Reel Pipe

A' Phìob-ridhle

Reel Pipes (phìoban-ridhle, sing. a' phìob-ridhle) are a type of Fey bagpipe typically used in smaller events, such as family gatherings. It is a smaller variant of the Fey Great Pipe (also known as a' phìob-mhòr or a Fey Warpipe), and typically plays quieter than the Great Pipe, meaning it is perfect for playing in smaller spaces and alongside softer instruments such as the fiddle. While bagpipes as a whole are considered an acquired taste in the Material Plane of A'arde, they are popular in areas with heavy Fey influence and within the Fey Realms themselves. Reel Pipes are also used as tavern-band instruments in parts of West Eirinn and the Heartlands, though this is usually in smaller or outlier villages. Despite their Fey origins, Elves typically prefer the Pibe Cyrn, a bag-hornpipe, or the Elvish Bagpipe (pipa cŵd), which only has a single drone.

Reel Pipes come in two varieties: mouth-blown, and bellow-blown, though the term "Reel Pipe" is usually used to refer to the mouth-blown varieties. Bellow-blown Reel Pipes are often called Border Pipes, as they straddle the "border" between mouth-blown bagpipes and Smallpipes (a' phìob bheag).

Border Pipe Reel Pipes are most often used at family celebrations where there are no official musicians, such as home gatherings. This is because the bellows allow for talking while playing, as well as requiring less effort and therefore being less tiring. Larger family gatherings or events indoors that utilise external musicians typically use Reel Pipes with mouthpieces, as official musicians are less likely to interact with the crowd while performing. Reel Pipes of both kinds can be used in any circumstance, however, as they are generally softer and quieter than Great Pipes.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Reel Pipes are comprised of a bag (màla), three drones (duis, sing. dos), a chanter (seannsair), and either a mouthpiece (sèidean) or a bellows (balg-sèididh). The three drones are cylindrically bored, with a bass (dos mòr), and either baritone (dos meadhanach) and tenor (dos beag) or two tenors, in a single common stock (stoc). This differs from the Great Pipes, which have each drone in their own stock. Reel Pipes are typically tuned in the A Major scale to Bass - Low A, Tenor - A, Baritone - E.

History

Bagpipes have existed in the Fey Realms for as long as any Fey can remember, with them potentially being created in the A'arden Lateral Planes when the original Sylvan Deities were still Sluagh-Sìthe. It is thought that Oberon, when he was still known as Oran, may have had a hand in the original creation of the bagpipes, while Kennon and Aoibheall may have influenced their transformations into the variants we see today.

While the Great Pipe was designed as a "weapon of war", the Reel Pipes and Smallpipes were specifically crafted for entertainment and social interaction. They were developed to be smaller and easier to handle in smaller spaces, with the drones inserted into a single stock rather than the Great Pipe's three stock fan-style configuration. The inclusion of a bellows rather than a mouthpiece was later conceived as a social benefit, allowing the performer to communicate with others around them even while playing.

Reel Pipes of both kinds became a key part of Fey ceilidh culture alongside the fiddle, and are still considered a traditional Fey instrument of celebration.

Item type

Musical Instrument