The bagpipe is a woodwind instrument that produces sound through enclosed reeds fed by a constant reservoir of air stored in a bag. Known for its haunting and powerful tone, the bagpipe has become one of the most iconic instruments in world music, particularly associated with Scotland.
The roots of the bagpipe go back thousands of years. There is evidence that it originated in the Middle East around the first millennium BC, with depictions found on Hittite carvings and references in the Bible. The Romans helped spread the instrument across Europe, where it adapted to local traditions and materials.
By the Middle Ages, bagpipes were widespread across Europe, from the British Isles to the Mediterranean. They were used in folk celebrations, religious ceremonies, and even on battlefields.
In Scotland, the Great Highland Bagpipe emerged as a national symbol, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was used to rally clans in war. Over time, improvements in materials (such as synthetic bags and reeds) and craftsmanship refined the instrument's durability and tonal quality.
A bagpipe typically consists of the bag (traditionally made of animal skin, now often synthetic, serving as an air reservoir), the blowpipe (used to fill the bag with air), the chanter (the melody pipe, with finger holes to play tunes), and the drones (pipes that produce continuous harmonizing notes, giving the bagpipe its distinctive sound). The constant airflow allows for uninterrupted sound, unlike most wind instruments.
Playing the bagpipe requires mastery of breath control, finger dexterity, and embellishments. Key techniques include maintaining steady pressure on the bag to produce continuous sound, incorporating grace notes and ornaments, such as doublings, throws, and birls, to articulate melodies, as well as tuning and maintaining reeds and drones for tonal balance. Beginners often start with a practice chanter before moving to a full set of pipes.
Bagpipes exist in many regional forms, each with unique characteristics, such as the Great Highland Bagpipe (Scotland), the most famous, loud, and powerful; Uilleann Pipes (Ireland), played with bellows, offering a softer, more complex sound; Northumbrian Smallpipes (England), quieter, wiht a closed-ended chanter; Gaita (Spain, Portugal), central to Galician and Asturian folk music; and Zampogna (Italy), often used in pastoral and Christmas traditions.
While many pipers have left their mark, five that stand out for their influence and fame include Bill Millin, Gordon Duncan, Fred Morrison, Richard Parkes, and Hevia.
Originating in the Middle East, the bagpipe spread across Europe and evolved into many regional forms. Its unique construction, demanding playing techniques, and cultural significance have made it a symbol of tradition as well as a versatile tool for modern music.
We have assembled a collection of online resources for information and instruction on the bagpipe and those who play the instrument, which you will find below. For e-commerce sites selling bagpipes, bagpipe components, or accessories, please see the Musical Instruments section of our Shopping & eCommerce guide.
Recommended Resources
Stylized BagpipeBasics, the free, web-based reference for learning the Great Highland Bagpipe, is focused on light music (ceòl beag) rather than classical piobaireachd (ceòl mòr). It features lesson materials the author uses in teaching and is designed for use on desktops, tablets, and smartphones with classroom projection in mind. Written by Michael Flight, it provides lessons and reference material for students and instructors, and is not intended to be a substitute for a teacher.
https://www.bagpipebasics.com/
Founded by Jori Chisholm, Bagpipe Lessons has been online since 1999, serving as a platform where problems are solved, products are created, and skills are shared. Chisholm teaches privately and through the Inner Circle membership, creates step-by-step courses, and publishes a steady stream of free lessons, guides, exercises, and live sessions on a YouTube channel. An Inner Circle membership grants access to everything available on the website, as well as live sessions.
https://bagpipelessons.com/
The Bagpipe Network is an online, worldwide directory of bagpipers, pipe bands, instructors, shops, and events, allowing readers to find and contact performers and organizations by country or category. Separate listings for bagpipers, pipe bands, shops, instructors, and events are featured, along with country-specific listings. Upcoming festivals, competitions, and Highland games are listed, along with their dates and locations. Registration is required to add a listing.
https://www.bagpipenetwork.com/
Produced in association with The National Piping Centre, Bagpipe News is an online magazine covering bagpiping and piping culture, with news, features, reviews, competition results, and community items. Content types include breaking news, historical features, competition results, book and recording reviews, expert advice, and profiles of pipers and community figures. Its audience comprises pipers, pipe-band members, and enthusiasts of Scottish piping and Gaelic cultural events.
https://bagpipe.news/
Formed in 1986 to bring together players, makers, researchers, and people who love the bagpipes, the organization is based in the United Kingdom. The Society promotes the revival of interest in bagpipes in Britain and around the world. It publishes "Chanter," a quarterly journal that contains articles on the history of the bagpipe, bagpipe music, playing technique, and various reviews. It holds an annual gathering called the Blowout and helps coordinate the International Bagpipe Day.
https://www.bagpipesociety.org.uk/
Active since 2001, the Bob Dunsire Bagpipe Forums is a long-running online community dedicated to piping, drumming, pipe bands, and related topics. Powered by vBulletin, the forum includes areas for general discussions, music, techniques, instruments, competition results, do-it-yourself reviews, industry news, and related subjects, such as Highland dancing, pipe bands, drumming, and bass sections. The forum is read-only without a login, but registration is free.
https://forums.bobdunsire.com/
Eastern United States Pipe Band Association
Formed to host piping and drumming competitions in the area that is now roughly the Mid-Atlantic Branch of the EUSPBA, the organization has since grown to cover the entire East Coast, stretching from Maine to Texas. EUSPBA offers contests for pipers, drummers (snare, tenor, bass), drum majors, and pipe bands at all skill levels. Players are graded by skill, typically based on their past contest results. Upcoming contests and events are featured on the site, along with contact details.
https://www.euspba.org/
Run by Alec Chisholm, the website focuses on fun, tune-based lessons and a three-step method to help beginners build a consistent practice routine. A free downloadable guide covers how much to practice, offering a simple practice-start action and a way to track progress. Monthly membership provides unlimited access to all tune workshops, with a promo code for $10 off the first month. Online workshops on traditional Irish, nontraditional, and seasonal tunes are taught in a technique-first format.
https://www.getbagpipeready.com/
The Happy Bagpiper LLC offers bagpipe performance, instruction, and retail of bagpiping supplies, with a focus on Great Highland Bagpipe and smallpipe instruments. Its primary in-person service is in the greater Philadelphia metro area and surrounding states, with remote students and clients reached by Internet and mail. The site highlights Thom, a highly trained bagpiper with over four decades of competitive experience, championships, and instructor roles.
https://happybagpiper.com/
Offering structured online lessons on learning the Great Highland Bagpipe through video lessons, interactive sheet music, and tune tutorials taught ben Peter Purvis, the Highland Bagpipe Academy includes a free beginner course entitled "Getting Started on the Bagpipes," with 20+ hours of step-by-step video lessons, interactive sheet music, and 30+ interactive tune tutorials with adjustable tempo and phrase-by-phrase breakdowns, with heavy emphasis on practice chanter work.
https://www.highlandbagpipe.com/
Created in 1982 as a teaching/publishing project, the School of Piping was an early online piping workshop providing piping tuition, technical articles, historical material, audio lessons, product reviews, and an online shop for bagpipes and accessories. It offers structured material and sound files for learners, instructional material to improve playing and instrument care, and an online shop offering bagpipes, accessories, and related products. Hiring services for pipers is also provided.
https://www.schoolofpiping.com/
