Welsh bagpipes facts for kids
Welsh bagpipes are special musical instruments from Wales. They are known by many Welsh names like pipa cŵd or pibau cŵd. A bagpipe is a wind instrument that uses a bag to hold air. This air is then squeezed through pipes to make music. A related instrument is the pibgorn, which is a type of hornpipe. People have played, written about, and shown Welsh bagpipes in Wales since the 1300s. A person who plays the bagpipes in Welsh is called a pibydd.
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The History of Welsh Bagpipes
The Welsh bagpipes have a long history. In 1376, a poet named Iolo Goch wrote about the instrument. Also, around 1330 AD, a book called Brut y Tywysogion mentioned three types of wind instruments. These included "pipes" and "bag music."
The popularity of bagpipes in Wales has changed over time. Sometimes they were very popular, and sometimes less so. Historically, people made these pipes locally. Since the 1500s, bagpipes were often played at celebrations. This included weddings, markets, and dances.
For about 50 years, from the time of Meredith Morris until the 1970s, Welsh bagpipes were not played much. During this time, the Great Highland Bagpipe was more common in Wales. But in the 1970s, people started making and playing native Welsh instruments again.
Types of Welsh Bagpipes
In 2008, the Welsh Academy said that there was probably never just one standard type of bagpipe in Wales. Today, two main types of Welsh bagpipes are made and played.
Single-Reed Bagpipes
One type uses a single-reed in its chanter. The chanter is the part of the bagpipe that plays the melody. This type of chanter often has a cow-horn bell at the end. When played without the bag, this single-reed chanter is called a pibgorn.
The single-reed chanter has six small finger-holes and one thumb-hole. This allows it to play a full octave of notes. Modern single-reed bagpipes are often tuned to D Major or F Major. Older instruments had different tunings and musical styles.
Double-Reed Bagpipes
The other type of Welsh bagpipe uses a double-reed. This type of chanter can be played alone, like a shawm. Double-reed bagpipes are usually louder than single-reed ones. They can also play a few higher notes.
Double-reed chanters come in many different tunings. Some can play different musical styles by using special finger positions. Some have a note that leads into the next scale note, while others have a full tone leading note.
Drones and Repertoire
Both types of bagpipes can be played without drones. Drones are pipes that play a continuous note. Or, they can have one or more drones attached to the bag. The music played on both types of bagpipes is similar. Players make small changes to fit what each instrument can do.
Modern Welsh Bagpipes
Today, people who make Welsh bagpipes often base their chanters on old pibgorn instruments. Some of these old instruments, from the 1700s, are on display at the Museum of Welsh Life.
The single-reed pipe with a drone is called the pibau cyrn. A well-known player of these pipes is Ceri Rhys Matthews. Makers include John Glennydd from Carmarthenshire and John Tose from Pembrokeshire.
Other makers, like Jonathan Shorland from Cardiganshire, create their own unique double-reed pipes. They get ideas from bagpipes in other places, like the Breton veuze or the Galician gaita. They also look at old drawings and descriptions of Welsh bagpipes. These pipes can have one, two, or three drones. They are often tuned to D Major or G Major. There is no single standard way to make modern Welsh bagpipes. Jonathan Shorland also makes many pibgorn instruments.
Welsh Bagpipe Players
Many groups and bands play Welsh bagpipes. These include Pibau Pencader, Pibe Bach, and Pibau Preseli. Welsh folk music groups like Fernhill and Carreg Lafar also use bagpipes.
Ceri Rhys Matthews and Jonathan Shorland have recorded bagpipe music. They used different types of Welsh bagpipes on Fflach records. Ceri Rhys Matthews also recorded an album just for the pibau cyrn called Pibddawns.
Other Bagpipes Played in Wales
Besides native Welsh bagpipes, other types of bagpipes are also played in Wales. There are three Great Highland Bagpipe bands: The City of Newport Pipe Band, The City of Swansea Pipe Band, and the Cardiff Pipe Band.
Recently, musicians in Wales have started using bagpipes from other countries. These include the Breton veuze, Irish uilleann pipes, Galician gaita, and French cornemuse. They play Welsh music on these imported instruments.
