My new bagpipes

[Eric_Methven]

I've been working on an off with a bagpipe maker on various projects over the years and managed to negotiate through trade and barter a beautiful custom set of early period bagpipes.

I made the bag, and Ian made the mouthpiece, drone and chanter and put it all together for me. It is made from 500 year old yew wood and antler (which I provided). It's taken nearly two years, but he brought it round to my house on Christmas Eve. I am overjoyed with it and it sounds beautiful.

Bagpipes similar to this have been around in one form or another for thousands of years (there's certainly evidence in biblical times) and most are single drone pipes, so that's what I asked for. I'll be able to get away with playing them in many of the historical periods I get dressed up for.

Here's a few photos.

The pipes

I asked Ian if he could leave some of the character of the antler visible. He's done this well on the mouthpiece and on the ferule on the drone.

The chanter also feels great to play as he's shaped it so my fingers just fit the recesses he's made over the holes perfectly.

It's a great bit of kit, and I look forward to torturing you all at future meets. (And yes, anyone who wants a go can have a go).

Thanks for looking.

Eric

 

[gregorach]

Nice set of pipes there Eric! I much prefer the small pipes to the war pipes. Tried learning the chanter for a bit, but never got on very well with it...

 

[Eric_Methven]

Well, these are fingered for the penny whistle, so if you can play that, you can play these.

Eric

 

[Nightwalker]

Its Beautiful! 500 year old wood! Thats brill.

Eric can either you or Ian play the pipes well? I would love to see a video of them being used.

 

[gregorach]

Well, these are fingered for the penny whistle, so if you can play that, you can play these.

Eric

A penny whistle only has six holes. Do they have a thumb hole on the back as well? Oh, and what are you using for reeds?

I'm going to have to make more of an effort to get to meets this year, so hopefully I'll be able to try them sometime.

 

[Toddy]

Verrry nice

I used to sneak into my big brother's room and listen to him practising on the chanter. He played with the Shotts and Dykehead band.

Between the pipes and the boran you're a one man band soon Eric

atb,
M

 

[gregorach]

I'd love to see someone manage to play both at the same time...

 

[Toddy]

You should see what some of those re-enactor's get up to

atb,
M

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

I can tell you I do understand why an enemy would run away after hearing that screeching...

Glad Im on the other side of the water right now LOL.....

 

[Toddy]

If you think the pipes are bad you should hear the Carnyx........it's like the very air is howling at you

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Eric_Methven]

A penny whistle only has six holes. Do they have a thumb hole on the back as well? Oh, and what are you using for reeds?

I'm going to have to make more of an effort to get to meets this year, so hopefully I'll be able to try them sometime.

It does have a thumb hole at the back, and there's that extra hole at the bottom, but other than that it plays like a penny whistle.

The reeds are made from yoghurt pots.

Eric

 

[gregorach]

Right, that's exactly the same set of holes as for a normal Scot's bagpipe chanter. However, the "proper" way to play one involves rather weird fingerings. Lets see if I can describe it, ASCII-style:

 G   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   A
[x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [o]
 x   x   x   x   x   x   x   o   o   (Upper hand)
 x   x   x   x   x   x   o   o   o
 x   x   x   x   x   o   o   o   x
----------------------------------
 x   x   x   x   o   x   x   x   x    (Lower hand)
 x   x   x   o   o   x   x   x   x
 x   x   o   o   o   x   x   x   x
 x   o   o   x   x   o   o   o   o

(x is closed, o is open, square brackets indicate the thumb-hole)

THe move from D to E in particular is a right pain. You can sort of get away with not closing the correct lower holes, but the pitch isn't quite right, and gets less right as you move up the scale. And I believe your bagpipe teacher goes mental if you don't do it the "proper" way.

Perhaps your bagpipe maker knows of a work-around. I notice that all the holes seem to be the same size too...

 

[korvin karbon]

i hope you have your FAC updated, they are dangerous weapons. My ears are still ringing from when we had a piper surprise my grandad at his 70th birthday in out house LOL.

5 years and still ringing, maybe i should see the quack LOL

 

[gregorach]

Nah, it's only the war pipes, aka The Great Highland Bagpipe, which are covered by the Geneva Conventions. Small pipes are fine.

 

[Ozhaggishead]

Looks like a really nice piece of craftsmanship you must be well pleased.

 

[Rui]

Great job

To me it looks like the Sackpipa (Sweeden bagpipe)

I actually play the "Gaita Galega" (Galiza) and de "Gaita Transmontana" (Portugal)

 

[Ozhaggishead]

I didn't know that they had bagbipes in Sweden,one more reason to go there!

 

[Rui]

there's a photo of one

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

will have to see if their are any youtube vids I cant believe their is anything worse than bagpipes....

If you think the pipes are bad you should hear the Carnyx........it's like the very air is howling at you

cheers,
Toddy

 

[jdlenton]

my tutor at college John Creed made the replica of a carnyx thats in the museum of scotland. I got to blow it when we went to visit their ancient metal work collection the romans said that the scots that used then made a sound that came from the very mountains as they went in to battle.

have a look at this wiki entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnyx

nice pipes by the way eric