Hümmelchen by Bagpipe Maker T. Sonoda, Germany

Hümmelchen (German small pipes) is one of the most loved bagpipes in German speaking countries. It can be easily blown and sounds comfortably mild. The fingering is almost like a soprano recorder. Hümmelchen is a very flexible and practical instrument, and you can enjoy wide range of tunes from medieval to modern. Recommendable also for bagpipe beginners and experienced pipers. <Chanter Tonality - click to the sound sample video> Soprano in C Sopranino in high-F Alto in low-F (the sound sample is with extension key for high-A) <Double Chanter model - click to the sound sample and explanaiton video> Sound Sample Explanation - how it works More photos Our basic model is in A=440Hz, with the design of medieval taste. Upon request we can make A=415Hz model, or A=440Hz/415Hz changeable model, for early music fans. We also make classic cane chanter reed for Hümmelchen, which is relatively rare today. Needless to say, we make plastic chanter reed, too.

Hümmelchen 1-drone type	Hümmelchen 2-drone type (with changeable drone system)	Hümmelchen 3-drone type	Hümmelchen Sopranino in high-F (in "gaita" design)
Hümmelchen C-Chanter with high-E extension key (with changeable drone system)	Hümmelchen deluxe model olive wood with pink ivory ring (with changeable drone system)	Double Chanter Hümmelchen with 2 drone pipes (with changeable drone system)

You may choose number of drones from one up to three, with the combination as below: Bass: C/D Baritone: F/G/A Tenor: C/D/E (The underlined tones are possible with optional tuning holes. D and A drone are for D-minor tunes*, which can be played with C-Chanter.) *Because the chanter is basically tuned in "just intonation" in C, slight buzzing in the chanter-drone harmony may happen thepretically, when you play d-minor tune with D-drone for example (especially A tone of the chanter and D-drone). This is caused by "nature law" (not by malfunction of the instrument!). Therefore, in case of more variation of drone combination, you need to accept this slight compromize for this point. However, such a slight buzzing are usually accepted by players and audiences. Of course, if you are an experienced piper, you might be able to minimize such buzzing by regulating air pressure adequately. If you play more in d-minor, we can tune the chanter in just intonation in D.

Drone pipes of A=440Hz/415Hz changeable model, with optional tuning holes.

We offer our standard model Hümmelchen intentionally with a quite low price (almost at the lowest price level among similar products made by European professional bagpipe makers). This is because we do hope that more people can start enjoying his/her first bagpipe with the reasonable budget. But the high quality of our Hümmelchen has been confirmed by many experienced pipers in Europe. Of course, we will stay with you for maintenance and for demand of spare reeds. We can offer also custom order deluxe model with other type of woods (e.g. Plum, African Blackwood, Olive, Boxwood and etc.) or with ornament rings, according to your own preference and budget.