Different Sorts of Pipes: The Irish Uillean Pipes

While speaking of pipes, most people think of the Scottish bagpipes, that are most known, by through time and history many region have embraced the pipes into their music and many forms of pipes do exist.

It is kind of becoming the most popular kinds of traditional instruments all over the world.

The Irish Uilean pipes are kind of unusual, since they are not played with the mouth. Actually an Uillean piper might sing while playing his instrument, although this is not done.

Why? The bag of the pipes are some kind of air pump and it is squeezed by the player to produce the sound, while he needs his fingers to play the tunes. The call it the below elbows pipes, but the piper uses his elbow to squeeze the bag.

The Uilean pipes have a unique complex sound and are more melodic than most pipes. It is often heard in traditional Irish music and the pipes have become more known to the Riverdance group and their piper Davy Spillane.

To see and hear how it is played and sound like, I will share this piece of Uillean piper Jerry O’Sullivan:

Many popular Irish bands like the Moving Hearts, The Chieftains and all those who follow that tradition also include an uillean piper.

While the piper does not sing himself, there might be somebody in the band singing, like here Alison Krauss singing the beautiful song Molly Ban accompanied by The Chieftains: