The skirl of the bagpipes is either music to the ears or a heart-sinkingly tedious screech. And the range of bagpipe tunes heard on street corners or played by marching bands can be so repetitious that most Scots know every note of Highland Cathedral, Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace.

To remedy this, the National Piping Centre will celebrate its tenth anniversary today by introducing its answer to the Eurovision Song Contest to find new classic bagpipe tunes.

It hopes that its international search will produce a tune to march, dance or even punch the air to as the national side notches up yet another stirring triumph.

Budding composers have until July 1 to produce a four-part 6/8 march for the Great Highland bagpipe, and the winner will be announced on July 21.

Like the Eurovision Song Contest, triumphing in the search is about kudos rather than cash. With a relatively modest cheque for only £500 on offer, the real prize is that the winning tune will be played by The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland on the opening day of next year's Piping Live! festival in Glasgow.

Organisers said that selecting a new tune would show how the National Piping Centre has helped the musical form to progress since it opened its doors in 1998. It now provides more than 10,000 lessons a year to students from 45 countries.

Roddy MacLeod, the centre's principal who will chair the judging panel, said: “Our ambitions at the centre were always to promote excellence in piping and celebrate the traditions of the instrument while encouraging people to push the boundaries and use what they have learnt to help the music evolve and capture the imagination of future generations. I hope that this competition to find a new piping tune will unearth some really interesting new work and talent.”

In Scotland, bagpipes were originally a military instrument but, over the past century, they have been played increasingly for pleasure and entertainment. Piping has been transformed as bands have strayed from their traditional roots to absorb rock and pop influences, while contemporary artists, including AC/DC, Sting and, more recently, the White Stripes, have featured the pipes.

Stuart Cassells, 29, a graduate of the National Piping Centre, now plays in the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, a band with a unique brand of “bagrock”. He said the innovative piping now being championed by young musicians could throw up some interesting results for the competition.

“The new wave of pipers have been mingling with other instruments and have a different approach,” he said. “They do not think in terms of the pipes being played as a solo instrument.

“One of my favourites to play is our arrangement of Coldplay's Clocks. Everyone in the band, from the keyboard player to the guitarist, makes a contribution, while the pipes come in and out. Another one we have started doing in a similar style is Teardrop, by Massive Attack.”

Mr Cassells, who has played with the Darkness, and featured on the soundtrack to the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, added: “Piping wasn't very audience-friendly in the past - pipers would turn away and do their own thing - but the new generation have learned some stagecraft.”

Kyle Warren, 20, pipe major with the National Youth Pipe Band, said he was looking forward to playing the new tune.

“It is important to keep progressing,” he said. “Traditional tunes are great - everything stems from them, and we need them for participating in competition - but it's good to add to the repertoire.

“We need people to enjoy the music, because more will be inspired to play.”

Linda Fabiani, the Scottish Culture Minister, who will present the winning composer with their cheque, said: “I urge musicians across Scotland and beyond to take up the challenge.”

Submissions should be sent to: Robert Churchill, The National Piping Centre, 30-34 McPhater Street, Glasgow G4 OHW.

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