A Piper’s Tribute: How to Choose Bagpipe Tunes for a Funeral
There is never a good time for a funeral. Nor is it ever easy to make decisions that come with saying goodbye - especially when choosing the right tunes to honour the person you have lost.
I’ve stood at many funerals, each one heavy in its own way, and none easier than the last. I’ve come to understand how the right music — especially when played on the bagpipes — can shape a goodbye just as powerfully as any spoken tribute. Let the pipes speak when words fall short.
If you have decided to hire a piper, whether it be myself or one of my kinsmen, I have taken the time write this article to help guide you in deciding what tunes may be fitting for the solemn day.
The funeral of the late Eileen Kelly, piping out the procession of her coffin at the Kilcoy Catholic Church.
Firstly, a Disclaimer
Before I continue, there is a few limitations on what can be done with bagpipes in terms of song requests. Unfortunately, the bagpipes are limited to only nine notes - meaning that most modern songs cannot be played on the bagpipes.
For example:
Danny Boy
Loch Lomond
Braveheart Theme
There are several reasons why I choose not play these and others in a similar predicament. Although they are lovely songs (when sung) or as tunes when played on other instruments, if I were to play them on the bagpipes I would have to substitute notes in for different ones. I don’t have access to any sharps and only 4 flats (B♭ and A♭, each across two octaves), preventing me or any piper for that matter from perfecting transposing most modern songs into Standard Bagpipe Notation.
Therefore, I choose not to play these requests, not out of disregard, but out of respect—for the music, the composer, and the integrity of both the original work and the bagpipes themselves. The instrument simply wasn’t designed to play such tunes as they were originally written. I am perfectly aware that there is somebody on YouTube that will play it, but never to a standard that is considered acceptable among accomplished pipers.
Instead, I offer a diverse array of solemn tunes that I promise will give your family member a fitting and dignified departure.
Selection of Tunes
Below is a list of the most common bagpipe tunes played for funerals
If you are a piper reading this and would like to suggest any further additions to this list, please contact me and I make the update.
Slow Airs (solemn and graceful):
Amazing Grace
The Water is Wide
Hector the Hero
The Dark Island
Mull of Kintyre
The Rowan Tree
Flower of Scotland
Abide with Me
Going Home
Marches (played steadily):
Auld Lang Syne
Highland Cathedral
Scotland the Brave/The Black Bear
Waltzing Matilda
A Scottish Soldier (Green Hills of Tyrol)
Military Personnel:
Flowers of the Forest (The Lament)
What is a Slow Air?
A slow air is a solemn, graceful melody traditionally played with deep emotional expression. Unlike dancing tunes (strathspeys, reels, etc), slow airs are not tied to a strict tempo and are often performed with rubato—allowing the player to subtly stretch or compress timing for expressive effect. Hymns such as Amazing Grace and Abide with Me are considered slow airs.
These tunes often evoke a sense of reflection, longing, or remembrance, making them especially fitting for memorials, ceremonies, or moments of personal significance. In piping, slow airs allow the instrument’s natural sustain and tone to shine through, bringing out the richness of each note.
What is a March?
When you think of a march you would automatically think a street parade - and you would be right. That is exactly what it is. A march is a type of tune composed with a steady, regular rhythm intended to accompany a marching band, such as a brass band or pipe band with drums. For pipers, marches are an essential part of our repertoire and often the first tunes we learn, and the ones we know the best. I will explain why these are an essential part of a funeral service below.
Flowers of the Forest, otherwise known as “The Lament"
This is a special tune that is reserved for service people and military personnel only. Myself and other pipers alike reserve the right to play this slow air for only those who have served either their state and/or country. This is a highly respected tune and is treated with such reverence that pipers will not play it casually or in practice, similar to The Last Post.
“Flowers of the Forest” is played only on occasions of deep sorrow and remembrance. It is not just a tune—it is a musical tribute, a moment of silence in sound, and a final act of honor for those who have passed.”
Choosing the tunes
If you have decided that you would like to employ my service specifically, I have a written document for you embedded at the bottom of this article that you can download and print to share with your friends and family when you are deciding on tunes.
What tunes would be best for your service?
For most funeral services, there are a few opportunities where it would be appropriate for a piper to play.
The main service
The Procession (start of the service)
Depending on what your family desires, a piper can process or lead the coffin into the chapel/church or hall, usually down the centre of the congregation at the start of the service.
This is generally uncommon, and I would advise against it for small buildings and low ceilings (extremely loud on the ears). However, for larger buildings and high ceilings, I would absolutely recommend it for the incredible acoustics (especially on hardwood floors).
Either a slow air or march can be played here, depending on the tone that you desire (heroic celebration or a more sorrow approach)
During the Ceremony
Directors can reserve a specific section during the service where the piper can play a slow air as an act of remembrance. For service people, the Flowers of the Forest is played here.
The Recession (end of the service)
At the conclusion of the main service, the coffin will be pall-beared (carried out) or escorted out of the chapel/church/hall via a church trolley. A piper may play and lead the pall-bearers out of the chapel, but the same applies as the procession (low ceiling and loud).
The piper may alternatively play at the threshold of the building outside as the coffin is brought out.
The piper will guide the pall-bearers to the hearse located nearby and continue to play until all the congregation has exited the church and gathered around the hearse.
Either a slow air or march can be played depending on the desired tone.
The Departure of the Hearse (for Cremation)
If your loved-one is to be cremated, this is where they will make their final departure.
I have coined this tradition as the Lone Piper’s Departure, also known as the Lone Piper’s Lament. In essence, the piper would begin to play in front of the hearse when it is ready to depart.
What I like to do personally, is to guide the hearse out to the main road, turn and face it as it drives out, turn and march away in the opposite direction. In a way, the piper guides the departing soul from the corporeal realm and directs them on their way into the beyond - as the sound of the pipes slowly fades away.
The march Auld Lang Syne is my personal favourite, but Amazing Grace can also work its magic here. A march is generally preferred, in consideration of the distance the piper has to march away.
The Graveside Service (for a burial)
If the deceased is to be traditionally buried, there is another order of events. Some funerals may only have a graveside service and some will have both.
The Procession
This procession is to guide the coffin from the hearse to the gravesite. The same will apply by leading the pall-bearers to the plot whilst playing. Depending on the distance, some slow airs may not be compatible, so a march is preferred in this instance.
The piper will continue to play at a distance until the coffin is safely positioned over the grave.
The Final Tribute - the Lowering of the Coffin
Usually involves a final prayer or poem reading, and the coffin will be lowered into the grave.
A piper will accompany the lowering coffin with a slow air in the standing or static position.
This is then followed by dropping rose petals or placing a handful of sand on the coffin.
The Lone Piper’s Departure
This will be the final part of the service. This is where your loved-one will make their final departure.
I have coined this tradition as the Lone Piper’s Departure, also known as the Lone Piper’s Lament. In essence, the piper begins to play standing at the foot of the gravesite, turns and begins to slowly march away. In a way, the piper guides the departing soul from the corporeal realm and directs them on their way into the beyond - as the sound of the pipes slowly fades away.
The march Auld Lang Syne is my personal favourite, but Amazing Grace can also work its magic here. A march is generally preferred, in consideration of the distance the piper has to march away.
Summary and Final Remarks
As a traditional piper, I am always learning and carefully selecting music that truly reflects the spirit of every occasion that I am engaged with.
I can understand that a lot of these tunes may seem foreign to you and can empathise with the sheer level of grief and sorrow that impacts entire families in a big way. If you employ my service and are feeling some uncertainty about choosing which tunes will give your loved-one the most dignifying farewell, you can place your trust in my experienced hands. I have been playing funerals for many years and I can craft a service that truly honours the full life they lived.
If you are employing one of my comrades instead, I hope that my guide can assist you in some way.
*However, the tunes that I have listed above are only the tunes that I personally can offer, whereas another piper may not know some that have been mentioned. If your director has booked a piper on your behalf, ensure that you enquire to have a phone conversation with the piper before to selecting any tunes, in the event that they are unfamiliar with them.
If they are not, a week before (as funerals as normally planned) is usually not enough time to practice and memorise requested tunes from absolute scratch. Therefore you will have to discuss with them their own repertoire and discuss what they have to offer you.
Either way, the bagpipes are really like no other. The instrument’s rich, resonant tone carries a deep sense of tradition, heritage and honour. If you have any questions for me or about the bagpipes at funerals, please get in touch with me.