Shuttle pipes are a kind of bagpipes named after the special drones they use to create harmony. Unlike the long, tube-like drones found on most bagpipes, shuttle pipes use a shuttle drone. This drone is a tube that holds folded tubes inside. Each folded tube ends with a slot covered by a sliding piece called a "shuttle." Moving the shuttle changes how far air travels through the tube, which adjusts the pitch of the note to make it higher or lower.

Like other bagpipes, shuttle pipes have a chanter, which is used to play the melody. Some modern shuttle pipes use the same fingerings as the Great Highland Bagpipes, making it easier for Highland bagpipers to play them. The bag of modern shuttle pipes can be inflated either by blowing into a pipe or by using bellows.

Shuttle pipes were first made in the second half of the 16th century, possibly in France, and were influenced by an instrument called the Rackett. They were popular during the 17th and 18th centuries. Early shuttle pipes were likely played with bellows, as shown in a 1618 book called Syntagma Musicum by Michael Praetorius. A French version of shuttle pipes, called the musette de cour, was also shown in a painting by Anthony van Dyck from the 1630s. This instrument was said to be played by King Louis XIV of France. Interest in shuttle pipes declined in the 19th century, and they were nearly forgotten by the early 20th century. However, they were rediscovered in the 1980s and are now used in traditional and popular music to provide a bagpipe sound that is not too loud for certain settings.