A ditty for music readers

[Major Thom]

Here is a nice little ditty for those of you that can read music, and to show you how Bagpipe music scores differ from normal music scores, see if you ca work this out to play.

[Brian Yare]

Rather too many grace notes for me. My fingers don't move that fast these days.

[Major Thom]

I thought you might come back on this Brian, one of the only forum members who can tell grace notes from birls, grips, throw on "D" and doublings. I will tell you something those Selbie Drone reeds are perfect.

For people that cannot read music they will not have a clue on the timings of these movements. Some may say they are half notes, in which case why not replace a crotchet with a quaver?

[HEPZIBAH]

... throw on "D" and doublings. ...

What are you going to throw on Dusak, and why are you going to do it twice?

[HEPZIBAH]

Here is a nice little ditty for those of you that can read music, ...

I'm curious. Why do you call it a ditty? There are no lyrics attached so surely it is purely a piece of music.

[Major Thom]

No!!! ha ha!!! a throw on D is a strike across the chanter and an C grace note nothing to do with Dusak but funny though! I call it a ditty because the original was not wrote for the pipes, if you look the sheet is for Wooden Heart the old Elvis song and yes in its days it was a masterpiece. There are no words because its hard to sing and play the pipes at the same time, however it has been suggested that if I put the blowpipe in a certain area of my anatomy and blow, it would be possible to sing along. The problem is i am not a veggie so would soon run out of air.

I have the harmony music for Amazing Grace, played it and recorded it to CD, now with the aid of speakers and an amplifier can play the lead along with the harmony, it sounds great. Tonight playing some Irish Tunes for some visitors renting close, so donning the kilt the and going to have a good time I hope. Don't know how The Fields of Athenry, The Masons Apron, Danny Boy and Dublin in the Rare old Times will go down with Egyptian food

[carrie]

Love the pipes MT but glad I don't live too close, what time is all this taking place?
A friend of mine (Scottish) has just returned to the UK, never thought of you we had a party for her but it would have been nice if we could have borrowed a CD to play for her, very sad to leave she was but it might have made her feel a little happier hearing the sounds of her homeland.

[HEPZIBAH]

No!!! ha ha!!! a throw on D is a strike across the chanter and an C grace note nothing to do with Dusak but funny though!

Well I'm sure you can see why I was confused. The use of the initial D (with or without quotation or speech marks) so regularly in pieces, without the first use of full form to the allow for the abbreviation, is generally a reference to Dusak so I took it to be so here.

Did you perform with your bagpipes yesterday? Afterall, it was International Bagpipe Day.

[Major Thom]

I know it was, I am a member of Bagpipe Master and get new tunes every week to learn, it was not until joining I realised there was such a day. I played last night for 5 people staying close to me, who were across from the Red Sea for 4 nights. I was a little worried because I had not played Irish tunes for ages, but in the end it went ok!
What has made a difference is that a forum member brought across for me some new reeds, they are so easy to tune and play.