Hybrid Pipes

Having made both smallpipes and uilleann pipes for a number of years, the hybrid sets seemed an obvious development – an instrument combining features from both traditions.

The hybrid sets I make are pitched in C and combine a smallpipe chanter with uilleann style drones including a contrabass drone which is an octave below the normal C smallpipe drone. This changes the sound of the instrument and takes it towards an earthier uilleann sound. The addition of the low C drone requires the hybrid sets to be tied in and played on the lap as with uilleann pipes.