Concert A vs B-flat

As I was once told by a piping teacher:
“There was once a time when western musicians decided that they should get together and to be able to play together, and thus choose a setting for all musical instruments to be tuned to. That was decided to be what is called concert A, 440. Bagpipers in Scotland felt no need to follow their contemporaries and stuck to their B-flat tuning…”

I am not sure that that is technical piping history, but it does make a bit of sense.

- Bagpipes are tuned to b-flat, and then add the general volume of the pipes, it is difficult to play bagpipes with other instruments, other than drums.

Ways around this little predicament include getting a chanter tuned to A, although I hear it as being a bit flat… Additionally, small pipes are usually not tuned to B-flat, but other keys such as A or D. My small pipes are tuned to A, and I have to work very hard with a tuner to make sure it is in tune.

No volume control…

Best and worst part of the bagpipes is that bagpipes are either on or off, there is no volume control.

Bagpipe reeds play at a certain pressure, and if too hard, or too soft, the reed will cut out.

100′s of years ago, this was an excellent way for parties and festivals to be able to provide music for everyone attending. Long time before amplifiers and speakers.

Nowadays, the volume is great for inside a church, or outdoors, but at a small party inside, it is all too common for folk to look for a volume button on me. It ain’t there.