How does a bagpipe work?

ILLUSTRATIONS: Eduardo Medeiros

The principle of the bagpipes is to maintain a constant flow of air through the instrument’s vents, which vibrate and emit sounds. To do this, the bagpiper inflates a bellows (a reservoir capable of maintaining a constant and uniform flow of air) and presses it lightly with his arm when he needs to take a breath. The air, then, comes out through the tip, which makes the melody, and through the snores, which make the “snoring” in the background. There are several different models (see box), but the Scotsman, pictured in the infographic, remains the most famous.

1) Blower

It is the tube through which the piper fills the bellows with air. At the end connected to the bellows, there is a rubber valve that prevents the passage of gas in the opposite direction. The air fills the bellows and starts to escape through the snores and nozzle

2) Tip

The tip works like a flute attached to the bellows. Made of wood and usually with 11 holes, eight used for melody and three for tuning, it receives part of the airflow from the bellows and is manipulated by the bagpiper to play the notes.

3) Piper

You always need to be attentive to keep the air circulating and play the notes on the tip. When he runs out of breath, he presses down on the bellows with his arm, forcing out the reserved air and preventing the sound from stopping as it fills his lungs.

4) Snoring

They form the basis of the bagpipe sound. Composed of three parts, abutment, middle and crown, they emit a constant sound, called a pedal note, which does not change frequency: it is always two octaves below the sound of the tip.

5) Bellows

The most characteristic part of the instrument serves to distribute the air evenly between the snores and the tip. In the old days, they were made from animal skin – today, the most common is rubber or Gore-Tex

6) Picks

Made from black cane, they can be considered the soul of the harmonica. They are installed in pairs at the pointer connection with the bellows, and individually at the base of each snore. They vibrate with the passage of air, producing sound.

TDF SUGGESTED Victor Siqueira

CONSULTANCY Bagpipe Association

SOURCES The Book of the Bagpipe, by Hugh Cheape; Soundcalledmusic.com website