Bagpipe Pipes Piper Musical Instrument Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of several varieties can be found in use throughout Europe, Northern Africa, the Persian Gulf, and the Caucasus. The term is equally correct in the singular or plural, although in the English language, pipers most commonly talk of "pipes."