it’s good to have a hobby. 
Let me just say, having been in attendance at the rather large games that used to be held in Santa Monica every year, there simply is no sound that compares to that of the massed bands after they have paraded and played in review.
I think the Scots should simply have sent the pipers massed into battle; the sound alone would have sent the English running. <lol>
You should hear the real pros do it at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. I spent a day in Edinburgh and heard all kinds of piping, from a solo when I got off the train to a really wild bagpipe and drum band to the Tattoo. I loved every minute of it. I don’t know how hard they are to play, but I love listening to them.
I, also, strongly recommend you get a live teacher.
I also played the pipes and, like others have said, there are limited notes and only one volume. There are some coordination issues to be worked out between breathing, squeezing the bag, and actually playing notes but with some practice that can be worked out and soon becomes second nature. The hard part of playing bagpipes is the athletic aspect - they require a physical effort not needed for most other instruments. This effort IS within the capabilities of most human beings, but you do have to work up to it and then maintain it. It’s sort of like running - when you first start you probably can’t go very far. Gradually, you increase your endurance. Eventually, you can run a marathon. Same thing - when my husband taught people to play bagpipes he had a program laid out to gradually increase strength and endurance alongside learning the fingering and music. Some people took a little longer than others, but those willing to put in the time and effort were able work up to 20 minute sets on the full pipes within a year or so.
I’d like to point out that at my peak I was able to play 30 minutes, despite the fact I have a history of asthma and a slightly lower than normal lung capacity which put me at a disadvantage regarding the average human attempting the instrument. The only concession made to my medical history was using a small bag for the pipes rather than a large one, but then, that’s why the bags come in several sizes.
That’s one reason a live teacher is a real benefit - my husband could often make playing much easier for someone by adjusting the size of the bag, cutting a blowstick down to size for a small person or extending it for a tall player, finding reeds of appropriate hardness for the person playing, and so on. Having the instrument properly adjusted to the player is an important factor in playing bagpipes.
This isn’t a “teach-yourself” or free site, but it’s good quality and highly recommended:
Some good videos there, too. Jori knows what he’s doing.
“Difficult? Would that it were impossible!”
Please tell me you’re not implying we don’t have pros in North America! I’ve attended some huge pipe competitions, and let me tell you there are some fantastic pipers in the U.S. and Canada.
The week after Princess Diana died, we were at a huge competition in California. After the competitions, the bands were introduced and they marched out into the center of the track at the fairgrounds. A lone piper took his position on top of a stand to play Amazing Grace in Diana’s honor. After one chorus, all 500 pipers joined in with him, along with the Marine Corps band. We were standing about 25 feet from the lone piper’s stand. Ten thousand people in those grandstands and not a dry eye in the place. It was one of the most stirring and emotional public moments I’ve ever experienced.
There are a lot of jokes at the expense of bagpipes, but they really are an amazing instrument in the hands of a pro.
No, obviously there are pro bands in the US. But I have never seen any of them, just the smaller groups of amateurs at various conventions. Watching the military pipers from half a dozen nations marching and playing during the tattoo was way beyond most of the piping I have seen around the US.
And I agree about the music. My family knows that when I die, there are 2 things they have to do. Cremate me and play Amazing Grace on the pipes at any memorial they have. My sister’s reaction was “Were are we going to get that?” I told her I have 2 versions on a couple of CDs use one of them.
IIRC, at one time, they were classified as a weapon.
And a favorite story of mine - MacDOnald piper is captured by the Campbells; uses pipes to warn the MacDonalds; Campbells cut off his hands; he haunts the castle (our local bard is a Campbell and he likes to embellish the gore because he knows it grosses me out):
LMAO…no, no, no…
Bar signs a local piping group to come in for St. Paddy’s day. So picture about 8 bagpipes and 6 drummers including two bass drums and two snares in a small bar that probably accommodates about 70 people. It was so cram packed some weren’t but 2-3 feet away from the drummers.
So maybe I had a hard time hearing certain frequencies for a couple days, but that was one of the coolest things ever. 
My favorite definition of the bagpipes: An ill wind no one blows good.
The definition of perfect pitch?
Throwing a bagpipe into the dumpster without hitting the sides.
I have a question.
If this were a thread about pianos or guitars or clarinets, would all of you thread-shitters still be in here talking about how horrible the instrument was?
Some people really enjoy bagpipe music, and the OP was asking a serious question about learning to play. Your behavior in this thread (I’ll mention GrizzRich and waits because you’re the two most recent) is just as egregious and offensive as posting “Windows sucks” in a thread asking how to do something on Windows or posting “iPods suck” in a thread about building playlists on an iPod.
No, I’m not angry, and I’m not trying to play junior mod. I’m just trying to understand why you find it okay to insult the instrument the OP wants to play and whether you’d do it if he wanted to learn trumpet or saxophone.
Not that anyone cares about my opinion, but, personally, I generally find bagpipe music very pleasant, and often incredibly moving. I’ve never understood all the hate they get.
But there’s no accounting for taste, and all that. I’m probably up in the double-digits now on the number of times I’ve heard people tell me they don’t like violins because they’re “too whiny”.
Slagging bagpipes is traditional, even for those of us who like 'em.
The OP had his questions answered:
Q. Are the bagpipes difficult?
A. Yes.
Q. Where’s a good “learn the pipes” website?
A. Don’t even go there; get a teacher. But if you insist, here’s a web page.
The rest of the thread is just happy chitchat.
And funny as all getout, I might add.
Somebody needs to PM Northern Piper, I’m thinking…
I’m with InvisibleWombat. The bagpipe bashing does get old, whether in this thread or in real life. I don’t even play the damn things, and honestly, I’m not a big fan of bagpipe music, but Mr. Athena is and he worked really hard for several years and got pretty good at them.
Socially, he doesn’t even really mention them to people. He’s sick of hearing the same jokes he’s heard a thousand times, and he understands that a lot of people don’t enjoy them. Fine, he’s not asking you to like them. But really, we’ve heard the jokes before. We get it, you think they sound like a dying cat. We’d really rather if you just politely excused yourself from the conversation if you really hate it so much.
Well, I don’t mind the “negative” comments because a) they’re traditional (as Barbarian says) and b) I believe them to be good-natured, intended to be amusing (even if they aren’t, really).
I plan to learn to play anyway. 
There are plenty of remarks in this thread about how wonderful the pipes are and how much people love them. I believe these are much more sincere than the pipe bashing comments, which are supposed to be jokes. Sorry Mr. A got tired of such remarks. Don’t know how to help out there. I’m sure there are people who hate the sound of bagpipes, but I don’t hear any hate here, just joshing.
My practice chanter has arrived and I’ll blow upon it today. IN PRIVATE!
Someone can probably chime in with something about piano or guitar, but everyone knows what the clarinet is good for: to set light to the bassoon.
Among musicians this kind of thing counts as brotherly love - such as pointing out that the difference between a saxophone and a chainsaw is that the latter has a marginally greater range of dynamic expression. The trumpet, however, is a thing of beauty and utterly beyond reproach. Unless, of course, anyone knows different.