A question on holding the bagpipes.

[Damion]

This has intrigued me for awhile and I've never seen anyone else mention it.

Pipers hold the bag under their left arm, apparently uniformly so.

Most of the images I've seen of pipers, at least pre mid 19th century show the pipes being held under the right arm. This is also a common way of showing the medieval pipes being held.
Why the switch around?
Can modern pipes be held under the right arm or does the arrangement of pipes require them to be under the left? I see reenactors carry them under the left as is the modern way which seems wrong compared with the norms for the time.

I wondered if maybe holding the bag under the left was something introduced by the army to facilitate some kind of ease while marching with certain kit.

Two examples of what I mean can be seen in the Laird of Grant's Piper (1714) and Highland Wedding at Blair Atholl (1780). Bag under the right arm seems to be the norm so I wonder when it changed.

[tulloch]

Some left-handers play pipes with hands reversed from right-handers with the bag under the left arm. Some have it under the right arm. Bags are -handed. The blow pipe comes out at an angle toward the player's mouth. A set of pipes set up to play in the common manner will have the blow pipe pointing away from the mouth if they are shifted to be under the right arm.
I don't know about historical pipes. They may have been symmetrical. Maybe you could post some pictures or links so we can see what they look like.

[OC Richard]

Yes you have a good eye for detail! Indeed many of our earliest images of pipers, including the very earliest clear image of a Highland piper, The Piper To The Laird Grant, shows the pipes under the right arm.



It's not uncommon to see pipers play that way even today- we have one in our band.

About the military, no problem with playing both ways in The Black Watch! The Pipe Major himself plays that way, in this vintage photo c1900



Or in The Cameron Highlanders, in the 1950s



Or in The Atholl Highlanders



Or recently, in The Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, in which I've seen as many as four lefties in the circle



A more odd, perhaps, thing is the pipers who play with the bag under the left arm, but have the right hand on top, like this Pipe Major of The Royal Scots Greys



and the famous Pipe Major Donald MacLean of Lewis

[BLHS209]

For a looks-see watch (very nice video in itself) from 2014:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-xiiK5Y2BU

jump/watch at 1:28 - second to last piper, closest to camera) 3:45 / 12:10 (piper at far left of screen) and 13:07

and another video of the cadets (different schools involved) from 2011:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF5cSa91esw

jump/watch starting at 1:45 and through out you will see 3 or 4 pipers with the bag under their right arm

Chris Shepherd

[OC Richard]

Thanks Chris! Those videos are wonderful. It's great to see youth piping so strong (and drumming too!) Yes I see several ciotach pipers.

I'm very interested in the uniform worn by many of the Cadets, an interesting mashup, the Blue Patrol Dress tunic, worn with tartan trews by Highland officers, but here worn with the sporrans and hose of No2 Dress.

In my avatar there I'm wearing a Patrol Dress tunic, but in Archer Green.

About reversed-hands pipers, at last year's World Pipe Band Championships Grade One Final I noticed a piper in Cullybackey playing with bag under the left arm but hands reversed.

Here he is, he's the piper on the far left

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5483/1...71e7177b_b.jpg

At the same contest I noticed pipers in Shotts and St Lawrence O Toole playing reversed.

[BLHS209]

Also, if you happen to see the book: Traditional Gaelic Bagpiping 1745-1945 by John G Gibson, there is a photo within (c. early 1930's) of 3 gentleman and they all are holding and/or playing differently - from left to right: Aonghus Dubh Mac Dhomhnuil (Black Angus McDonald) has the bag under his right arm, right hand on top/left hand on bottom of the chanter; Allachan Anoghuis Dhuibh Mac a Pharlain (Little Allen Black Angus MacFarlane) has the bag under left arm but right hand on top/left hand on bottom of the chanter and Aonghus Iagan Raonuil Peutan (Angus Johnnie Ranald Beaton) has the bag under left arm and left hand on top/right hand on bottom of the chanter.

Chris

[OC Richard]

Thanks, here's the photo, if the link works, on Amazon

https://books.google.com/books?id=m5...Peutan&f=false

[Damion]

Those are some interesting images of both ways being played at once.
I'll have to pay more attention the next time I see a group together because I don't recall seeing someone not holding under the left. As a non-player I haven't paid attention which hand is higher.
Thanks.

There's a pipe band gathering at the end of February in Auckland so I'll keep my eyes peeled.