Sounds of the Highland Bagpipe

Abstract

An analysis has been made of the sounds of the Highland bagpipe. This instrument consists of a leather bag fitted with five pipes : the blowpipe through which the player fills the bag with air, the chanter that has eight open holes on which the melody is played, and two tenor drones and one bass drone, which produce harmonious steady tones. This study was made of the sounds produced by four individual pipers, each using his own instrument. Three of the pipers had considerable professional experience the fourth was a young beginner. Spectral analyses were obtained for each drone and the chanter sounding separately under otherwise normal playing conditions. The harmonic structure of these sounds was investigated as a function of a number of parameters including blowing pressure, length of drone, and aging of the chanter reed. Transient as well as steady-state conditions were studied. © 1963, Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved.