Small Pipes

[Grump]

Small pipes, kitchen pipes or the smaller and altered version of the great highland pipes seem to be gaining in popularity and establishing a foot hold as of late in the piping community according to the information on the internet. Hardy and McCallum advertise newer versions. I myself am becoming interested in them from the aspect that they seem to make less noise, take less wind to blow them (or can be bellows blown) and they are reportedly compatible with other instruments. There are likely other advantages or disadvantages. I am sure that there are others on the forum that might be interested in them and I'm sure we would like to hear any ideas/advice or from pipers who own them and are willing to share their experiences with the small pipes.

[neloon]

Have you considered electronic pipes which have all the advantages you mention? Here are Alison Kate and her Dad, Calum Iain, from over there on North Uist. There are a number of other such clips on Alison Kate's Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/alison.macc...57409212261266

Alan

[neloon]

In Scotland, "smallpipes" are often referred to as "caul win" (i.e. played by bellows rather than breath) pipes. Here is Brighde Chaimbeul from Skye playing "Dolina MacKay"
https://www.facebook.com/brichaimbeu...75758599447978
Brighde (Bridget) gives recitals all over the world and has collected tunes from places such as Bulgaria.
She started with the GHB - here she is, aged 10, with pipes nearly as big as her!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHY9cYAj_PQ

Alan

[Really a McQueen]

I checked with my cousin who is a piper, and owns smallpipes and shuttle pipes as well GHB's. She suggests the following Facebook groups:
Smallpipes
Scottish Smallpipes for sale or trade
Playing Smallpipes.

[Macman]

I bought a set of Gibson kitchen pipes because I though they would make a good transition point between practice chanter and full pipes when I was learning. I was wrong. I got my full pipes and then hardly ever played them and eventually gave them away.

[OC Richard]

The matter of Scottish Smallpipes is quite complex and a source of confusion for many.

Firstly it's good to know some of the basic facts

1) "Scottish smallpipes" as they're generally made today owe their structure, tone, and title from the Northumbrian Smallpipes and are not a Scottish invention. Rather, they were first created in Northumberland in the 1970s.

These "Scottish Smallpipes" are nearly always bellows-blown.

2) The leading Scottish Highland bagpipe makers throughout the 19th century made Highland bagpipes in either three, or four, different sizes. The smallest size, what was called "miniature Highland bagpipes, or chamber pipes" are the equivalent to what are called "Scottish smallpipes" today.

These were usually mouth-blown.

3) For no reason that I can fathom, starting around 30 years ago, each maker felt compelled to coin their own name for their Scottish Smallpipes. Thus today you can see a dozen Scottish Smallpipes from a dozen different makers, none of which are called "Scottish Smallpipes" by their maker. The goofy newfangled names include "fireside pipes", "studio pipes", "session pipes", "shuttle pipes", "Highland musette", etc etc. It's important to understand that these are not actually different instruments, but merely Scottish Smallpipes by other names.

These various instruments are seen both mouth-blown and bellows-blown.

All three of the above factors make going down the Scottish Smallpipe rabbit hole quite confusing.

For somebody first getting into these things I highly recommend the John Walsh smallpipes in A. (Not in D.)

They're available mouthblown or bellows-blown or as a combination set that can be configured either way.

Personally I play a c1900 set of "Miniature Highland bagpipes, or chamber pipes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czNB3DheKg8&t=35s