 
Rich, full, clean, warm, steady, mellow. These words, and others, are used to describe the best of what
we listen for in drone sound. The experience and abilities of both the piper and the listener play major
roles in the production and perception of good tone. The physical bagpipe, as a whole, must be maintained
to the highest of standards. The piper must have the necessary skills to present the instrument to its
highest potential.
The listener must have equal expertise in order to fully appreciate the presentation.
The listener must overcome any distractions or acoustic imperfections of the environment and become as
close a participant as the piper.
This only sounds slightly mystical, I hope. I really intended
this to be the foundation for examination of primary factors at play in producing tone. I also wanted
to create a level of understanding and comfort in the minds of pipers relative to their experience and
to the experience of their average listening audience. That is to say, if you're not a higher grade competition
piper, you should not feel the need to purchase a $5,000 set of bagpipes. It is completely acceptable
to engage a modest priced bagpipe, maintain it in the fashion described otherwise in this booklet, and
satisfy the expectations of both yourself and your audience. I confess to being somewhat uneasy witnessing
the abuse and presentation of superior “classic” bagpipes in an inferior manner and to an uneducated
audience.
The primary factors in producing good tone are: reeds, tuning, blowing, and the physical
bagpipe itself. The pipe bag plays a significant role, which we have discussed earlier. Of all the factors,
the piper’s experience and expertise are most important.
There are examples of excellent drone
sound within the Bagpipe Library. Take your time and enjoy what you find there...and learn!
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