The Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and the Irish War Pipes are very powerful and loud musical instruments and their sound can be heard over great distances. The piper has little control of the sound volume of these bagpipes. When played in enclosed areas or a prolonged period of time the sound of bagpipes can sometime can be overwhelming to some people. I do play other types of bagpipes that are quite suitable for indoor performances.
Playing bagpipes can be quite physically demanding. Bagpipes are wind instruments that use reeds to produce sound. Reeds can be affected by many factors including temperature, moisture, altitude, atmospheric pressure and more. When planning an outdoor event be mindful and considerate of the weather conditions where the piper will be playing, the duration of the performance, rest periods.
Bagpipes use a tuning system (temperament) that is somewhat different from other instruments; that is part of the allure and attraction of bagpipes. As professional musician, I often perform with other musicians (organist, pianist, orchestra or band) and with ample notice, I can modify my instruments to tune to the proper key and temperament.
Bagpipers get ready by doing an initial tuning of the pipes, then play to warmup, and then fine tuning to achieve the playing of overtones series that make the instrument come to life. Before arriving at any performance, I invest a considerable amount of time preparing my instrument to achieve the tuning, warmup and fine-tuning before hand. When I have to travel to perform at a distant location, it is important to have a place to perform these preparatory steps without disturbing the guests. At times, pipers need to re-tune their instruments just before playing.
Booking a bagpiper for your event is a simple and straightforward process.
Please call or send this booking request form to get your performance scheduled on the calendar today.