Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to play the bagpipes
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Nobody starts on the full pipes. You learn the fingering and the grace notes on a quiet practice chanter first, often in a small evening class or with a local pipe band, and move to the bagpipes once your fingers are ready.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650MonthsIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
Someone who has done it
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What it's really like
The first months are spent on the practice chanter, a quiet pipe with the same finger holes as the bagpipe chanter but no bag or drones. The National Piping Centre in Glasgow splits its beginners into two levels, Absolute Beginner for people picking up the chanter for the first time and Established Beginner for those building core skills and tunes. It aims to keep classes to about six people, and absolute beginners can buy a chanter at their first session.
In the US, Eastman Community Music School in Rochester says you need only a practice chanter, a tutor book and teaching to begin, not a full set of pipes. Many pipe bands also teach newcomers. The Raleigh Pipe Band's learners' page offered free group lessons and cited an estimate that an adult practising the chanter for 15 to 30 minutes a day might be ready for the pipes in six to eight months, while stressing that everyone progresses differently.
The Great Highland bagpipe is not the only kind. Halsway Manor in Somerset ran a beginners' weekend on English Border pipes in January 2026, learned mostly by ear.
Ways in and what they cost
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| National Piping Centre, Glasgow | Absolute Beginner evening classes, in person or online, in eight-week terms; Term 2 runs 26 October to 17 December 2026. Class fees are not shown online; one-to-one lessons are sold in passes | One-to-one: £215 for five 50-minute lessons, or £118 for five 25-minute lessons |
| Halsway Manor, Somerset | Beginner Bagpipe Weekend on English Border pipes, 30 January to 1 February 2026; for complete beginners; pipes can be borrowed if you ask when booking | £180 non-resident; £210 to £330 with meals and a bed or pitch |
| Celtic Arts Foundation, Mount Vernon, Washington | Bagpipes for Beginners: eight weekly classes plus a bonus class, spring 2026 series from 7 April; no musical experience needed | $192 suggested donation; practice chanter lent for the series |
| Eastman Community Music School, Rochester, New York | Bagpipes 101: Monday evenings, 50 minutes, open to adults | $174 a semester (2026-27) |
The Raleigh Pipe Band's page put the cost of a practice chanter at about $100. Eastman has arranged a chanter and tutor book package with a local supplier, The Piper's Cove.
How to start
- Book an absolute beginners' class; the National Piping Centre in Glasgow runs them in person and online in eight-week terms.
- Get a practice chanter and a tutor book; some classes sell or include a chanter, so ask before you buy.
- Practise on the chanter every day and ask your tutor or band when you are ready to move on to the pipes.
Where to go
- National Piping Centre: evening classes, in person and online (Glasgow) UK
- Halsway Manor: Beginner Bagpipe Weekend, English Border pipes (Somerset) UK
- Celtic Arts Foundation: Bagpipes for Beginners (Mount Vernon, Washington) US
- Eastman Community Music School: Bagpipes 101 (Rochester, New York) US
We opened these links on 9 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do you start learning bagpipes on a practice chanter?
Yes. The National Piping Centre's absolute beginner classes are for people picking up the chanter for the first time, and Eastman says a chanter and tutor book are all you need to begin.
How long before you can play the full bagpipes?
It varies. The Raleigh Pipe Band cited an estimate of six to eight months for an adult practising the chanter for 15 to 30 minutes a day.
Can I learn the bagpipes online?
Yes. The National Piping Centre runs online Absolute Beginner and Established Beginner Highland pipe classes alongside its in-person ones.
How much do bagpipe lessons cost?
The National Piping Centre lists five 50-minute one-to-one lessons at £215. In the US, Eastman's Bagpipes 101 group class is $174 a semester.
Where this comes from: National Piping Centre, Evening classes; National Piping Centre, Passes and immersive courses; bagpipe.news, The NPC evening classes for pipes, piobaireachd, smallpipes, drums, whistle and Gaelic begin in August (16 July 2026); Halsway Manor, Beginner Bagpipe Weekend 2026; Celtic Arts Foundation, Bagpipes for Beginners spring 2026; Eastman Community Music School, Bagpipes 101; Raleigh Pipe Band, Learn to play (2019); Peoria Magazine, Answering the Call (26 February 2020). Opened 9 November 2026.
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