The Hümmelchen is a smaller, soft renaissance bagpipe. My model is a relatively free reconstruction after M Praetorius’ drawing from the book Syntagma Musicum (Wölfenbüttel,1519). The instruments’ chanter is similar to a curved-horn in both sound and construction (but not in appearance, it is not curved) it is cylindrical drilled and the sound is produced by a relatively large double reed.

The drones are usually tuned in fifths but even octave tuning is possible, or as a student model with only one drone.

Contrary to all my other bagpipes the Hümmelchen is played with recorder fingering, The chanter is diatonic, but some semi-tones also work. There is an additional choice of a special capsule-system which makes it possible to play directly on the chanter, like a sort of ”mini” shawn(an older type of oboe).

Four different chanters are available:

• Soprano C/F, (c-d')
• Soprano D/G, (d-e´)
• sopranino F, (e' - f'')
• Alto F/B, (F-g)