They finally arrived, courtesy Canada Post - my bagpipes! They play! they make noise! they need tuning! But they’re bagpipes!
[happy hamster dance]
Ahh, bagpipes. I love the sound but hell if I’m gonna learn how to play them.
Is it just me, or did anyone else immediately think “One time, at band camp…” upon reading this title?
And the neighbors are buying earplugs by the carton-load… 
You can practice all you want, my GF is out of town this week. 
Nope.
I’m thinking…
"A set of naughty bagpipes INDEED!
Seriously, though, I just love love love bagpipes. (no not in the bliblical sense.)
Enjoy them!
More bagpipe MIDI files than you probably wanted to hear.
http://www.bagpipesatbest.com/
Send them an e-mail, ask them if they know Wolfe’s Lament? I don’t see it on the list under “W”.
May God help us all.
Good for you Northern Piper!
A serious question:
How does one tune bagpipes? What part(s) are adjustable?
(No I don’t have bagpipes, although I do have a practice chanter.
Unfortunately, as it turns out, I have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. 
)
BTW, thanks for the link Ducks, (may I call you Ducks?) Now I can terrorize my coworkers more efficiently.
I was thinking, “Ewwwww!”
-
Is your life insurance paid up?
-
Does it cover homocide?
[sub]jes’ thinking down the road a ways…[/sub]
Aaaarrggghhh!!!
Not the screamin’ handbags, no please anything I’ll talk, just don’t turn them on!!!
And how can you tell when they’re OUT of tune? (not kidding, I really wanna know)
I was thinking “there’s a dirty joke in there somewhere” and I was right!
First, I am shocked, shocked! that SDMBers would turn an innocent expression of joy into a lewd jest. It’s just not like you guys to do that! 
DDG Thanks for the website. I’ve also found something called ViperPiper which has a similar service - I’ll try posting the inquiry there as well. Thanks for your continued interest!
Bumbazine and miamouse - first, you make sure that the chanter has a good reed in it. (The chanter is that part that sticks out of the bag that has the finger-holes on it.) Then, you tune the three drones to match the chanter. I think that all three drones are tuned to the note that pipers call “A” (but which other, more hide-bound and conventional musicians call B flat). The two smaller drones are the tenors, and play high A, the taller drone is the bass and plays low A. (I may have this wrong - I just got them, after all!)
The way you adjust the tuning is that the tenor drones are actually made up of a couple of pieces, while the bass is made up of three pieces. To adjust the notes, you slide the pieces apart a bit, and listen to see the effect it has. If you see a piper blowing into the bag and twisting the drones a bit, he’s tuning them. For more information than you would ever need, go here: Tuning Bagpipes.
Odieman and Pipeliner: I’m going to see if I can find an arrangement of “Green is the Colour” for the pipes. Then I’ll rock at Taylor Field!
Oh, and I also came across this site - a bulletin board for pipers - almost a parallel SDMB universe!
Well you could join the pep band, I do know the person in charge of it…
Ahem.
[requisite piper jokes]
Bagpipes-(noun)-I understand the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm. Unfortunately, the man-made object never equalled the purity of sound achieved by the pig.
-Alfred Hitchcock
Q. How do you get two bagpipes to play a perfect unison?
A. Shoot one.
Q. What’s the difference between a bagpipe and an onion?
A. No one cries when you chop up an bagpipe.
Q. What do you call bagpiper with half a brain?
A. Gifted.
Q. What did the bagpiper get on his I.Q. test?
A. Drool.
Q. Why do bagpipers walk when they play?
A. To get away from the sound.
Q. What’s the definition of “optimism”
A. A bagpiper with a beeper.
I’ve been interested in gettnig pipes someday. I don’t think it’s reasonable to consider getting 'em while I’m in Japan (absolutely no place to practice), but some day soon…so, how much did they set you back I’m wondering?
This one is my favorite