Home Page | Introduction | History of the Bagpipe | The Great Highland Bagpipe | Getting Started | Buying a Bagpipe | Buying Supplies | Music of the Bagpipe | Bagpipe Competitions | EUSPBA | Conclusion | References/Bibliography
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When learning to play the bagpipes, a student will quickly realize that the Great Highland Bagpipe has a wide variety of musical styles. Although the bagpipe is only capable of playing nine notes, composers have created literally thousands of tunes for the pipes. The music of the Great Highland Bagpipe can be divided into two major types: ceol mor and ceol beag. Ceol mor is a Gaelic term, and it can be translated as "big music" or "great music." Ceol beag is also a Gaelic term, and it can be translated as "little music" or, more commonly, "light music." [11] Ceol mor consists of music called "piobaireachd." Ceol beag consists of marches, strathspeys, reels, jigs, hornpipes, and airs. Piobaireachd is typically played solo, though there are a few recordings of bands playing piobaireachd. Light music can be played either solo or with a pipe band. In addition, light music is often played with a mix of other musical instruments. Figure 8 contains examples of the different styles of music of the bagpipe.
Ceol MorPiobaireachd was the first type of music to be played on the Great Highland Bagpipe. The word, piobaireachd, translates to "piping." This is due to the fact that it was originally the only type of music played on the pipes. Unlike light music, piobaireachd was created to be played solely on the Highland Bagpipe. This style of music has been around for several centuries. Student pipers that are used to playing and hearing modern music will find that learning to play piobaireachd is quite a bit different. Piobaireachd is "non-mensural." This means that the piper does not count time when playing, and there is no regular beat. [11] For Westerners raised on 4/4 rock and roll music, this can be quite a surprise. Piobaireachd is learned basically as a series of musical phrases. These phrases are not tied together in the typical measures that most music utilizes (though piobaireachd is typically written in standard musical notation). Publishers often disagree on the best format to write piobaireachd on a musical score, as it is not very suited to standard music notation. The reason that piobaireachd is not suited to written notation is that it was originally learned through oral tradition. An entire language has been created to describe the notes, gracings, and embellishments. This language is known as "canntaireachd." Canntaireachd. Although typical European music was able to be expressed in written notation, there was not a notation system in the Highlands of Scotland. Instead of relying on written music, teachers instructed their pupils using an oral tradition. The language created to express piobaireachd is canntaireachd. Teachers would sing to their students, and thus teach them the proper phrasing without relying on written music or a rhythmic beat. The instructors would teach both the notes and phrasing at the same time using this language. For several centuries, this was the only way that pipe music was taught. [11] A modern parallel of this system is the familiar words that we use to express notes today: "doh," "ray," "mi," "fah," "so," "la," "ti," and "doh." However, along with the notes, canntaireachd is also capable of expressing grace notes and embellishments. Several examples of the words used to describe the music of piobaireachd are illustrated in Figures 9a and 9b. Although modern written notation has largely replaced canntaireachd, students still learn piobaireachd by listening to their teachers play the music. Some pipers still teach piobaireachd using canntaireachd, so it has survived to the modern era of piping. Structure. Piobaireachd pieces all share some basic structural elements. Every piobaireachd begins with a movement called a "ground" or "urlar." The ground is then followed by several variations. Typically, each ground and variation is three lines long. Often, the first line of the movement is repeated. The ground generally has less complicated fingering than the variations, and it is usually played a bit slower than the variations. [11] It sets the stage for the variations that follow. After the variations are played, the first line of the ground is played again to close the piece. There are several different types of variations that can follow the ground. A piobaireachd will not have every type of variation possible. The example piece that is shown in Figure 10 is first line of the ground in the tune, "Struan Robertson's Salute." It is a good tune to learn as a first piobaireachd. Struan Robertson's Salute consists of the following elements: 1) ground, 2) taorluath singling, 3) taorluath doubling, 4) crunluath singling, and 5) crunluath doubling. The first line of the ground is then played again after all of these variations. Review the sound samples in Figure 8. The first sample is the first line of the ground of Struan Robertson's Salute. The second sample is the first line of the taorluath variation of Struan Robertson's salute. After listening to both samples, it is clear that the taorluath variation is an elaboration of the ground. Not all variations will sound as similar to the ground, but all variations should share the same basic theme. An excellent resource for the beginning piobaireachd player is the book, "Tutor for Piobaireachd," by Seumas MacNeill. It contains descriptions of several different piobaireachd, and many different variation styles are covered. There are many other types of variations besides the taorluath and crunluath. Some examples are: Siubhal Variation, Triplet Variation, Dithis Variation, and doublings of these variations. It is beyond the scope of this overview to cover the structure of piobaireachd in minute detail, but Seumas MacNeill's tutor provides a much more extensive study. Modern piobaireachd. Even though piobaireachd is several hundred years old, it is still played today. Some pipers do not care for this style of music, but others learn to play many different tunes. Although written notation has generally replaced the canntaireachd, students still learn by listening to their teachers' phrasing. In addition, bagpipe competitions at highland games will have a piobaireachd category. This is an excellent opportunity to hear several different piobaireachd played in one setting. Piobaireachd is the ancient and original music for the bagpipe. Light music is now much more common, but the great music is still played throughout the world. Even though the style and rhythm of ceol mor is unlike most modern music, it has its own beauty and grace. By learning more about the structure and history of this music, a piping student can more readily appreciate its nuances. Ceol BeagThe other style of music for the Great Highland Bagpipe is "light music." This is the music that most listeners are accustomed to hearing. Strathspeys, reels, and jigs are all forms of dance music. Marches, obviously, are typically used for marching, though marches are often played for dancing as well. Hornpipes are tunes that are very complex and difficult, and allow a piper to really show his or her skill. Airs are typically slow, melancholy pieces. Unlike piobaireachd, all light music has a beat. There are variety of time signatures that appear in light music, but no form of light music is non-mensural. Marches. There is a long military piping tradition, and the bagpipe was firmly established in British military culture by the middle of the 19th century. Many of the tunes played by pipers for regimental functions are marches. For example, the tune commonly used for reveille in the Scot's Guards is the 2/4 march, "Johnny Cope." Dinner call is signaled with the 9/8 march, "Brose and Butter." [5] Some of the most well known piping tunes are marches. This would include tunes such as "Scotland the Brave," "Highland Laddie," and "Scots Wha Hae Wi' Wallace Bled." [12] These tunes all share a steady, even beat, which makes them very suitable for parade marching. Marches may be written in a variety of time signatures. Probably the most common time signature is 2/4 time. This is followed by 4/4 time and 6/8 time. Unlike 2/4 and 4/4 time, 6/8 time tends to have a more flowing feel. Many retreat marches are written in 3/4 or 9/8 time. Slow marches are written in the same manner as a standard march, but the piper plays them at a slower tempo. These tunes often sound very melancholy when played on the pipes, and many are quite beautiful. An example of a march is provided in Figure 11. A sound file for this tune can be accessed through Figure 8. The tune is a 2/4 march titled, "The Australian Ladies." Strathspeys. Although strathspeys are written in 4/4 time, they are not counted with an even, steady beat. Unlike marches, varying stress is placed on different beats. When playing a strathspey, the first beat of each bar is stressed and stretched slightly. This corresponds to the first step of a strathspey dance. The dancer takes a long step on the first beat. The stress on each of the four beats is as follows: strong, weak, medium, weak. [8] The first beat receives the most stress, and the third beat receives more stress than the second or fourth beat. Because strathspeys have such a strong and pointed pulse, they are not suitable for marching. An example of a strathspey is provided in Figure 12, and the sound sample can be reviewed in Figure 8. The tune is titled, "Molly Connell." Strathspeys such as "The Devil in the Kitchen," "The Orange and the Blue," and "The Braes of Tullymet" would be played in a row for the Highland Fling. [6] Reels. Reels have 4 beats per measure, which is similar to a 4/4 march. However, reels are written and counted in "cut time." Even though there are four beats in a measure, only two beats per measure (the first and third) are counted when playing. This is because reels are played at a very fast tempo, and it would be extremely difficult to count out each beat. Like strathspeys, reels are also used for dancing. Dances such as the "Eightsome Reel" and the "Foursome Reel" are danced to with a piper playing a selection of reels. Because reels are played so quickly, they can be technically challenging to a new piper. Proper technique must be learned before a reel is brought up to regular tempo. An example of a reel is illustrated in Figure 13. The reel is "Christie McLeod," and a sound file is available in Figure 8. Jigs. The jig is a very lively style of music. Jigs are typically written in 6/8 time, though "slip jigs" are written in 9/8 time. Many jigs have the same note repeated several times, and the notes are separated by grace notes. For example, the first part of the jig, "Paddy's Leather Breeches" is illustrated in Figure 14. The note, "B," is played three times in a row in the first triplet. This is gives the tune a bouncy, springy feel. This is common in jigs. An audio sample of "Paddy's Leather Breeches" is available in Figure 8. Two of the most commonly known jigs are "Paddy's Leather Breeches" and "The Irish Washerwoman." Hornpipes. Hornpipes can be some of the most technically challenging pieces that a piper will ever learn to play. They are played at a very fast tempo, and the are written in 2/4 time. Examples of hornpipes appear in "Scot's Guards: Volumes 1 & II." [5, 6] Airs. Slow airs may be written in 6/8 or 2/4 time; however, they are all played at a slow pace. Some of the most beautiful and haunting pipe tunes are slow airs. Many of these tunes are appropriate as funeral tunes. An example of an Irish air that has been set to the pipes is illustrated in Figure 15. The tune is, "Come by the Hills," and a sound sample is available in Figure 8. Though the bagpipe is only capable of playing nine different notes, an amazing variety of music has been written for the pipes. Every one of the music styles listed above has a unique sound and feel. Whether playing as part of a band on parade, playing for dancers, or playing solo, pipers have a rich selection of music available to them.
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Home Page | Introduction | History of the Bagpipe | The Great Highland Bagpipe | Getting Started | Buying a Bagpipe | Buying Supplies | Music of the Bagpipe | Bagpipe Competitions | EUSPBA | Conclusion | References/Bibliography
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Date last modified: 8/8/98