Difference between Irish and Scottish Bagpipes
Music acts as a catalyst to human imagination and when it is produced from an instrument like bagpipe, you are instantly transported to the majestic highlands. Though the instrument is played in many different cultures around the world, the Scottish bagpipes and the Irish bagpipes are recognized as the most popular of the lot. It is not easy to differentiate between the two but several minor distinctions make them unique from one another.
Read also: A Brief History of Bagpipes
Irish Bagpipe:
Also referred to as Irish Uilleann Pipes, the Irish Bagpipes are the most elaborate in the world. Instead of being blown by the mouth, the instrument is inflated by bellows. Most bagpipes can only play one chromatic octave but the Irish bagpipe can play more than two chromatic octaves. It is a relatively quiet instrument being equipped with the loudness of only two fiddles. The Irish Bagpipe comprises of three drones. Perhaps the most noteworthy characteristic of the instrument is its three or more oboes, shaped in the form of one octave, four to five harmony pipes with keys that are operated by the wrist which allows for several chords to be played in accompaniment. The bagpiper’s seated with one leg lowered to play the instrument.
Scottish Bagpipe:
According to historical data, Scottish bagpipes were developed in the mountainous western highlands and the Scottish Highlands around the 15th century. The instrument has a high-pitched chant on which a low fixed scale of nine notes can be played and three large drones, all of which are attached to the bag held under the ram containing the air that is blown by the mouth through the blowpipe. The drones so attached are tuned to B-flat and play a sole bass and treble tone. The scale of the Scottish bagpipe runs from A to A, but is also inclusive of one note below the scale which is usually a G or a 7th. Traditionally, the instrument was used to play lengthier musical pieces.
To sum it up, the major differences between Scottish and Irish bagpipes are as below:
- Irish bagpipes can play with vowels while Scottish bagpipes are more congruent with consonant percussive sound.
- Scottish bagpipes are most commonly played in groups while Irish bagpipes are played solo. There are few exceptions to the rule such as Dan, the piper man from Greater Toronto Area who is a solo bagpiper specializing in Scottish bagpiping.
- While Scottish bagpipes can only play one note and one octave, Irish pipes can play more than one type of scale.
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