DIY DIY diddle dee diddle...
April 6, 2019 5:27 PM   Subscribe

 
Homemade bagpipes can be made from a bunch of recorders yt , rubber gloves yt , duct tape and straws yt , condoms yt , and PVC piping yt .

Like, all at once?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:02 PM on April 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


Like, all at once?

There is, it appears, some overlap. The duct tape appears to be the universal.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:10 PM on April 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


I'm not convinced this is a good idea.
posted by rhizome at 9:56 PM on April 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


The condom one sounds particularly less bad!
posted by alex_skazat at 11:08 PM on April 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


I was just thinking about bagpipes this week!

In classical sources flutes are particularly associated with wild and savage music. Pan, for instance, the source of the English word "panic", lent his name to an assemblage of reed flutes; other savage dancers, like the maenads, were also depicted with flutes. Anyway, I noticed that many of these ancient depictions showed the players with some sort of skin bag. Those might be wineskins, and perhaps often are wineskins, but maybe they're actually the reservoir for a set of pipes? Many people comment on the unearthly tone of bagpipes even today; the multilayered sound, back then, which did not even stop for breath, must have been remarkable, and terrifying. Anyway, just my speculation.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:49 PM on April 6, 2019 [3 favorites]


Re: the condom pipes, I wonder if ribbed makes for more pleasurable playing?

Bagpipes were used in part to produce big, terrifying sounds—helpful in a battlefield situation. The “bag” part has been made from various things over time, as all that’s really required is some sort of compressible, airtight vessel which can help maintain constant air pressure to the drone reeds, so it isn’t surprising that enterprising pipers have enlisted modern materials for that purpose.
posted by kinnakeet at 5:23 AM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


Hey! This is a fun post to watch with my morning coffee. Thanks!!
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 5:57 AM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


goddammit mandolin conspiracy it's not like i don't already have enough half finished musical projects laying around but nooooooooo you've gotta put the idea in my head that I can build marvelous terrible bagpipes (BAGPIPES!!!!) out of common materials.

when i get thrown out of my apartment i'm moving in with you
posted by soundguy99 at 7:33 AM on April 7, 2019 [5 favorites]


"Start by constructing platform shoes with bellows in the soles..." or what about a yoga ball bagpipe?

Your turn, geniuses. How many worlds of possibilities can you handle?
posted by rhizome at 10:36 AM on April 7, 2019


Anyway, I noticed that many of these ancient depictions showed the players with some sort of skin bag.

Also...goats.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:14 AM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


I had not seen that method of making a tone before - the pipe butted up against the membrane. That's going on the "experiments in the hotel room on business travel" list. You can't go out drinking every day. (To my surprise, the cigar box guitar I made once turned out so good I brought it home and still have it)
posted by ctmf at 11:50 AM on April 7, 2019


Also...goats.

Did you just Dead Goat your own post?
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:06 PM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


posted by ActingTheGoat

ಠ_ಠ
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:18 PM on April 7, 2019 [2 favorites]


When I took an ethnomusicology class in college, I remember being surprised at how many civilizations independently created bagpipes. Egypt? Yup. China? Yup. Greek and Rome? Yup. Surprising no one the Scots and Irish (my heritage) were the ones who thought that keeping them around would be a good idea. SMH.

I also believe that both bagpipes and pipe organs were the product of people smoking weed.
"Hey - hey - what if we got a goat, skinned it, and stuck whistles into to it?"

"Hey - hey - no! What if we got a huge box and stuck whistles into that and got some huge bellows and got choir boys to jump on them?"
posted by plinth at 6:41 AM on April 9, 2019 [1 favorite]


« Older Happiness is a warm dog   |   New bills would ban pelvic exams without consent.... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments