App Shopper: Säckpipa - Swedish Bagpipes (Music)

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Mar 12 '12	$2.99 -> Free
Nov 11 '11	$1.99 -> $2.99
Jul 15 '11	$2.99 -> $1.99
Jun 15 '11	Free -> $2.99
Apr 24 '11	$.99 -> Free
Apr 23 '11	$4.99 -> $.99
Apr 20 '11	New App: $4.99, v1.0

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Säckpipa - Swedish Bagpipes

iOS iPad

Säckpipa is an authentic sounding set of traditional Swedish Bagpipes for the iPad.

The Säckpipa is a simple mouth blown bagpipe with a single drone and a lovely, haunting sound. Check out the video on the website and you'll see exactly what I mean.

The chanter fingerings are based on those used for the real instrument.

You may choose between playing in major or minor scales in the most popular keys of D/G or E/A.

The left half of the chanter image is for the "top" chanter hand, the right half is the "bottom" chanter hand.

The bar at the bottom center is the left thumb hole that is on the back of a real chanter.

You may perform finger vibrato for expression on most notes with the middle finger of the right hand. Vibrato depth is adjustable with the on-screen control.

Touch the drone in the background painting to start/stop the drone.

Touch the Stop sign at the lower right corner of the screen to stop all sounds.

Touch the 'i' icon at the upper right corner of the screen to show/hide the on-screen controls. All settings are saved and restored the next time the app is run.

Touch the '?' icon at the lower left corner of the screen to show/hide the on-screen help and fingering chart.

Chanter image based on a beautiful Kingwood instrument built by Seth Hamon at www.swedishbagpipes.com.

Audio samples provided by Jonathan Parker from a D/G säckpipa, made in 1986 by Leif Eriksson.

On the real Säckpipa, you need to keep your left thumb covering the back chanter hole for all notes except the highest one. On the app, the back chanter hole is provided by the gray bar (lights up green) at the bottom of the screen under your left thumb. If you aren't hearing any different notes, make sure your left thumb is on the bar.

Next, touch the bar at the bottom with your left thumb, and touch the left half of the chanter starting with the tips of your left index, middle, and ring fingers. Next touch the right half of the chanter with the tips of your right index, middle, ring, and little fingers. The tips of the fingers must be used, not the flats.

You may play along with music tracks on your iPad by starting them in the iPod app, then launching Säckpipa.

For those who already own one of my other Bagpipes (Bagpipes, Border Pipes, Smallpipes) apps for the iPad, selecting either of the major key options gives a scale compatible with Scottish Highland chanter fingerings.

Thank you to Mike DeSmidt and Jonathan Parker for their support in the development of this app and first introducing me to the Säckpipa!

If you enjoy this app, please check out my other authentic sounding bagpipes apps for the iPad:

Bagpipes - Great Highland Scottish Bagpipes

BorderPipes - Scottish Border Pipes

SmallPipes - Scottish Smallpipes

Uilleann - Irish Uilleann Bagpipes concert pitch set in D

Uilleann-B - Irish Uilleann Bagpipes flat set in B

Q: I have an iPad with iOS5 and the sound stops when I put four fingers on the screen.

A: Go into the iPad Settings app, and disable the "Multitasking Gestures" feature. This feature creates issues for all apps like mine that use more than 3 fingers on the screen at a time.

Q: I'm not hearing any sound, help!

A: Make sure that the mute switch on your device is turned off.