Bagpipe Querie

[don willard]

I learned years ago as a child that Scotch people had the bagpipes. (Also, I prefer Scotch to Scottish as that's what we always called each other, since we were Scotch in the old days).
Later on I discovered that the Irish are also big on bagpipes, since the police, most of whom are or were Irish in Chicago, would have them played at funerals for when a policeman died. Now just yesterday I heard on NPR a special about the Galicians, who live in Spain, and they played their BAGPIPE music, which was indistinguishable from Scotch bagpipe music! Also, I know Scotch people wore and wear the kilt, but then I heard that GREEKS have the kilt too! Do Greeks also have the bagpipes? Do the Irish wear kilts?
And finally, I thought Galicia was in POLAND!!
signed, Confused About Bagpipes, Kilts, and
Portions of Spain

[Yumanite]

Well, to begin with, there are several types of bagpipes. The most famous type are the Highland pipes, which are what the Scottish pipe bands play.

The most common Irish pipes are the Uillian pipes, and they sound quite different from the Highland pipes. They are played withouth the use of breath; instead the bag is pumped rather like a bellows, under the arm. They have a sound which is much more condusive to being played indoors than the highland pipes.

I don't know anything about other bagpipe designs, but their history is much like that of other musical instruments. They are present in a number of countries, but particularly championed in Scotland because of historical issues (at one time the playing of highland pipes was banned by England -- ever since, they are a symbol of Scottish-ness as opposed to English-ness).

That's all I know about pipes. Hope that helps somewhat.

[Captain Amazing]

Sounds like a Celtic thing.

[yabob]

Bagpipes are an ancient instrument. We've been over this ground a few times before:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/2328/bagpipes.html

The Romans had bagpipes, and Nero is believed to have played them. Aristophanes made fun of them. That link quotes the Oxford Encyclopedia of Music's statement about the first documented bagpipe from a Hittite reference circa 1000 BC. You can find other references which list much earlier dates.

[Yumanite]

Here (http://www.fife.50megs.com/bagpipe-history.htm) is a quick link about bagpipe history.

Galician Pipes (http://clip.dia.fi.upm.es/~boris/gaita/node2.html)

[DrFidelius]

I was taught that a gentleman knows how to play the pipes, but declines to do so.