Daily Discovery: Homemade Bagpipes? Oh Laddie!

Post written by Eisen Tamkun, Music Education Lead.

Bagpipes… once you hear ‘em, they’re hard to forget! You might heard them, but have you ever played them yourself? Make your very own and give it a try!

Supplies:

Two Recorders
One Garbage Bag
Two Pens
Scissors
Tape

Instructions:

Gather all of your supplies together.
Take the pens apart and tape both pen bodies together.
Next, trim the open end off your garbage bag down so it is about 3/4 of its original size.
Take your new pen-body straw and tape it to one side of the open bag end. Have the pens reach an inch and a half into the bag to ensure no air will escape. This will be your blowpipe.
Take one of your recorders and tape it into the bag about 1/4 of the bag length down from the blowpipe. Be sure the mouthpiece part is in the bag with the whistle side out of the bag. Close up the rest of the bag. Be sure it is air tight!
Tape all of the holes shut on this recorder. It will play one note constantly.
Cut a hole on the bottom corner below your blowpipe and tape the other recorder to this hole. Be sure the mouthpiece is inside the bag.
Well done! You’ve finished your very own DIY bagpipe!
To play this awesome new instrument, blow up the bag using the pen tubes. Check for any leaks and seal them with some more tape! Once the bag is full, the recorders will start playing. The first recorder (on top) will rest on you shoulder with the second (below the blowpipe) is the one you will play.