Bagpipes, because there is one bag and many pipes in/on the instrument.

"Hey, Good Lookin'" would considered a country and western song, written in 1951.

Tomorrow.

Bagpipes are most often played at weddings, funerals, military events, street parades ... in fact, at any occasion that is a celebration or commemoration.

the chanter (melody pipe)

Many countries have bagpipes - including Scotland, Ireland, Poland, Germany, Sweden, so the music comes from many countries as well. The exact origin of bagpipes is unknown, but probably started in the middle east.

well for most of us in the usa it was the foundation of our families in the south the Scots-Irish where the main settlers whene Europe first conolized america so for most of us Scotland gave us life whether you like it or not

because the bagpipes sound like what happens when an elephant sexually violates a baboon, while both are on fire, and being skinned alive by poachers that look like a cross between Gary Busey, and and George Bush Jr.

There are several holes in the bag. You blow through a blow stick into the bag whiklst sqeesing with the arm. this pushes air through four reads, two tenor and a base drone and one trough the Chanter (the bit the fingers are holding. This bit makes the tune) please make sure that the three drones (the ones on the shoulder are in tune with the chanter or it sounds awful)

If i read the credits right, the band playing at the end of the movie was the Irish Guards Pipe Band and/or the Balmoral Pipers. I'm not 100% sure, but I didn't see anything else in the scroll that looked related to this matter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Guards http://www.piperforhire.co.uk/pipers/greater_london/Balmoral%20pipes%20and%20drums/index.html If i read the credits right, the band playing at the end of the movie was the Irish Guards Pipe Band and/or the Balmoral Pipers. I'm not 100% sure, but I didn't see anything else in the scroll that looked related to this matter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Guards http://www.piperforhire.co.uk/pipers/greater_london/Balmoral%20pipes%20and%20drums/index.html

Donald MacPherson's set sold for £30 000 after he died, that's the most expensive as far as I know

When people from Scotland started coming in about the 1850s. They came here because immigrants wanted someplace to be free. Alot of scotish culture such as the bigpipe are mixed in with American society and we havent even noticed.

No record of Alexander the Great ever having been anywhere near Scotland!

Some pipe associations and bands offer tuition - sometimes for free.

No, nor during any other century. Given the earliest references to bagpipes or representations (Melrose/Roslin) in Scotland date from the 14th century not sure how they would come to be banned. The most famous myth about banning concerns the 18th century and post Culloden (proscription act, James Reid etc, read other posts) and they weren't banned then either.

Traditionally no, but many do these days. Kilts do blow around at times!

The Northumbrian bagpipes are bellows driven and the Irish Uilleann pipes are also bellows drive as are the reinvented Scottish Lowland pipes (based on the Northumbrian pipe design but with the highland chanter). The "Scottish" bagpipes by which I presume you mean the Great Highland Bagpipes are powered via the mouth (the lungs). The Irish War pipes in modern terms is identical to the Scottish Great Highland bagpipe after attempts such as the Brian Boru version with different drones has fallen out of favour. In addition to the method of inflating the bag they differ in the drones, the keys and notes as well as whether they produce a continuous sound (GHB) or a more staccato sound (Northumbrian), the Uilleann can do both:- GHB - Open Chanter - Only 9 notes plus blowpipe and two tenor and one bass drones - continuous tune. Northumbrian - Closed Chanter 2 full octaves, 4 drones, metal keys from 7-17 Uilleann - Open chanter (can be blocked manually) 2 full octaves, 3 drones - Bass, Baritone, Tenor and 3 regulators with keys - Bass, Baritone, Tenor. Can be played as a "half set" without the regulators.

the bagpipes are usually associated with Scotland

HI. Yes they did but not in the way that we see them today.

You can buy a set of bagpipes from a reputable dealer online, but do your homework first!

If this is a gift for someone else - there are a lot of people out there trying to sell knock-off bagpipes that are made in Pakistan. Nothing against Pakistan, but they can't make bagpipes. Disreputable dealers will prey upon people who don't know enough about a quality instrument, and sell these knock-offs at a "bargain" price, but you get what you pay for.

A good set of bagpipes can start at about $800, and go up from there - but see the next paragraph before you buy ANYTHING.

If this is for yourself - you don't start playing on the bagpipes themselves if you are going to learn. You start learning on a practice chanter - they start at about $60 if you buy a quality polypenco (a type of plastic) practice chanter. You learn all your tunes on the practice chanter, so you will always use it. Again, don't buy a Pakistani practice chanter!

Once you've got a practice chanter, and hopefully a teacher - your teacher can suggest when you should get your pipes (and from where). If you are looking for Scottish Highland Bagpipes, check out the forums and links at www.bobdunsire.com

They are not a sales site, but a forum from which you can gain much knowledge and get advice, so you can make an INFORMED purchase.

Wind instruments.

No, not really. The instrument requires a huge amount of pressure to be continuosly blown into the bag, if using the common Highland pipes. There are other pipes which require you to squeeze the bag continuously somewhat as a chicken flaps its wings. But, once you train your chest, throat, and face muscles, it becomes fairly easy.

If you have played a fingered instrument, then the pipes arent TOO much harder. Piping requires many styles of trills, but it's like any other instrument -- you have to practice to get better at it and learn.

Many area have piping groups you can join, and get practice in playing with a group.

Bagpipe chanter and drones use a double reed setup similar but larger to an oboe, except that the bagpipe reeds are inside the pipes, so your mouth never needs to touch them. They need playing around with to get them to sound off reliably, though.

If you get pipes and are serious, try to avoid the plastic ones made primarily in Pakistan.

Bagpipes are LOUD! The volume cannot be modified. The wearing of earplugs is recommended if listening to them indoors.