Irish bagpipes

In the modern world, interest in the national culture of different countries has increased significantly. This is facilitated by the ability to travel to any part of the world, and the rapid development of Internet technologies, which make it possible to overcome any boundaries. If you are interested in the culture of Ireland, then this article will be of interest to you. From it you will learn about such an instrument as the Illianpipe or the Irish bagpipe.

The Irish bagpipe is known primarily as an instrument for performing the folk music of this country. But over the years this device has been improved, and the performers have improved their skills, so the range of capabilities of the illianpipe has expanded significantly. They began to play music in other styles on it, thanks to which the instrument gained more fans.

The Irish bagpipe chanter, that is, its melodic pipe, is equipped with a double cane. Its range includes a few octaves - only two. It may contain valves that allow you to create halftones. This provides a wider playing field for the instrument. Five valves give full chromaticity.

It is difficult to convey a complete picture of the history of the Irish bagpipes. Only a few facts about this ancient instrument have survived to this day. It is known that the bagpipes have been played in Ireland for at least the last 13 centuries. It should be borne in mind that during its existence the instrument has been improved, it had its own varieties.

The modern look of bagpipes took shape at the beginning of the 19th century. But in the middle of the century, hard times fell in the country, and this musical instrument, like many others, was practically forgotten.They tried to revive it and make it popular again at the beginning of the 20th century. This happened through the efforts of the Taylor brothers and Captain Francis O'Neill, they managed to breathe a second life into the Illianpipe and make it popular again.

Irish bagpipes are rather complicated. The drain of the chanter is usually metal, it has a valve that blocks the flow of air to the cane. This detail helps to debug the work of drones and ESCs. Injecting air into the bag is due to the frog. These three components - chanter, bag and frog - are united by the concept of Practice set. Three drones of Irish bagpipes are adjacent to the drain, where they all adjust to one octave.

When turned on with the stop key valve, the drones play a rich sound, rich in overtones. This valve is convenient to turn them on and off when needed, without interrupting the game process. Together with the drones, the Practice set forms a Half set. In addition, there are two holes above the drones, which are closed by plugs in the Half set. These holes contain the tenor and baritone controls.

The bass regulator with its own drain is adjacent to the main drain on the side. In total, the regulators have 13-14 valves that close and open when needed. They are pressed at the right time with the edge of the palm or fingers. The ESCs look like drones, but they are actually three modified chanters. They each have tapered bore, double chanter cane.

The tenor and baritone sounds in a third, and the bass in an octave. If there are four regulators on the bagpipes, then there is also a contrabass in the composition. The complete assembly of the instrument is called Fullset. Irish bagpipes are amazing in that they can produce up to 7 sounds at once.

Some people compare the sound of this instrument with the guttural singing of a person. It is believed that the voice of the bagpipes has magical properties. It sounds mesmerizing and makes even those who hear the sounds of music from afar listen to it.

As you play, the melody appears along with the monotonous harmony that sounds in the background. This "double" music is created in a certain way. The musician inflates the bag through the mouthpiece pipe. He presses it with his elbow so that the air goes into the tubes, then goes through the holes of the chanter, which gives birth to the melody. Melodies can be interrupted by the piper's melodies.

Historically, the Irish bagpipe was a traditional instrument of common peasants, although today the instrument is quite expensive. Pipers-pipe blowers are mentioned in the annals of Ireland since time immemorial. According to music historians, the first variations of this instrument were similar to the modern Scottish bagpipes.

Irish bagpipes flourished in the 17th century. Then she had a lot of admirers, both among the rich and among the poor Irish. By the beginning of the 18th century, when it was a little more refined, it even began to surpass the harp in popularity.

The old Irish bagpipes with a charming voice are still popular both in their homeland and in other parts of the world. The pipers' performances are not only pleasant to listen to, they are also very entertaining and touching. If you like the traditional musical culture of different countries, then it will be interesting for you to hear this wonderful instrument with a long history.

For how the Irish bagpipes sound at a concert, see the next video.