The Uilleann pipes in the key of D made by Seth Gallagher
Daniel plays a Nick Whitmer set with a Chris Dixon bag and bellows. The Seth Gallagher set is shown for demonstrative purposes only.
Description of the Uilleann Pipes:
The uilleann (pronounced "ill-en") pipes are a complex, bellows-blown bagpipe native to Ireland and are the heart and soul of traditional Irish music; their development dating back to pre-famine Ireland in the early 1700's. They were developed from the bellows-blown pastoral pipes which probably originated in the border region of Scotland and England. A set of uilleann pipes (called "union pipes" or the "Irish organ" at the time) can be seen being played in the film Master and Commander on the deck of the ship, right after the "lesser of two weevils" scene. This is quite authentic, seeing as the movie takes place during the Napoleonic wars (1803-1815). Perhaps this info is a bit of a digression, but it is interesting, no? The term "union pipes" did not begin being replaced by the term "uilleann pipes" until the early 1900's.
What makes the uilleann pipes both complex and complicated is their ability to play two chromatic octaves (something that very few forms of bagpipes can do) by overblowing (applying more pressure on the bag) and by the addition of keys on the chanter (the melody part of the instrument). Because of their range, the uilleann pipes are able to be used in a wide assortment of styles and in different genres, although traditional Irish music is most conducive. For example, piper Jerry O'Sullivan has played and recorded Baroque era pieces, while piper Davy Spillane and others have recorded both Celtic rock, and "new age" type music. Daniel Hendrix himself has even enjoyed playing bluegrass pieces on the pipes from time to time, though not very often (he focuses on traditional Irish tunes)!
The uilleann pipes are also unique because of the regulators, which are three (sometimes more) keyed pipes that connect to the bag. You can see the regulators in the picture above. The three pipes on the top are the bass, baritone, and tenor regulators. This part of the instrument only plays when you press a key (or keys), and it allows the piper to play chords or rhythm along with the melody (played on the chanter), Daniel's set only has one regulator, the baritone regulator.
Underneath the regulators reside the drones, which are three pipes (sometimes more) that provide a continual sound in the key in which the pipes are made. For instance, in Daniel's Nick Whitmer set in the key of D, the drones sound the D note in three octaves. Just like the regulators, the drones consist of bass, baritone, and tenor. The drones can be switched on and off with a switch located on the main stock, or switched off individually.
The uilleann pipes are mellow, indoors instruments that are conducive to playing with fiddles, whistles, and many other types of instruments. The tone of the uilleann pipes is sweet and haunting, with some being more mellow than others, depending on reed adjustment or which key they are tuned to. Also, because they are played with the chanter rested against the knee so that notes are only played when a finger is lifted, the Irish pipes are able to play staccato notes. This allows for much variety and ornamentation.
For more complete information concerning the uilleann pipes, please click here to go to wikipedia's article on the pipes.
Daniel also plays the Irish low whistle:
My Irish low whistle made by Calmont Music of Great Britain
"For anyone familiar with the tin whistle (also called the pennywhistle), the low whistle is based on the same principal and same design, and also is played with the same fingering (albeit, with the pads of the fingers, not the fingertips, just like on the uilleann pipes). It has a mellow, warm tone with a bit of a raspy quality, similar to a Pratten-style Irish flute. I play mostly slow tunes on the low whistle, although I can play faster tunes upon request. The reason I have stayed away from learning many fast tunes is that I have spent so much time on the pipes that I have not learned many fast tunes on this! For more information about the my low whistle and whistles in general, click here to go to a page on the Chiff and Whistle website. My whistle is towards the bottom of that page. I can also play the tin whistle upon request."
Photo of uilleann pipes taken from http://uilleann.com/pipes.html