Peeves About How Tunes Are Played

In the playing of music, I’ve encountered those who gain speed in coming across a dotted quarter note such as in “The Dream Valley of Glendaruel.” After stopping a chanter practice at that point, to say that this note must be given two beats, I heard someone say, “a dotted quarter note has the value of one and a half beats.”

This was a wise answer, because that is what he had been taught. But, how does one count that extra half beat? The time given to the dot must fall into the next beat of course! Some will continue to have difficulty understanding the need to hold a dotted quarter note for two beats. With practice, everyone will eventually accept the right way, assisted by a teacher’s kind instruction. Beginners learn easily, knowing their teacher is striving to help them to improve. Long-time players on the other hand, are often engrained in sloppy habits and find it difficult to make the changes that will improve not only their playing but that of the band.

Some believe that to be able to play a tune fast causes them to be recognized for their excellence in playing. Inaccuracies because of speed can have the opposite effect. A tune such as “The Black Bear Hornpipe” for instance, should not be played fast, but instead, with clarity, articulation, distinction and precision of time. One should hear the introductory notes and appreciate the emphasis given to the two quarter notes at the beginning. From there on, there is a beautiful cadence emphasized by the drum section. The second part can become a jumble of notes if care is not taken to enunciate them. In contrast, when that part is well played it’s as if the music is being lifted into the air by the drum section.

And what is it that gives music its quality that makes a person want to listen? It’s a nice melody with excellent timing, on a well-tuned instrument, having notes emphasized, which are on the beat. If two pipers are playing together, then they should be listening intently to one another, to sound as one, being in tune with one another. Correct pressure on the bag assures that this is so. Insufficient pressure by one player will cause his notes to be flat and out of tune. This is a pet peeve, for I’ve played alongside pipers who are not inclined to keep proper pressure on their pipe bags or listen to the piper next to them, consequently losing quality in their playing and in their time. It’s not enjoyable to play with this kind of piper and less enjoyable to be a listener.

I particularly don’t like to hear pipers playing a six-eight march without emphasizing the beat notes, but instead, sliding downwards, always giving the third and sixth notes the emphasis that should be on the first and fourth notes. It would make all the difference in the world to hear the tune played with every beat sounding like clockwork. I have similar thoughts for the tune, “Highland Laddie,” which is a two-four march. In the second part, the tune is lifted up by emphasizing the beat notes rather than sliding downwards to give emphasis on the third and sixth notes.

Whenever I hear and watch the two retreats that are commonly played together, namely, “The Green Hills of Tyrol” and “When the Battle’s Over,” I am disturbed to observe the whole band out of step. These retreats and many more have been incorrectly written and adopted to begin with the left foot on the two introductory notes. Any suggestion that the band should play them correctly is met with the retort that all bands play them like that, so one band should be ready to play with another. Besides, I am assured by their pipe-majors, that the arrangements for side drum would have to be changed. However, the retreat, “Kilworth Hills,” has been written properly and adopted, so its drumbeats could be used for “The Green Hills.” There is another good reason to play these retreats properly and that is that when they are played properly in a medley, the next tune will fall naturally into step. It won’t otherwise.

I have another pet peeve about the playing of pipe music. It pertains to “The Flower of Scotland.” Arrangements are being played that detract from this beautiful anthem. I secured the composer’s permission to write it as he did, and it is in “More Songs of Scotland,” volume 12B of The Church Piper.” It should begin with three introductory notes. Then, “Scot-land” should fall first on the left foot and then the right, with the “turn-arounds,” falling on the right foot and the long-sounding notes on the left. Arrangers have done nothing but spoil this outstandingly beautiful piece of music, which is in actuality, one of Scotland’s National Anthems.

These are some of my pet peeves about the way in which pipers play carelessly. If you have pet peeves, they will be welcome, not for the sake of making negative comments, but to bring these weaknesses to the attention of pipers who will make a difference by helping those who need help. In a similar way, we can expect to comment positively on what we really enjoy about playing in the band.

Pet Peeves About Writing Pipe Music

In general, pipers are enthusiastic musicians, yet some are satisfied while writing their own music by hand, to bring down the tails on the right side of the note. Because this isn’t the way pipe music is presented in books, the suggestion was made to a stalwart elderly piper-teacher that the tails should go on the left of the note. His reply was that his way was preferred because he was “writing” music and not “printing” it.

The lesson I learned was to excuse myself and allow his obstinence to overrule. At least, he was accepting that all the tails in bagpipe music are drawn downwards to accommodate space for embellishments.

There are comparatively few today that write their music by hand, but will use a computer. It is because of the incorrect spacing of notes for which I have a pet peeve. I am peeved because it’s the responsibility of the music writer to see that the notes are properly spaced and assure that some are not squeezed into a space that’s too small for their value. Most pipers who write music should acknowledge that the bar designates a unit of time and it should be divided according to the time signature. For two-four and six-eight marches, as well as six-four marches, bars should be divided in half and for retreats it’s three, just as they are in nine-eight marches. The unit should be divided in four for four-four marches. Significantly, one should be able to see at a glance that dotted notes, quarter notes, and half notes have the space they require. One could be enabled to sight-read much more easily. It is because there are many who use the computer to write out the music for their pipe bands, and do not conform to the need to space the notes to facilitate sight-reading, that I have this pet peeve.

Another method by which sight-reading could be aided considerably, but isn’t, is to have the beams slanting up or down- grade according to the ascending or descending nature of the notes. In most programs, all the beams are horizontal, and this doesn’t suggest either an up or down trend in a melody. It certainly would help.

Lastly, when writing music, one should provide first endings with a closure, while extending the line for second endings. This brings up another pet peeve in that much of pipe music requires first and second endings and yet they are not written as they should be. Proper writing requires an understanding of what is correct and what isn’t. Much of our band music has been written with repeat signs indicating that one is to repeat all that is written between them, including the introduction. The correct method is to put the repeat sign after the introductory notes, which will be included in the first ending. On repeating, the second ending should include the introductory notes for the second part, and so on throughout the tune. My peeves are that those who are writing the band’s music don’t understand that there are definite rules for writing and if they were followed, the music would be much easier to sight-read.

Another peeve is that an error incorporated into the writing of three-four retreats has been carried out from teacher to student ad-infinitum. It causes those tunes to be played out of step, and prevents a pipe major from assigning a three-four as the introductory tune in a medley; but this will be discussed in a subsequent blog.

Electronic Bagpipes

I have recently become aware of electronic bagpipes.  To me they don't sound authentic and the positioning doesn't look comfortable.  Maybe this is a valid solution for people who want to practice but live in an apartment.  If any of you have had experience with these please let me know.  One model is demonstrated in the video below.  Do you know of other makes and models?

A Raging Prairie Fire

Can you imagine living and ranching on the western prairie and witnessing a raging prairie fire forced by the wind, approaching and devouring everything in its path, fed by tall prairie grasses and bush.  Your home and those of your neighbors are the inevitable victims, along with all your personal belongings and your livestock.  You can’t just stand there watching the advancing smoke and flames in the distance and do nothing.  If you have disking equipment you will hitch it to your tractor and be out there making a firebreak.  You’ll enlist all your friends around to do what they can too, with wet sacks, and you will call the municipal offices to send their graders, bulldozers and fire trucks.

This was the experience in October, for our nephew and his parents who are ranchers along the west side of Lake Manitoba.  He told us about the horrifying four days that he and his fellow ranchers spent fighting the flames that were threatening their homes, buildings and livestock.  On the first day, they were instructed by the fire marshal to stop work because bears would be forced ahead of the fire and would be in a frenzied state, likely to attack anyone they encountered.  In the following days and nights, everyone worked feverishly, grading, bulldozing and fighting the fire with water hoses from municipal fire trucks. 

Our nephew witnessed many small animals being devoured by the fire while attempting to keep ahead of the flames and smoke.  Birds flying above would plummet from the sky.  Those in the midst of choking smoke could barely see because their eyes were smarting.  With their lungs polluted by smoke, breathing was painful.  While they fought the flames that arose here and there, our nephew’s wife was emptying belongings of value from her in-law’s home and loading them into a farm truck.  At her own home, she put prize pigeons into cages and loaded them as well.  They were the evidence of years of devoted care and breeding, and were recognized by pigeon fanciers far and wide.  She also rounded up cattle and horses and led them to the roadway out of the fire’s way.  You can imagine our nephew’s deep appreciation for his dear wife’s thoughtfulness in trying to save what was near and dear to him.

On the fourth day, everyone was worn out and suffering from smoke inhalation.  The fire was within a quarter mile of our nephew’s folk’s home when the wind subsided and a light rain came, followed by a heavy downpour.  The fire was quenched.  The reaction of those who stood there watching, was “Thank God for that!  We could have lost everything!”  Though our nephew stated that he doesn’t consider himself a religious person, he does, nevertheless, admit that there has to be Someone up there who cares for us and has control over things that are beyond our abilities.