# Bagpipes Pro — Five Sets of Real Bagpipes

> Realistic bagpipe simulator with multiple instrument types and adjustable tuning. (iPhone/iPad app by Michael Eskin.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bagpipes-pro/id475512001 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Michael Eskin](https://appshunter.io/developer/342739369)
- Category: Music, Education
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 13 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 102 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-11-01
- Data updated: 2026-06-05
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bagpipes-pro/id475512001/reviews.md

## What is Bagpipes Pro?

Bagpipes Pro is five extremely realistic sounding sets of bagpipes for the iPad that are played using standard Scottish piping fingerings.

The instrument may be transposed up to +/- one octave in semitone increments as well as tuned up to +/- 50 cents.
 
It includes five authentic sounding sets of Scottish, Irish, and Swedish bagpipes.

The five sets of bagpipes are:

Great Highland Scottish Bagpipes - The most popular Scottish marching pipes, in the traditional key of Bb.

Scottish Border Pipes - A Scottish smallpipe in the key of A with a sound distinctly different from but similar to the Highland pipes.

Scottish Smallpipes - A Scottish smallpipe in the key of A, one octave lower than the Border Pipes, and has a rounder, bubbly sound.

Irish Uillean Pipes - Bellows blown pipes in the key of D

Swedish Säckpipa - A set of Swedish bagpipes in E, with a very haunting sound.

All of the instruments use fingerings based on the standard Scottish Highland bagpipes chanter.

IMPORTANT: Since this app requires as many as 8 fingers on the screen at the same time, before playing, disable "Multitasking Gestures" on your iPad (in the Settings app, under the General section, turn the Multitasking Gestures switch to the off position).

Start/stop the drones playing by touching the drone puck. Select standard or alternate drone note from the controls.

Use the Transpose slider to set the overall instrument transposition in semitones. Touch the transpose value to the left of the slider to reset the transposition to zero.

Use the Tuning slider to set the overall instrument tuning offset in cents. Touch the tuning value to the left of the slider to reset the tuning offset to zero.

To play the chanter, touch the bar at the top left with your left thumb. This bar is the hole normally on the back of a real chanter and must be covered for the lower notes to play.

Next, touch the top three holes of the chanter starting with the tips of your left index, middle, and ring fingers.

Finally, touch the bottom four holes of the chanter with the tips of your right index, middle, ring, and little fingers.

Touch the "i" to show/hide the live performance controls.

Touch the "?" for on-screen help.

Audio samples for the Säckpipa provided by Jonathan Parker from an instrument made in 1986 by Leif Eriksson.

Drone puck image courtesy of Mike DeSmidt.

## Key features

- Five realistic bagpipe simulations
- Authentic Scottish piping fingerings
- Adjustable transposition and tuning
- Scottish, Irish, and Swedish instrument sets
- iPad optimized interface

## Recent user reviews (10 of 13)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bagpipes-pro/id475512001/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Sound options

*2016-04-16*

I'm not a piper, but I think this app needs a closed fingering option (one finger off the chanter at a time). Also, this app needs the Bohemian bock, Northumbrian smallpipes, and kaba gaida as sound options. Thanks!

### 1/5 — Bagpipes

*2015-05-12, version 2.0*

I have over a dozen musical instrument apps. All are straightforward to use. This one was incomprehensible and 
defeated me totally. Greatly disappointed.

### 1/5 — Difficult

*2014-11-15*

App usually crashes before I can use it.  This problem has been persistent for months.

### 1/5 — Rubbish

*2014-05-22, version 2.0*

Totally rubbish app, can't even get through the two bars if rowan tree without app turning itself off. 
Can't do any movements without app turning itself off. 
Thumb positioning is ridiculous and sound quality is abysmal.
Absolute waste of money!!!!

### 1/5 — Crashes

*2014-04-15*

This app is unplayable, due to the fact that it crashes every time I try to use it.

### 5/5 — Very realistic app.

*2014-01-14*

This app (along with the uilleann pipe app too) is about as close to the real thins as an app get get. The only two critiques I have are that 
1. the drones aren't fully in tune. You can really notice it on "room" mode with no echo.
And 
2. The area for the thumb should definitely be bigger and/or more sensitive. My biggest problem while playing on this app is that sometimes (because my thumb is only touching the iPad with the skinnier outer edge rather than with the part normally used to play the actual pipes) the iPad screen has a tough time detecting my finger in that small area. My thumb is never outside that area, but it continues to have trouble picking it up.
Anyway, great app overall. Maybe you can include these in your next update.

### 5/5 — Excellent value

*2012-09-15, version 2.0*

This is a great little app. Obviously no substitute for a practice chanter and the tricky part is keeping your fingering accurate on a smooth screen. However, I got the knack quite quickly and I think this has real potential as an additional practice tool. Particularly helpful for trying to learn tunes without disturbing the family.

Given that electronic chanters/pipes cost approximately 100 times as much as this app, it really is very good value.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an additional practice tool.

### 3/5 — Great sounds, but keeps shutting off

*2012-07-09*

I love the sounds I get with this app.  The fingering is easy and I can get the grace notes just like on a real bagpipe.  Unfortunately it tends to shut off at random times and sometimes will exit the program for no apparent reason.  I hope there's a fix for that in a future update. Other than that its great.

### 5/5 — Great

*2012-04-21, version 1.0*

Really good but hard to get used to overall great app!

### 2/5 — bagpipes royale

*2012-03-24, version 1.0*

sounds great , when it works which is quiet rare needs bugs fixing

## Frequently asked questions about Bagpipes Pro

### What bagpipe types are included in Bagpipes Pro?

Bagpipes Pro features five authentic sounding sets: Great Highland Scottish Bagpipes, Scottish Border Pipes, Scottish Smallpipes, Irish Uillean Pipes, and Swedish Säckpipa. Each offers a distinct sound and playing experience.

### Can I adjust the sound of the bagpipes in Bagpipes Pro?

Yes, you can transpose the instrument up to +/- one octave in semitone increments and tune it up to +/- 50 cents using the provided sliders. This allows for a personalized playing experience.

### What devices is Bagpipes Pro compatible with?

Bagpipes Pro is designed specifically for the iPad. Users should ensure their iPad supports the app for optimal performance and the intended multi-finger gameplay.

### How do I play the chanter in Bagpipes Pro?

Playing the chanter involves covering the hole at the top left with your left thumb for lower notes. Then, use your left index, middle, and ring fingers for the top three holes, and your right index, middle, ring, and little fingers for the bottom four holes.

### Does Bagpipes Pro have ads?

Bagpipes Pro does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it offers an uninterrupted musical experience without any ad interruptions.

### How often is Bagpipes Pro updated?

The latest version of Bagpipes Pro is 4.7, last updated on July 7, 2025. Updates typically include improvements and refinements to enhance the user experience and instrument realism.

### What is the price of Bagpipes Pro?

Bagpipes Pro is available for a one-time purchase price of $2.99. This grants you access to all five bagpipe simulations and features without any additional in-app purchases or subscriptions.

### What is the age rating for Bagpipes Pro?

Bagpipes Pro has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for users of all ages, with no mature content present in the application.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.7 — 2025-07-07

Bug fixes

### 4.6 — 2018-07-30

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

Doubled the width of the detect zones to make it easier to play with flatter fingers, more in the traditional style.

For best results when playing with flatter fingers, turn off the on-screen controls.

### 4.5 — 2018-07-27

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 4.4 — 2018-06-01

Additional chromatic notes available using standard fingerings. Can now play all the instruments in either major or minor modes.

### 4.3 — 2018-05-28

Fixed wavering GHB drone.

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## More apps by Michael Eskin

- [Concertina - Anglo Concertina](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/concertina-anglo-concertina/id343270484)
- [Regulators for Uilleann Pipes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/regulators-for-uilleann-pipes/id348529289)
- [JustDrones - Tunable Just Intonation Drones](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/justdrones-tunable-just-intonation-drones/id348861427)
- [Englitina - English Concertina](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/englitina-english-concertina/id349451473)
- [Uilleann - Pocket Irish Pipes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uilleann-pocket-irish-pipes/id353684178)
- [Canntina - MacCann Concertina](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canntina-maccann-concertina/id360579654)

All apps by Michael Eskin: https://appshunter.io/developer/342739369

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-05.*