VII Bagpipes

People have always liked music. Songs can tell stories, just like poems or books. Music can be made by chanting, singing or playing an instrument.
A very long time ago, so long that nobody remembers when, someone invented this.
**Show Practice Chanter
It’s a lot like the recorders you play in school music class, except this uses a reed to make the sound.
**Remove cap to show reed
When I blow into this, the reed moves back and forth to make the sound.
**Play scale
With nine notes to use, I can play songs
**Play Skye Boat Song
You probably saw that I had to stop and take a breath once in a while. Somebody figured out how to fix that. They attached a bag to the chanter and now when I need to take a breath, I can squeeze the bag to keep the music going.
**Skye Boat Song on goose
One day, so long ago that nobody remembers when, someone was playing music like this and had an idea. He added more pipes to the bag.
**Mouth blow drones
They sound pretty neat by themselves, but all put together, they make a very special sound.
**Skye Boat Song on smallpipes
Bagpipes can be even more fun when you know the song. Do you know this one?
**On Top of Old Smokey on smallpipes
Bagpipes like this eventually wound up all over the world. Spanish bagpipes are bigger than this, but have only one drone. They are called Gaita. Italian bagpipes are also bigger than this and have two drones. They are called Zampogna. There is even a Swedish bagpipe called a Sackpipa.
When bagpipes like this came to Scotland, the Gael living in the Highlands liked them. They made them bigger and louder. They also added another drone, for a total of three, two tenors and one bass.
The Gael used bagpipes for lots of stuff. They played them just for music and fun. They also played them in war. Specific tunes told soldiers to do specific things. Bagpipes were also played at funerals. The Gael thought the sound was so special that it could be heard in our world and also the world of the dead.
I’d like to play some songs for you now on the Great Highland bagpipe. The first one you’ll know, I’ve already played it on the smallpipes. Are you ready to sing “On Top of Spaghetti”?
**Play On Top of Old Smokey
Here is another one I’ve already played on the smallpipes. It’s called “The Skye Boat Song”. Listen to how different it sounds on the different bagpipes.
**Play Skye Boat Song
I’m going to play two more. The first is called Amazing Grace. Bagpipes are still played at funerals and this is a very good song for that. I’ll play it through twice.
The second tune was written to tell the story of a man who left Scotland. He misses his family and friends, but most of all he misses Scotland itself. It is called “The Dark Island”.

**Amazing Grace X 2
**The Dark Island w/repeats.