Hew Morrison Collection > Piobaireachd

Chapter XV
THE GREAT HIGHLAND BAGPIPE AND ITS
COMPONENT PARTS
Bagpipe Case. — A small wooden box about 24 by y\ by 6 inches, made to carry and
protect the bagpipe from being broken. It is sometimes made of strong
leather.
Bagpipe Hemp. — A very fine kind of thread, manufactured from a plant with a
fibrous bark, and used for winding round the end of the drones, tuning
shdes and blow pipe, to make them air tight.
Bagpipe Chanter. — The most important part of the bagpipe, containing the finger
holes from which the melody is produced. It is 14J inches in length.
Bagpipe Chanter Reed. — The sounding part in the chanter, about i\i inches long,
made of well-seasoned cane, and a small copper tube about || of an
inch long, both wound with hemp and rosin varnished.
Bag Seam. — The edge of the pipe bag where it is sewn or joined together, by means
of a two-fold thickness of the sheepskin being placed over the two
edges of the skin, and sewn with a strong thread of rosined hemp to
make the bag air-tight.
Big Drone. — The longest drone of the Great Highland Bagpipe, about 37I inches
long, with upper and lower tuning slides and a reed. It is in four
parts, and supplies the bass accompaniment to the chanter. Its
sound does not varj' unless the performer moves part of the drone up
or down the tuning slide, or raises or lowers the bridle of the reed.
Bagpipe Chanter Stock. — The part that joins the chanter to the pipe bag, about 4J
inches long. The one end is tied into the bag with a strong string
made of hemp, covered with rosin. There is a hollow cut out in
which to place the seam of the bag as well as a groove for holding the
edge of the bag and the hemp used for tying. The lower end is covered
with an ivory or silver band. There is a space inside the stock where
the chanter reed is placed, sufficiently large to prevent the reed