Never buy a bagpipe on a whim. You would be surprised at the number of people who want to learn to play the bagpipes and who start by buying the first instrument to start learning. It is a mistake. Buying a bagpipe when you don’t know how to play will inevitably lead to a bad investment.
Watch out for Ebay and Boncoin
Do not buy your cheap scottish bagpipes on Ebay or Le Boncoin unless you know exactly what you are doing. Chances are, if you are reading this guide, it is not. Unlike most instruments, you do not learn the bagpipe with a bagpipe. We start with a practice chanter. Put aside your desire to buy a bagpipe until you master the practice. You can also start with the 2 in 1 indoor bagpipe made by Galore in Ecosee.
Start with a quality singing practice
A practice chanter is relatively affordable and will be a valuable tool, not only to start but also throughout your “career”. For more information, see our Singing Practice Buying Guide.
Be Realistic
Assess your ability and desire to practice honestly. Don’t waste your money on a practice chanter if you don’t give yourself the time to practice enough. The bagpipe is not the kind of instrument that you can practice once a week.
If you don’t have more time to spend it, it may not be the best time of your life to put on the bagpipes. If you generally get tired or give up easily, be careful.
The bagpipe is one of the most difficult instruments to learn. The advantage of starting the practice is that if you finally realize that you don’t like it, that it’s too complicated or that you don’t have enough time, your investment will have been minimal.
Take Classes If You Can Afford
It’s the best way to progress. Your teacher will be able to tell you when you can switch from driving range to bagpipes. Do not be discouraged if it takes time. According to people it takes between 3 months and a year.
Another advantage of taking lessons is that you will normally have the opportunity to test several kinds of bagpipes before buying one. For example, find out if you should head to a plastic or ebony bagpipe with the uke tuners for sale.
Network
On average, 1 in 10 students becomes a confirmed bagpiper. These generally share very good advice, pieces, etc. They can be of great value to you.Most of them can be contacted online. And it’s even better if they are geographically close to you and you can meet them.
Everyone has their opinion on the different bagpipes, techniques, etc. Therefore the more you meet different players, the better.
Buy quality
There are many brands of bagpipes. Some are obviously better than others. Brands like Mac Callum or Galore are recognized worldwide for their quality, for example. Treat yourself as best as you can (within your budget, of course).