Just curious: I absolutely LOVE bagpipes. Am I the only one here with that response to

[tblue37]

their screeling sound?

I could listen to them all day.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I like them, just not indoors.

I went to a college that had a bagpipe band, so I got to hear them live pretty often.

[Turbineguy]

2. Music to

throttle Nazis by.

[ZZenith]

3. Would rather hear cats procreating.

[tblue37]

6. I think that's how many people respond to them. I often hear people complain about

them.

I suspect that the fact that I am hearing impaired, especially in the upper registers, allows me to enjoy them more, since I might just not hear the highest pitched part of their sound, and that those who do hear it might, in some cases, find it almost painful.

[ZZenith]

10. Glad you like them!

They were intended to sow fear and discord into their enemies in battle, a task they are supremely well-suited for.

[ariadne0614]

4. I love them too.

They invoke a deep sense of longing for a mysterious something lost in the mists of time. Tear ducts are frequently engaged.

[tblue37]

8. This, yes! I am deeply moved by bagpipes reductions of "Amazing Grace," especially. nt

[hlthe2b]

5. In small doses, yes. And nothing gets the tears going more than when they play at funerals

Amazing Grace--very touching.

That said, there was an episode of Downton Abbey where they stayed at an amazing Scottish estate and per custom were awakened EARLY every morning with the continuous play of bagpipes--not stopping until well after breakfast had ended. That might have been a bit too much for me (as it was for most of the characters)...LOL

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. I don't like "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes because that's not what

bagpipes were intended for and it sounds all wrong and weird to me. Bagpipes were instruments of war whose purpose was to rile up their troops and intimidate the enemy. They played stirring tunes to get people wound up for battle. This is what they're supposed to sound like:

[hlthe2b]

25. Yes, aware of the history. But bagpipes arguably have such a mournful sound, Amazing Grace

and other hymns just sound right for that reason, I think. They certainly are evocative since, I scarcely hear the first note at a police or state funeral before shedding the first tear.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. I dunno - to me it's more like playing "Ave Maria" on an accordion,

or Beethoven's Ninth played by an orchestra of kazoos. It just doesn't work for me.

[akraven]

48. We have a great little bagpipe band here.

During our annual parade, this one makes me sit down (I always get front row because I am NOT a pu**y Ass Bi*ch unlike Agent Orangehair). LOVE them!

[CountAllVotes]

7. My late cat loved bagpipes

She would hear just one note and oh how she loved those bagpipes!

[tblue37]

9. Thank you! nt

[CountAllVotes]

14. You are welcome!

Every time I hear bagpipes I think of her.

She was such a sweet girl and died a tragic death.

[Doreen]

11. I absolutely love bagpipes!!

A lot of the music I listen to every day has bagpipes. I listen to a lot of bagpipe rock and folk music. In fact I am listening now.

When I was 6 my uncle was visiting and brought his bagpipes and played them. I developed an instant love for them.

I also think that bagpipes are the loudest instrument there is. Good sound for phone ring if you work in a noisy area or do not wake easily.

[tblue37]

12. The ONLY positive characteristic William Barr has, as far as I am concerned, is that

he plays bagpipes!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. He looks like a bagpipe.

[PJMcK]

13. Reminds me of a musician's cartoon

In the first frame, we see the line of departed souls lined up at the Pearly Gates where they're given their angel wings and a harp.

In the second frame, we see the line of condemned souls lined up at the entrance to Hell where they're given their pitchfork and a set of bagpipes.


(In the original telling, it was an accordion.)

[lastlib]

15. I, too, prefer the sound of tomcats having sex....

[elleng]

17. Yes! Mull Of Kintyre

[tblue37]

18. Thank you. nt

[elleng]

19. You're welcome, and thanks for the memory and prod

to listen again; was a family favorite #### years ago, so a good time to recall.

[Tanuki]

30. Did you ever hear Glen Campbell singing and piping Mull of Kintyre?

[elleng]

31. Thanks

[tblue37]

39. LOVE it! Thank you! nt

[ariadne0614]

40. This one gets me every time. n/t

[Codeine]

20. I love them.

One of the most emotionally-stirring instruments I can think of.

[applegrove]

21. Love them. I took highland dancing as a kid. I didn't go as far as i wanted

to. But at recitals we had bagpipes play and my sister and i once went to a family reunion with a local kid who could play bagpipes and we danced for our family who had immigrated from Scotland 150 years before (we're sentimental like that).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

23. I did too, but it gave me shin splints.

[applegrove]

24. I never got injured. Though when i did the sword dance i kicked

a sword across the stage one time. A few feet. I just retrieved it and kept on dancing.

[Siwsan]

27. I LOVE Bagpipes. They touch my atavistic soul

Much the same as drums. So pipes AND drums are 'music to my ears'.

[tblue37]

29. I love drums, too. nt

[broiles]

28. I think my anc

I think my ancestors left Scotland to get away from bagpipes.

[3catwoman3]

32. I totally LOVE bagpipes.

It feels as if my very cells vibrate to the sound. I feel it from my hair to my toes. And, as observed by a couple other DUers, gets the waterworks going at the first skirl.

I was thrilled to discover that I had some Scottish heritage during a stay in Edinburgh in 1974.

[wishstar]

33. On 9/11/2013 I heard them in Boston at their memorial at the State Capitol with Gov. Deval Patrick

An experience I will never forget as they played homage to the fallen of 9/11

[Aristus]

34. Love 'em.

[rurallib]

35. U of Iowa had a bagpipe marching band, The Scottish Highlanders, in my youth

loved to see them march and listen to the pipes.

[yonder]

36. When bagpipes are mentioned most folks think of the Scottish Highland or Warpipes.

Yes, they are large, very loud and I imagine would strike fear into some ancient opposing army. But, there are bagpipes found all over the world that are actually quite different.

My favourite happen to be the Irish Uilleann (elbow) pipes which are dry-reeded, bellows blown pipes. They are softer, sweeter, can be played in many keys and with a full set, beside the three drones, you have the addition of three regulators which allows one to play chords as well. They are difficult to master and perhaps harder to maintain. The Northumbrian small pipes are similar but smaller, sweeter yet and I don't believe regulators are used.

Irish pipes using regulators:

But for me it is the wealth of tunes that are played in traditional music, whether played on fiddle, flute, concertina or the pipes.

Here's another example of mostly European tunes played on a variety of pipes:

[tblue37]

38. Thank you for both of those videos. They were delightful! nt

[Phentex]

37. Remind me of death...

I'm not sure how or when that started but any time I hear them now, I think of death and funerals. *sigh*

[whistler162]

41. Hevia

[tblue37]

43. Fantastic! Thank you! nt

[demmiblue]

42. Scotland the Brave gives me goosebumps.

It is a total feels-fest watching the pipes and drums marching down a field.

[tblue37]

44. Very nice. Thanks! nt

[demmiblue]

45. I have now spent quite a bit of time YouTubing bagpipes!

Who can forget Portland's Unipiper:

[Leith]

46. Love the pipes

nt

[tblue37]

47. And we've been provided several marvelous examples of them on this thread. nt