BAGPIPE, a musical instrument, of the wind kind, chiefly used in Scotland and Ireland, but not uncommon in some of the mountainous districts of Italy, particularly in Calabria. The peculiarity of the bagpipe, from which indeed it takes its name, is, that the air which blows it is collected in a leathern bag, whence it is propelled by the arm into the pipes. These pipes consist of a bass and tenor or rather treble, and they are different according to the species of the pipe. The bass part is called the drone, and the tenor or treble part the chanter. In all the species the bass never varies from its uniform note, and [7:4:282]therefore very deservedly gets the name of drone; the compass of the chanter is likewise very limited. There is a considerable difference between the Highland and Lowland bagpipe of Scotland; the former being blown with the mouth, and the latter with a small bellows; though this difference is not essential, every species of bagpipe being capable, by a proper construction of the reeds, of producing music either with the mouth or bellows. The following are the species of bagpipe most commonly known in this country.

The Irish Pipe is the softest, and in some respects the most melodious of any. The chanter, like that of all the rest, has eight holes or ventiges, like the English flute, and is played on by opening and shutting these as occasion requires; the bass consists of two short drones and a long one. The lowest note of the chanter is D on the German flute, being the open note on the counter-string of a violin; the small drone, one of them being commonly stopped up, is tuned in unison with the note above this, and the large one to an octave below; so that a great length is required in order to produce such a low note, on which account the drone has sometimes two or three turns. The instrument is tuned by lengthening or shortening the drone till it sounds the note desired.

The Highland Bagpipe consists of a chanter and two short drones, which sound in unison the lowest note of the chanter except one. This is exceedingly loud, and almost deafening if played in a room; and is therefore mostly used in the field for marches, and at a distance. It requires a prodigious blast to sound it, so that those unaccustomed to it cannot imagine how Highland pipers can continue to play for hours together, as they are frequently known to do. For the same reason, those who use the instrument are obliged either to stand on their feet or walk when they play. This instrument has but nine notes; its scale, however, has not yet been reduced to a very regular standard in comparison with that of other instruments, so that little can be said as to its compass. Those who are acquainted with it, however, affirm that it plays only the natural notes, without being capable of variation by flats or sharps. Pipe-music is now written out according to a peculiar notation.

The Scottish Lowland Pipe is likewise a very loud instrument, though less so than the former. It is blown with bellows, and has a bass like the Irish pipe. This species is different from all the rest, as it cannot play the natural notes, but has F and C sharp. The lowest note of a good bagpipe of this kind is unison with C sharp on the tenor of a violin tuned to concert pitch; and, as it has but nine notes, the highest is D in alt. From this peculiar construction, the Highland and Lowland bagpipes play two species of music essentially different, as each of them also is from every other species of music in the world. Hence these two species of bagpipes deserve notice as curiosities; for the music which they play is accompanied with such peculiar ornaments, or what are intended as such, that neither violin, nor even organ, can imitate it, except in a very imperfect manner. This kind of bagpipe was formerly very much used in Scotland at weddings and other festivals; being indeed extremely well calculated for playing that peculiar species of Scottish music called reels. It ĥas often been matter of surprise how this was possible, as the instrument has only a compass of nine or ten notes at the utmost, and which cannot be varied, as in other instruments; but within this range it will play an inconceivable variety of tunes. As its notes are naturally high, there is scarce any one tune that is not transposed by it, so that w hat would be a flat note on the key proper for the violin may be a sharp one on the bagpipe; and although the latter cannot play any flat note, it may never theless in this manner play tunes which on other instruments would be flat, to as great perfection as these instruments themselves.

The Small Pipe is remarkable for its diminutive size, the chanter not exceeding eight inches in length; for which reason the ventiges are so near each other, that it is with difficulty they can be closed. This pipe has only eight notes, the lower end of the chanter being commonly stopped to prevent the slurring of all the notes, which is unavoidable in the other species; so that in the hands of bad players they become the most shocking and unintelligible instruments imaginable. But, by having the lower ventige closed, and also by the peculiar way in which the notes are expressed, this pipe plays all its tunes in the manner called by the Italians staccato, and cannot slur at all. It has no species of music peculiar to itself, and can play nothing which cannot be much better executed upon other instruments; although it is surprising what volubility skilful performers on this instrument display, and how far they are able to overcome its natural disadvantages. Some of this species, instead of having drones like the others, have their bass parts consisting of a winding cavity in a kind of short case, and are tuned by opening these to a certain degree by means of sliding covers, from which contrivance they are called shuttle-pipes. Besides these there are a variety of others called Italian, German, Organ, &c. bagpipes, which have nothing different in their construction from those above described, nor any good quality to recommend them.