John Weeks Moore

“ An improvement has been at-tempted, by adapting three or four keys, like flute keys, on one of the drones ; by pressing I one of them with the arm, a third or fifth to the note of the chanter is produced, which forms an intermediate chord with the drone, and has a pleasing effect. The second kind of this instrument is the Scottish or Highland bagpipe, which is played either with the mouth or with bellows, like the Irish pipe ; and, excepting that, as far as we know, keys have never been adapted to it, is almost the same in every respect. ”

“ Nothing is so well adapted for the bagpipe as tunes consisting of few notes, and all set on the same key ; for its compass is really very limited, and by no means of that extent of which most performers endeavor to persuade themselves. From the limited compass of the instrument, and its imperfections, we find but little music written for it ; to which may be added another reason - that those in general who can play cannot write. The favorite and peculiar music is the Highland pibrach, which we confess has always appeared to us utterly unintelligible. ”

“ The other parts are three drones, also consisting of reeds and tubes, two of which are in unison with D, on the chanter, or the first note of the German flute, and the third, or long drone, is an octave lower. The bagpipe is an extremely defective and imperfect instrument in all its different kinds, of which there are four. First, the Irish, or soft pipe, in which the chanter takes a range of ten or twelve notes with tolerable precision, and which is always played with bellows ; the reeds are softer, and the tubes longer ; whence the Irish pipe is more suitable for performance in an apartment. ”