Modern Pipe Band Drums

[Nathan]

Nathan, I think that's partly due to needing to get 5, 10, 20 pipers all playing the same tune at the same time to sound like one big bagpipe. Imagine trying to get the same number of fiddlers, singers or whistle players to do the same (sounding like one instrument/voice instead of 20) using the same embellishments, etc.

Sure, to a certain extent, especially regarding ornaments, but I've seen mass fiddlers 100+ at the Glendale concert and group Gaelic singing at milling frolics and the rhythm is fundamentally different. I actually think it has more to do with the fact that the bands themselves (and the soldiers they help to keep in step in a military context) are marching. This pushes the down beats to align with the body rhythm of walking rather than facilitating the dancing that jigs, reels and strathspeys were composed to motivate originally.