Hey Guys

I'm currently putting a track together with a very Scottish cinematic intro to it, but I seem to find that most of the bagpipe sounds I have stumbled upon are not that great.

Has anyone got quality samples that I could use for the keyboard ?

FYI ... the Uilleann pipes are similar in sound but a slightly different flavour to them. Bryan Adams used them on his unplugged album.

You may already be doing this, but try a sustained G or A two octaves below middle C while you key in your notes. This adds the squeezebag element to it and helps even the Edirol VSC bagpipe sound fairly decent.
Sorry I can't steer you toward a better sample, just a note on technique.

Thanks for that advice, Robert - I was watching this one 'cause I was interested, too, and your advice will help for free!

I'm currently putting a track together with a very Scottish cinematic intro to it, but I seem to find that most of the bagpipe sounds I have stumbled upon are not that great.

However, if you're looking for authenticity, this would not be the right instrument since it is actually the Irish version of the traditional Scottish bagpipes. Enya (who is also Irish) has used them on a few of her pieces.

GASP!!! CHOKE!!! SPEW!!!!

WHAT?!?!?!

IRISH?!?!

I can't play IRISH bagpipes!!! That's an abomination!!!


Reeeeallly....
Beagle Bain of the McBain Clan of the Inverness Shire, Scotland (well, my GGGGGGrandfather, anyway!)

Aye lads. Hoist a pint to the McBains of the Inverness! Hey!Hey!

Enya (who is also Irish) has used them on a few of her pieces.

Dave's still on the Enya kick?

To elaborate on what RobertB contributed...I found that if you want to have even a chance of sounding like bagpipes, restrict your playing to the following:

Left Hand or Bass: Low A in octaves (record on separate track first, so that you have hands free for the below)

RH: use only these notes: A B C# D E F# G(use a little pitch bend to get it a bit flat) and A (use a little modulation wheel as this one usually is a bit thin and whiney...


This has to do with the limitations of the real instrument... you'll find even soundcard samples sound pretty good if you try the above...

If you're interested, I could also suggest a few ways to make the melody sound more bagpipey...

I'm interested! Lead on, MacDuff! (jgirv)

...sorry to be slightly off-Cakewalk topic here, but just a quick reply to Beagle re:bagpipes:


If you listen to any bagpipe music, especially that which most folks would instantly recognize, you'll notice lots of little ornaments to the main melody notes... even if you are not a keyboard player, I'm sure you can play a few bars of "Amazing Grace" by ear, for example... now, go back and add notes that "surround" the main melody notes... like:

(A- Ma- Zing Grace, how sweet the sound) A D F# D F# E D B A


now becomes: A Dedc#D F# eD F#gF# E DaD B AbabA.


See if that makes any sense!! --- best. jg