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Today’s post comes from our newest BagpipeLessons.com Studio contributor Dr. Simon McKerrell -- piper, composer, and professor. For more about Dr. McKerrell, scroll down to read his piping bio. I'm thrilled to have Dr. McKerrell as a contributor to the Studio. I hope you'll enjoy his unique perspective as a top-class competitive piper, world-touring folk musician, academic researcher, and expert historian of the pipes. Dr. McKerrell teaches at Newcastle University and wrote a detailed paper called "Some notes on the bagpipes" for his students. He's graciously shared it exclusively with us here at the Studio. It answers many questions pipers have about their instrument and it's history. Questions answered include: Where and when did the pipes originate? When did we get the third drone? Were pipes really banned? How was modern piping shaped by the Scottish military regiments?  And many more... Some notes on the bagpipes, a guide for Newcastle University Students (October, 2011) Bagpipes Bag-pipe: A bag ...