History
Originally one of the first documented bagpipes in Scotland, along with the Border pipes, which were popular in the Lowland areas of Scotland as far North as Aberdeen. Evidence shows them to have existed since the 15th century, (Highland pipes can only be documented from the 16th Century,) when they were used for dancing and entertainment in Court and castle, later they became popular amongst Burgh Pipers, and Town Minstrels until the early 19th Century, when the demise of the Town Pipers lead to their disappearing from the record. Being bellows blown this made them suitable for playing for long periods. Bellows blown smallpipes are believed to have entered Scotland via England, and the Continent of Europe, examples are preserved in many drawings, carvings, and paintings from 15th century onwards, and in Europe from the 12th century onwards.
Since there was a break in the continuous playing tradition of the Smallpipes, and Border pipes, no absolute,definitive playing style can be ascribed to them. However, according to the evidence provided by surviving sheet music written for these pipes (Dixon, Peacock, Riddell,) their style depended more on variations, runs, and arpeggios, as opposed to the surving Highland music which is dominated by stylised gracenote techniques.
Smallpipes are extremely popular with Great Highland Bagpipe|Highland) pipers, many of whom keep them, or a set of Border pipes as a second instrument, usually preferring the mouth blown versions, and play them according to the Highland tradition. Though it has somewhat supplanted the musically unsatisfactory Highland practice chanter as a relatively quiet rehearsal instrument for Highland pipers, it has gained wide currency as a session instrument, for both the Highland and Border pipe repertoires.
The Scottish smallpipes were the first widely available instrument to allow Highland pipers to participate in musical sessions with fiddlers, flautists and other instruments, as well as to accompany singers. However, modern Scottish Border pipes, many of which are becoming quieter and more reliable than their predecessors, may slowly be replacing the Scottish Smallpipes as the highland piper's session instrument of choice.
Read more about this topic: Scottish Smallpipes
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