• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Compare Bagpipes logo

  • Home
  • Bagpipes
    • Bagpipes for Sale
    • Practice Chanters
    • Gibson Practice Chanter
    • Irish Bagpipes
    • Scottish Bagpipes
    • Uilleann Pipes for Sale
    • Swedish Bagpipes
    • Bulgarian Bagpipes
    • Electronic Bagpipes
  • Supplies
    • Bagpipe Reeds
    • Pipe Bags
    • Bagpipe Parts
  • Accessories
    • Kilt Accessories Guide
    • Kilt Belts & Buckles
    • Kilt Sporrans
    • Kilt Flashes
    • Kilt Socks
    • Kilt Pins
    • Sgian Dubh Knives
    • Ghillie Brogues
    • Tartan Sashes
    • Tartan Scarfs
    • Tartan Ties
  • Wear
    • How to Wear a Kilt
    • Best Kilts for Men
    • Best Kilts for Women
    • Kilt Jacket Types
    • Prince Charlie Jackets
    • Highland Wear
    • Ghillie Shirts & Jacobite Shirts
  • Music
    • Famous Bagpipe Songs
    • 10 Songs With Bagpipes
    • Amazing Grace Bagpipes Lyrics
    • Flower Of Scotland Bagpipes Lyrics
    • Going Home Bagpipes Lyrics
    • Mull Of Kintyre Bagpipes Lyrics
    • Scotland The Brave Bagpipes Lyrics
    • Skye Boat Song Bagpipes Lyrics
    • Thunderstruck Bagpipes Lyrics
    • Best Flute Reviews
    • Best Harmonica Reviews
  • Beginners
    • Best Bagpipe Books
    • Learn to Play Bagpipes
    • How are Bagpipes Made
    • How Do Bagpipes Work
    • How Hard Is It to Play Bagpipes
    • How Much Do Bagpipes Cost
    • The Compelling History of Bagpipes
    • What are Bagpipes Made Of
    • What Region Is Famous for Bagpipes
    • Who Invented the Bagpipes
    • Why Are Bagpipes Played At Police Funerals?
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Bagpipes / How Are Bagpipes Made in 2023

Published on April 30, 2025 | Last updated on April 30, 2025 | By Harshad

How Are Bagpipes Made in 2023

How are bagpipes made?

A musical instrument seen in Scottish ceremonies is world-famous for its melodious voice and is played on almost every occasion of joy in Scotland.

Yes, we are talking about the Bagpipe.

Though Bagpipes are played in another part of the world, also the Scottish one is very famous. 

Also, the origin of bagpipes might not be from the place where it is most played.

Bagpipes were originated somewhere in the middle east, according to historical facts received.

The Scottish bagpipes have a well-known name in the Anglophone world.

Contents:

    • Before You Continue Reading…
  • How Are Bagpipes Made?
  • Raw Material Used in Bagpipes
  • Design of the Bagpipes
  • The Manufacturing Process
  • Pipes Manufacturing
  • How the Chanter Is Manufacturing
  • How Is the Bag Prepared
  • Bagpipes Decoration and Final Thoughts

Before You Continue Reading…

Interesting Bagpipe Resources:

Preview
Frazer Warnock Standard Bagpipe Practice Chanter for Scottish Highland Bagpipes, 2 Quality Reeds, Breathable Case and Reed Tube Bundle
RG Hardie Bagpipe Twist Trap Practice Chanter, National Piping Center of Scotland Tutor Book with 2 Quality Scottish Reeds Breathable Case
Barefoot Bagpiper Bagpipe Practice Chanter 18in Nickel Plated Engraved Ferrule. Bagpipes Piping Institute Tutor Book, 2 Bagpipe Practice Chanter Reeds, Bag Pipes Beginner. Bagpipes for Beginners Adult
Title
Frazer Warnock Standard Bagpipe Practice Chanter for Scottish Highland Bagpipes, 2 Quality Reeds, Breathable Case and Reed Tube Bundle
RG Hardie Bagpipe Twist Trap Practice Chanter, National Piping Center of Scotland Tutor Book with 2 Quality Scottish Reeds Breathable Case
Barefoot Bagpiper Bagpipe Practice Chanter 18in Nickel Plated Engraved Ferrule. Bagpipes Piping Institute Tutor Book, 2 Bagpipe Practice Chanter Reeds, Bag Pipes Beginner. Bagpipes for Beginners Adult
Prime Benefits
More Details
Check More Details On Amazon
Check More Details On Amazon
Check More Details On Amazon
Preview
Frazer Warnock Standard Bagpipe Practice Chanter for Scottish Highland Bagpipes, 2 Quality Reeds, Breathable Case and Reed Tube Bundle
Title
Frazer Warnock Standard Bagpipe Practice Chanter for Scottish Highland Bagpipes, 2 Quality Reeds, Breathable Case and Reed Tube Bundle
Prime Benefits
More Details
Check More Details On Amazon
Preview
RG Hardie Bagpipe Twist Trap Practice Chanter, National Piping Center of Scotland Tutor Book with 2 Quality Scottish Reeds Breathable Case
Title
RG Hardie Bagpipe Twist Trap Practice Chanter, National Piping Center of Scotland Tutor Book with 2 Quality Scottish Reeds Breathable Case
Prime Benefits
More Details
Check More Details On Amazon
Preview
Barefoot Bagpiper Bagpipe Practice Chanter 18in Nickel Plated Engraved Ferrule. Bagpipes Piping Institute Tutor Book, 2 Bagpipe Practice Chanter Reeds, Bag Pipes Beginner. Bagpipes for Beginners Adult
Title
Barefoot Bagpiper Bagpipe Practice Chanter 18in Nickel Plated Engraved Ferrule. Bagpipes Piping Institute Tutor Book, 2 Bagpipe Practice Chanter Reeds, Bag Pipes Beginner. Bagpipes for Beginners Adult
Prime Benefits
More Details
Check More Details On Amazon

Last update on 2025-05-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

HOW ARE BAGPIPES MADE AND WHAT ARE BAGPIPES MADE OF

A bagpipe, as the name suggests, is an instrument having a bag with some pipes.

When the air is blown through the pipes attached to the bag, a melodious voice comes out.

The pleasant voice is pitched higher and lower with the help of holes present in the pipes.

Now the question arises, how such a melodious voice is produced and how the Bagpipes are made to create such a pleasant sound.

There may be different methods for manufacturing of bagpipe.

How Are Bagpipes Made?

In ancient times, the bagpipes were known to be formed from animal skin, and the bones are used as the pipes.

According to Greek sources, dog skin was used, while traditional European bagpipes are made up of goat or sheepskin.

The natural openings for legs in the skin were used for attaching the pipes in the bagpipe making.

Pigskins, leather, and synthetic materials are also used to prepare the melodious bagpipes these days.

As the world has changed too much in the process, how the bagpipes are made is also changing.

Interested to learn how do bagpipes work?

Roosebeck BAGL Sheesham Practice Chanter With Book and CD
Roosebeck BAGL Sheesham Practice Chanter With Book and CD
  • Includes a reed, a book & CD
  • CD tutorial by Pipe Major R.T. Shepherd
  • Book includes photographs of finger positions, exercises, melodies & more
Check More Details On Amazon

Last update on 2025-05-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Raw Material Used in Bagpipes

The raw material used in the manufacturing of bagpipers differs with the manufacturer.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the early Scottish bagpipes were made up of bog oak.

When trading, start between Europe, America, and Africa, the material also used to get changed with tropical hardwoods’ availability. 

Manufactures start using tropical hardwoods for constructing pipes for bagpipes.

Blackwood from African land and Rosewood from South American soil is ideal for the manufacturing of pipes.

The material also used to get changed with time.

The condition while preparing the bag was that it must be airtight, water-absorbent, and resistant to the climate.

So the experiments were done, from time to time, to get the perfect one and the material used to get changed along with.

So the experiments were done, from time to time, to get the perfect one and the material used to get changed along with.

Earlier sheep skins were used for bag manufacturing, but as these were not durable in drier regions so were replaced by other sustainable options.

Also, the availability of material effects on the material to be used likely American bagpipes consisted of a bag made up of cow skin.

In contrast, the kangaroo skins were more in Australia and used there as the material for bags of bagpipes.

The reeds in bagpipes were made up of different materials such as brass, but now PVC and other metals are also used.

Design of the Bagpipes

The design of a simple bagpipe consists of two main parts; one is an airbag and the other sets of pipes.

The pipes are attached to the bags in a definite pattern to produce the voice.

The pipes of a bagpipe are mainly used to blow air into the bag and generate a melodious sound with them.

For a different purpose, different pipes are there and so have different names.

An air supply pipe was used to supply air, a chanter to produce different tones, and a regular drone to give the background sound.

The pipes are arranged on the bag in a pattern, first the chanter; then the blowpipe followed the drones.

The Manufacturing Process

How bagpipes are made is a time-consuming process.

The manufacturing of different parts is different and then assembled to get a working bagpipe.

First, all pipes and bags are manufactured separately, and then the pipes are attached to the bag to produce the sound in harmony.

Pipes Manufacturing

The pipe maker used the most suitable material, either wood or synthetic material, to prepare the pipes.

For wooden pipes, the hardwood is imported from Africa in the form of logs.

Then the wooden logs are shaped to form the chanters and the drones.

Before manufacturing of pipes, the wooden logs are well dried.

It would take three or more years for a wooden log to become perfectly dry.

But some manufacturers have decreased this time to reduce the cost of manufacturing of bagpipes.

After drying, the logs are drilled to bore out the cylindrical drones, and the bores are made in the center of the logs, and the outer portion is shaped.

The prepared drone is furnished with wax and other beautifying materials to make it look attractive.

The bass drone is made more lengthy than the tenor drones, shorter than the bass drone.

How the Chanter Is Manufacturing

The chanters are made similar to the drone, but the difference occurs in the drill, the drill made in the chanter is conical in shape.

In addition to this, holes are made in slant height of the cone, open or close by fingers, to produce different sounds. 

The narrow end of the conical drill is about 0.13 inches, and the other end is about 0.87 inches, in a 13 inches long chanter.

The chanter is played with both hands, so there are nine holes made in a chanter to place your figure to stop and allow the air through each hole to produce different sounds through various combinations of closing the holes.

How Is the Bag Prepared

The bag is prepared of cow or elk to hide, and about five bags can be prepared for a young cow’s hide.

The hide obtained is folded and is cut into a mirror image pattern.

The parts are stuck with an adhesive material, and later a leather welt is placed over it and stitched to make the joint permanent and airtight.

The pipes are then placed in the holes made in the bag.

The stocks are used to make the joint permanent, and also some adhesive is used to make the joint proper to ensure it is airtight.

To complete the pipes, the reeds are added to them.

Stocks are made along with the pipes and are long enough to place the reeds over them.

Bagpipes Decoration and Final Thoughts

The prepared bagpipes are decorated with different arts to look attractive.

The well-furnish bagpipes are used by the players to produce melodious sounds and entertain the audience.

The bagpipes are used almost in the whole world.

However, a bagpipe becomes of no use after a period.

But the workers manufacturing bagpipes are continuously working to provide new bagpipes for the bagpipe players.

How bagpipes are made is a lengthy process still, the manufacturers are supplying the perfect bagpipes for the melody listeners.

Read More:

  • Best 6 Flutes for Beginners and Professionals

Filed Under: Bagpipes, Beginners, Learn Bagpipes

About Harshad

Hey,

My name is Harshad, and I like sharing useful bagpipe guides on CompareBagpipes.com.

With years of experience in listening and researching music, I now help others learn more about our traditional musical instruments.

Primary Sidebar

Hey!

My name is Harshad, and I'm your guide and expert at CompareBagpipes.com!

I'm also a great fan of instrumental music. You can find more about me here. Read More…

As Featured In

compare bagpipes featured in

Best Bagpipe Guides

What Are Bagpipes Made Of

What Are Bagpipes Made Of?

Swedish Bagpipes

Swedish Bagpipes: The Little-Known History 2023 Guide

Kilt Accessories 2019 Guide Scottish & Irish Kilt Accessories

Kilt Accessories 2023 Guide: Scottish & Irish Kilt Accessories

Best Kilt Jacket

The Best Kilt Jacket and Jacket Types to Choose from in 2023

Best Flutes Top 6 Flute Reviews for Beginners and Professionals

6 Best Flutes For Beginners And Professionals

Best Kilts for Women

Best Kilts for Women: Elegant Kilt Product Reviews 2023

Best Prince Charlie Jacket

Best Prince Charlie Jacket: Top 10 Product Reviews in 2023

Best Kilt Flashes

10 Best Kilt Flashes For Kilt Dress In 2023

bagpipes for sale

Bagpipes For Sale: Buyers Guide to the Best Bagpipes in 2023

What Region Is Famous for Bagpipes

What Region Is Famous for Bagpipes

COMPAREBAGPIPES.COM IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED WEBSITES.

Copyright © 2025 - CompareBagpipes.com