Are you considering learning to play the Highland Bagpipes

The Great Highland Bagpipes are one of the finest instruments in the world. It is an art form that can be enjoyed at all levels of playing and furthers the tradition and continuation of this ancient instrument which our band The Home Counties Pipes & Drums members, promote first and foremost.   

Learning to play the pipes is an amazing opportunity and journey and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. “How do I get started?“, “What do I need to learn?”  “Where can I learn?” may be a couple of initial questions that you have. Hopefully by reading my blog, you may have a better idea on how to get started. The bagpipes certainly are a unique instrument and completely alien to some. 

Bagpipes are like Marmite you either love them or hate them and it is not for everyone, which I totally understand. The uniqueness of the instrument also promotes the scarcity of resources for learning as you can’t just walk into your local music shop and readily find a professional bagpipe teacher/tutor. However, I was fortunate in that aspect as my wife did just that, located tutors details in a music shop and for over 20 years and now become very good friends with my tutor.

We also have tutors available for one-to-one lessons in the band however; you will need to be dedicated in learning and once committed carry on. In Addition to my knowledge, the bagpipes are the only instrument in the world that has a secondary instrument required for beginning. No one starts off with buying a set of highland pipes, so You’ll want to invest, in a practice chanter. This is a small practice tool that lets you practice the fingering and basic grace notes without the loud volumes of the pipes.

Usually made of wood or plastic and involving no bag or drones, this small instrument doesn’t sound like a bagpipe neither is it as hard to play as a set of Pipes. It has the same fingering as the chanter on a full set of pipes and will also assist in building up muscles in your mouth you never thought you had, giving some preparation for when you progress to the pipes. However, every piper I know has begun their career on a practice chanter and, while this is a beginner’s tool, you never stop using it. Bands, teachers, and experienced competitors continue to use the practice chanter for the rest of their lives. Why? For the same reason mentioned above, that you can practice the fingering and melody without the volume factor and there is virtually no stamina required to play it.

After you have learned the basic embellishments and your first handful of tunes, you should be ready to move to the pipes, at which point you’ll feel like you’re starting all over again. However, reaching this point can take anywhere from a half a year to upwards of 2 years and is very much down to the individual and their commitment in learning this great instrument.

Typical Bagpipe Practice chanters One can be obtained from any reputable Scottish Bagpipe supplier search online