The bagpipes
There have been different kinds of bagpipes in Scotland form many centuries , but a lot of the music heard today . is connected to the instrument´s miliary background .
The music that you hear in morden pipe bands and in piping competitions with their strict rules is very much influenced by this part of the bagpipes´s history, but there are also many players who concentrate on music that connects to the instrument ´s non-military roots and in particular its connections with Gaelic singing
The fiddle
The fiddle had some older ´ancestors` in Scotland , such as rebecs and viols , but when the modern violin arrived in the 17th century from mainland Europe , this become the favourite instrument .
The fiddle it is essentially the same instrument that classical violinists also play . It become a very popular instrument for dancing , for popular country dancing and for more formal dances .
The fiddle today is probably the most popular instrument in Scottish traditional music , with soloists , fiddle bands , strathspey and reel societies and fiddle festivals all celebreting the instrument.
Tin whistle
The tin whistle is a small fipple flaute . The tin whistle is one of the most popular Irish instruments , as it is small, cheap , durable and can be easily obtained in music shops . It is often used for beginners as an introduction to the work of Irish tradicional music and is a popular school instrument .
Although it is small , simple instrument , it can be and is played to a virtuoso level = for example players like Mary Bergin, Donncha O`Briain or Paddy Moleny .
The tin whistle was first used in Irish traditional music in the early 19th century , although similar instruments seem to have been used to much earlier . The Clarke whistle , first made in 1843 , was the first of the mass-produced tin whistles .
