In this country, we most often associate the bagpipe with Celtic cultures, particularly the Irish and Scots, but it is an instrument played around the world. Finland, Romania, Spain, Italy, Belarus, Turkey, Iran, Algeria and India are just a few of the countries where bagpipes are a traditional folk instrument.

Uillean, the Irish bagpipe

The Irish bagpipe is called the Uillean or Elbow pipe, as it is blown from a bellows beneath the left arm. The range of the Irish bagpipe is two full octaves, and it is often tuned to the key of “D”, and many of our favorite Irish tunes are sung in that key.