Do you have to be Scottish to be a traditional bagpipe player?

1. 96

   Gypsy Scribeposted 11 years ago

   Do you have to be Scottish to be a traditional bagpipe player?
   
   I see these guys playing the bagpipes in their full traditional attire, and I wonder how many of them are actually Scottish.

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2. 0

   sheilamyersposted 11 years ago

   I'm not sure if other people would agree with me or not, but I don't think you have to be Scottish or dress in a kilt to be considered a traditional bagpiper. To me, it has more to do with the music that's being played. If you play the traditional Scottish music that means you're a traditional bagpiper. I'm thinking along the lines of how I call it a violin if the person is playing classical music and a fiddle if they're playing bluegrass even if it's the same person playing the same instrument. It all has to do with the music.

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3. 72

   kevin murphy-87posted 10 years ago

   
   
   Most definitely not! There are pipe bands all over the world, not just in Scotland. if you look into the history of the Scottish themselves they were a tribe that came from Ireland and they brought their pipes with them. however over the years the instrument evolved into what is now known as the Great Highland pipes ( or in the Irish language píb mhór ). There are many different types of bagpipes from all over the world too, for example the Germans have a variation they call the "doodle sack", my favourite are the traditional Irish pipes known as the uileann pipes (uileann is Irish for elbow because the air is pumped into the bag with your elbow using bellows).  I dont know a whole lot though i just play the bagpipes. They are part of ceremonial tradition in the Irish army as well as the Scottish regiments of the British army.   
   hope that is of some help to you.

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