A bagpiper is someone who plays the bagpipes, a musical instrument that makes its distinctive wailing sound by forcing air through pipes. The musician blows air into a bag (traditionally made of animal skin, now often synthetic) tucked under their arm, then squeezes the bag to push that air through several pipes with finger holes and drones that create a constant background hum.

Bagpipes have ancient origins, appearing in cultures across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Today they're most famously associated with Scotland and Ireland, where bagpipers traditionally play at celebrations, military ceremonies, and solemn occasions like funerals. If you've seen a parade with people wearing kilts and playing instruments that sound like a mix between a horn and an accordion, you've encountered a bagpiper.

Learning to play the bagpipes takes serious dedication. The instrument is physically demanding (you're constantly blowing and squeezing), requires precise finger coordination, and produces a sound that can carry a long way. Bagpipers often start by practicing on a chanter, the melody pipe without the bag and drones, before graduating to the full instrument. Despite the challenge, many communities treasure their bagpipers as keepers of musical tradition.