout your piping career, you will see some terms concerning the different parts of the bagpipe.

Plastic Instruments: In general, wooden instruments are better than plastic. Beware Online Scams and Gimmicks: In all honesty, who can blame someone for wanting a good deal on their first set of bagpipes? Combing and Beading V. S Unturned Wood: Most sets of bagpipes have a decorative pattern on the wood known as "combing and beading". Hide Bags and Wooden Chanters: A beginner piper should start out on a good instrument, but one would want to wait before going for the "gold medalist" set-up.

Bag Size: Typically, I recommend that most people start with a medium bag. You can more accurately choose a size from both your height and your stamina level: People who are 5'7'' or below might benefit from a small or extended small pipe bag.

Blowpipe length: This is a very crucial step in ordering your pipes. Reeds: No bagpipe is complete without a set of reeds. Chanter Reeds: The chanter reed is the hardest and loudest reed the bagpipe has. Drone Reeds: Concerning drone reeds , you'll want a set of synthetic reeds that don't take much effort to set up.

Other Needed Accessories: Over time, a new piper will build up a maintenance kit that holds all the items they'll need for proper care of their pipes. A few of the essential items you'll need to get started are as follows: Carrying Case for the best protection your pipes can get. Nero considered himself a good piper as well as many other things. He even had the bagpipes put on a coin. This was one of the first positive references to the bagpipes. Nero also used bagpipes to inspire his troops before battle, though at that time they were generally recognized as peasant entertainment.

Soon after the first century we can find traditions of bagpipes stretching all the way from India to Spain and from France to Egypt. Every town would hire a bagpiper, usually out of special taxes from the wealthy families in the area, who would pipe for townspeople on all occasions.

In some places the piper would play in churches in place of an organ. As time went on, the bagpipes in the British Isles evolved and various types of pipes and piping were developed. Marches, strathsplays, hornpipes, and reels were perfected and played on the Highland Bagpipes, the Lowland Bagpipes, the Northumbria pipes, and the Irish Union pipes. Modern Shuttle Pipes The Scottish people have made the bagpipes one of the outstanding parts of their culture.

In some many songs, stories, and poems, the Scots have celebrated their pipes, and unlike many other cultures they have kept the pipes alive as part of their musical tradition. Online Support. Click outside to hide the compare bar. Plastic is supplied in sheets or rods, and metal for ferrules bands that are put around the shafts of the pipes to support and strengthen them and caps that protect the pipe ends is received as metal tubing or castings and may consist of aluminum, brass, nickel, or sterling silver.

The basic design of the Scottish Great High-land bagpipe was established in the s, and its straight, simple lines have been the standard since then. In Victorian times, more combing and beading on the wood came into fashion, and this ornamentation has also become traditional. The pipe maker does have some leeway in the design of the bores of the chanter and drones, but the range of internal dimensions is still limited to maintain the traditional sound.

Because each bagpipe is hand-crafted, there are certainly subtle differences among manufacturers. Perhaps the greatest changes in design have been in other families of pipes in which everything old is new again; many pipe makers are reviving antique styles and early forms of bagpipes. Heated oil or wax is then applied by hand using a fine cloth. If the maker chooses to finish the pipes with lacquer or varnish instead of oil or wax, grit sandpaper is used to smooth the wood before the lacquer or varnish is applied with camel-hair brushes.

The lacquer or vamish may be sprayed on in a spray-paint booth. Dust from the wood used to manufacture bagpipes is highly toxic, and the pipe maker must wear a respirator, not a dust mask, to keep from inhaling the wood dust. Most of the natural products used in making bag-pipes are biodegradable.

Plastic waste results in very small amounts and is disposed in a landfill. Thinners and other organic compounds are used with lacquer or varnish finishes; but these are usually stored in small quantities with little waste. The primary hazard in bagpipe manufacture is to the pipe maker who must protect himself from the dust hazard and must also wear hearing protection because he works closely with noisy machinery.

Quality control is a constant issue in the production of bagpipes. The pipe maker crafts each bagpipe individually and so is monitoring his own work until the product is complete. Tolerances in boring and turning the pipes are tiny; the sound will suffer if these are not strictly observed.

The internal dimension is critical and can only err by plus or minus 0. The exterior diameter can only err by plus or minus 0. These tolerances are perhaps the greatest single issue in the quality manufacture of bagpipes. The pipe maker's reputation rests on his ability to create uniformly excellent bagpipes in appearance and more importantly in sound quality.

Interest in the bagpipe is growing steadily especially in the United States and Canada, which are the two largest markets in the world. The demand for well-made instruments has been steady for a number of years, but the number of bagpipers is growing now.

Master pipe-maker Mark Cushing credits the interest in the pipes to two factors. Ethnic interest is prompting people to study pipe-playing because of its connection to their family history. Still more players are attracted by the sound of the pipes and the strong feelings they stir. No matter what the basis for their interest might be, these pipers are encouraged by the many pipe band associations throughout the United States and Canada that provide lessons, encouragement, and a ready audience.

Thanks to the swirl of the kilt and the skirl of the bagpipe, pipe makers anticipate a lasting and loving future for their artistry. Baines, Anthony. The Oxford Companion to Musical Instruments. New York: Oxford University Press, Cannon, Roderick D. New York: John Donald, Collinson, Francis. Dearling, Robert, ed. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments.

New York: Schirmer Books, Sadie, Stanley, ed. New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. London: Macmillan Press, Cushing Bagpipe Company. Dunbar Bagpipe Maker Ltd. Pettigrew Bagpipes. MacLellan Bagpipes. The Bagpipe Web. The Piping Center, Glasgow, Scotland. Uileann Pipes. Toggle navigation. Made How Volume 6 Bagpipes Bagpipes. Other Cushing Bagpipe Company. Other articles you might like:. Also read article about Bagpipes from Wikipedia.