Bagpipes are a very diverse instrument, both in terms of construction and musical capabilities, which is reflected in their numerous historical and geographical (regional) types. This diversity often reaches the dimension of variance, as it also occurs within individual types of bagpipes showing sometimes considerable variability depending on the region, maker and even individual copies of instruments from the same maker.
Bagpipes consist of fixed elements, found in all of their types, and variable elements, depending on the instrument type. The former were indicated above.
Variable elements of the bagpipes:
- Pipes — Number of pipes, their size (length, scale), shape (straight, bent), profile of the internal channel of the pipe (cylindrical, conical), number, size and spacing of fingerholes. The pipes are either bilaterally open or (rarely) unilaterally closed (on the outlet side). They may be uniform or consist of a different number of parts. They are usually terminated with sounders (straight or bent) and are divided into chanters and drones.
- Reeds — type (single or double), sizes.
- The parts connecting the pipes, blowpipe or bellows for inflating with the air reservoir — their size, shape (straight or curved cylinder, inverted, truncated cone, cuboid, zoomorphic or anthropomorphic form), construction (one-piece, two-piece).
- Air reservoir (bag) — single, double.
- Reservoir inflation — by mouth (through a blowpipe placed in the bag) or mechanically (manual bellows).
- Materials used to make individual components, manufacturing technology, decoration.