Hitting the right note: bagpipes application for iPad
The hugely popular Apple iPad is turning tartan - with a special application that allows users to play the bagpipes on the cutting-edge technology.
Three sets of Scottish bagpipes are on offer - including the Bagpipes, Border Pipes and Small Pipes - which the creators say are authentic sounding and played just like the real instrument.
The application comes complete with drone and chanter sounds based on “incredibly high-quality per-note studio recordings of some of the finest instruments available”, and allows you to play to songs from your iPad’s library of music.
Creator Michael Eskin said: "I've been developing traditional Irish musical instrument apps since November 2009, mostly concertinas and Uilleann pipes related apps.
“The iPad, with its 10 simultaneous multi-touch system made it possible to do a complete and accurate emulation of both Highland and Uilleann bagpipes chanters, something that wasn't possible ever before.”
Rather than being a novelty “app”, Bagpipes - Scottish Highland Bagpipes uses the actual fingering of the instrument, allowing users to learn how to properly play, with a help screen to assist the learning of the correct fingerings.
Eskin added: “By partnering with Keir Murdo at ePipes.co.uk for the audio samples, I was able to quickly develop extremely authentic sounding sets of Highland pipes, Border pipes, and Smallpipes that are played using the same fingers as the real instrument, and offer them for a very reasonable price to millions of potential players interested in the bagpipes. This has never been done before in history."
Technology websites reporting on the new are less than praiseworthy about the pipes. Indeed, The Tech Journal said: “Now there’s a new app for that most irritating of all instruments: the bagpipes. So go ahead and irritate neighbors for hours with the world’s most joy-sapping tool of all.
- If you’re interested in Bagpipes - Scottish Highland Bagpipes, you can find out more at tradlessons.com
