The Cabrette is a bellows blown bagpipe from the Auvergne region of central France, the chanter and the drone stem parallel from the same stock and are both reeded with a double reed. The scale is old with a flat third and a sharp seventh.

This cabrette was restored by Bernard Blanc, a fine pipe maker from the Montagne Bourbonnaise in the northeastern part of the Auvergne; and he reluctantly sold it to me saying: “ You know, this bagpipe is made to play only Auvergnat repertoire…” So, I don't play it with PMF, but it's one of my favourite instruments.

Serge Laîné

Links: Musiques Traditionnelles en Auvergne, Bagpipe World

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