Love your videos! Maybe an idea for a next video: Cover plastic chanter reeds. Maybe a video on which drone reeds different pipers should buy. I always find it hard to choose.
Thanks for the video Matt, it's very helpful! Is it wrong to play the second taorluath of The Skye Boat Song as "2 ga da" instead of "a ga 2"? More generally speaking, when we play a taorluath, is there a way to know when to play the fist low G on the beat and when to play the final note instead?
Great question! The taorluath is a an odd embellishment in that it ends on the beat. So even though it looks like it should start on beat 2, the E gracenote at the end of the embellishment is what takes you to beat 2. If you were to play it the way you wrote (2 ga da) it would be too late and not sound quite right. I hope that makes sense.
Hey Matt! Your Videos are fantastic, i Started playing the pipes a year ago and your advises are really helpful! Could you make a Video about the scottish bagpipe scale But with all possible semitones, which can be played? That would be very cool! Greets from Austria
The only real semitones are C-natural and F-natural, and even then, they are only useful in quick runs of notes, as they are not in tune enough to use in say slow airs. But going over all the various keys allowed in our pipe scale is a great topic for a video!
I’m learning Glasgow city police pipers and one of the beats is a 1/8 note B then a 1/16 note HA (snapped) then 3/16 HA with G grace note (dotted). What would your counting method be for that? Instead of saying 1 maybe say da e dum....2? Thanks so much for the videos :)
Hi Matt, thank you for sharing all this knowledge with the world! I started on the practice chanter a few months ago and your videos have been tremendously helpful in understanding grace notes, approach to practice, and how the bagpipes work. I don't have much trouble with basic rhythms but I am having some difficulty with the more "unusual" rhythms like swung 16ths and the rhythm in Ghillie Callum, where it's written in simple time yet the beat is subdivided into 3... could you do a video explaining how these rhythms work? In the case of Ghillie Callum, I can't reconcile the way it's written with the way it's played; if an 8th note is a third of a beat then a note grouping of two 16th notes followed by an 8th note ought to add to 2*(1/6) + 1/3 = 2/3 of a beat, but that grouping takes an entire beat.
Glad you found the channel! I’m looking in Scots Guard 2 right now at “Ghillie Callum” and it’s in simple time (starting in common time 4/4 and going to alla breve). So an eighth would be either 1/2 or 1/4 of the beat. The sixteenths would be either 1/4 or 1/8 of the beat. So an eight and two sixteenths would be either 1 beat or half a beat (common time vs alla breve).
Moreover, I'd think you'd be seeing a dotted eighth (3/8th of the beat) to 2 sixteenths (each 1/8 of the beat) to a dotted eighth (the last 3/8 of the beat), that would equal a half note, which is the note getting the beat in alla breve/cut time (what reels are written in).
Hi Matt. Doing the homework on Bonny Dundee and Garryowen. What "rhythm word" do you use for the Grip (shows up 3 times in Bonny Dundee and 4 in Garryowen).
This is kind of a question about exporting this technique to other pipes. The rhythm schemes are really helpful. Your scheme is very much applicable to all Celtic music and I have been using the schemes to help me in my adventures with the Uilleann pipes. One difference is that U.Ps like whistles use long and short rolls and crans. Do you have a word that you use in those situation?
Rolls are generally subvisions of the beat. so in simple time, it could be 1 e +, whereas in a jig, the roll might be 1 a da. A cran is more of a burbly thing, so perhaps like "hubada" to try is get something with the general cadence of the embellishment.
At a certain point counting breaks down… When the rhythms get that small and precise, you’re better off just finding vocables that match the rhythm rather than new ways to subdivide further
@@MattWillisBagpiper @Matt Willis Bagpiper so basically that particular grouping would be like bi-di (bi-dih) rather than either note having a count? So the phrase quarter note 16th/32nd 16th/dotted 8th/8th would be something like 1 ba-di 2 e da?
The musical verbalization really helps, Matt. Now, can you call my wife and tell her that the men in those white coats aren't necessary when she hears me in my office alone? :)
6/8 means two beats per bar, so 2/4 works just fine for that (also two beats per bar). The 2/4 wouldn't subdivide properly for 6/8 (as it would divide into either 2 or 4), but for the "big beats" it's fine.
@@MattWillisBagpiper ...12 divided by 2 is 6, and we're doin' a 6, oh and ahhh... it's terrible i'm sorry, let's get back to work here... hmmmm seems like the whiskey was in control, buddy. i'm just messing with you.😁
@@MattWillisBagpiper i'll drink to that! actually i DID think it was funny. thanks for the videos! as they used to say in a SNL skit, everything else, that isn't scottish, "IS SHITTE!"
I've revised the PDF for "Counting Rhythms in 6/8 time" to correct a few typos. Feel free to re-download from this link: bit.ly/68Revised
Been desperately needing to do a deep dive on 6/8s, thanks Matt 🤙🏼
Hope you enjoy, sir!
Very helpful Matt! Thanks!
Happy to help!
Really appreciate this, sir...you’re helping me out a bunch.👏🏻
Glad to hear it!
Thanks for another great video Matt, I have just moved onto 6/8 rhythms and I was finding it hard to understand and play, this helped me so much!!
Glad to help! Feel free to share with any other pipers you think could get something from it. Cheers!
Brilliant video, thank you so much Matt. Of all the things I am struggling with this addresses timing/ rhythm in a superb way.
Thank you Matt ! Much appreciated.
Sure thing!
Love your videos! Maybe an idea for a next video:
Cover plastic chanter reeds.
Maybe a video on which drone reeds different pipers should buy. I always find it hard to choose.
Mmmm. Drone reed selection video. Maybe a can do a pair up with Patrick McLaurin, as drone reeds seems to be his specialty.
I saw it on the innernets so it must be true!
Man I like that microphone!
Old 2000 or Blue Snow Ball USB mic. :)
Thanks! Really helped with Atholl highlanders. You should play the jig version.
You're welcome! Here's me playing the jig version with my former band The Killdares: ua-cam.com/video/PTtF6IzRnlQ/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video Matt, it's very helpful! Is it wrong to play the second taorluath of The Skye Boat Song as "2 ga da" instead of "a ga 2"? More generally speaking, when we play a taorluath, is there a way to know when to play the fist low G on the beat and when to play the final note instead?
Great question! The taorluath is a an odd embellishment in that it ends on the beat. So even though it looks like it should start on beat 2, the E gracenote at the end of the embellishment is what takes you to beat 2. If you were to play it the way you wrote (2 ga da) it would be too late and not sound quite right. I hope that makes sense.
Hey Matt! Your Videos are fantastic, i Started playing the pipes a year ago and your advises are really helpful! Could you make a Video about the scottish bagpipe scale But with all possible semitones, which can be played? That would be very cool!
Greets from Austria
The only real semitones are C-natural and F-natural, and even then, they are only useful in quick runs of notes, as they are not in tune enough to use in say slow airs. But going over all the various keys allowed in our pipe scale is a great topic for a video!
I’m learning Glasgow city police pipers and one of the beats is a 1/8 note B then a 1/16 note HA (snapped) then 3/16 HA with G grace note (dotted). What would your counting method be for that? Instead of saying 1 maybe say da e dum....2? Thanks so much for the videos :)
Hi Matt, thank you for sharing all this knowledge with the world! I started on the practice chanter a few months ago and your videos have been tremendously helpful in understanding grace notes, approach to practice, and how the bagpipes work. I don't have much trouble with basic rhythms but I am having some difficulty with the more "unusual" rhythms like swung 16ths and the rhythm in Ghillie Callum, where it's written in simple time yet the beat is subdivided into 3... could you do a video explaining how these rhythms work? In the case of Ghillie Callum, I can't reconcile the way it's written with the way it's played; if an 8th note is a third of a beat then a note grouping of two 16th notes followed by an 8th note ought to add to 2*(1/6) + 1/3 = 2/3 of a beat, but that grouping takes an entire beat.
Glad you found the channel! I’m looking in Scots Guard 2 right now at “Ghillie Callum” and it’s in simple time (starting in common time 4/4 and going to alla breve). So an eighth would be either 1/2 or 1/4 of the beat. The sixteenths would be either 1/4 or 1/8 of the beat. So an eight and two sixteenths would be either 1 beat or half a beat (common time vs alla breve).
Moreover, I'd think you'd be seeing a dotted eighth (3/8th of the beat) to 2 sixteenths (each 1/8 of the beat) to a dotted eighth (the last 3/8 of the beat), that would equal a half note, which is the note getting the beat in alla breve/cut time (what reels are written in).
@@MattWillisBagpiper that's the trouble - it's written in simple time but it's not played the way it's written.
Can you send me a photo of your setting? matt@mattpiper.com
Hi Matt. Doing the homework on Bonny Dundee and Garryowen. What "rhythm word" do you use for the Grip (shows up 3 times in Bonny Dundee and 4 in Garryowen).
EDIT! I forgot the last syllable in the initial reply. Add the word dum after the " a da". So more like: "a da dum "
1 a da dum 2...
Modified my initial response.
@@MattWillisBagpiper Thanks Matt!
This is kind of a question about exporting this technique to other pipes. The rhythm schemes are really helpful. Your scheme is very much applicable to all Celtic music and I have been using the schemes to help me in my adventures with the Uilleann pipes. One difference is that U.Ps like whistles use long and short rolls and crans. Do you have a word that you use in those situation?
Rolls are generally subvisions of the beat. so in simple time, it could be 1 e +, whereas in a jig, the roll might be 1 a da. A cran is more of a burbly thing, so perhaps like "hubada" to try is get something with the general cadence of the embellishment.
@@MattWillisBagpiper Thanks Matt
What would you suggest for a dotted 16th/32nd like you find in Hector the Hero?
At a certain point counting breaks down… When the rhythms get that small and precise, you’re better off just finding vocables that match the rhythm rather than new ways to subdivide further
@@MattWillisBagpiper @Matt Willis Bagpiper so basically that particular grouping would be like bi-di (bi-dih) rather than either note having a count?
So the phrase quarter note 16th/32nd 16th/dotted 8th/8th would be something like 1 ba-di 2 e da?
The musical verbalization really helps, Matt. Now, can you call my wife and tell her that the men in those white coats aren't necessary when she hears me in my office alone? :)
Ha! Glad the video was of help
MAtt, I do not understand why your metronome is set on 2/4 while the exercise you are playing is a 6/8. Can you please explain to me? Thank you!
6/8 means two beats per bar, so 2/4 works just fine for that (also two beats per bar). The 2/4 wouldn't subdivide properly for 6/8 (as it would divide into either 2 or 4), but for the "big beats" it's fine.
@@MattWillisBagpiper Got it. Thank you!!!
My favorite song "the gael" is 6/8 ... I think I got lucky lol
Fantastic tune! Love “The Gael”
I have to drink before playing Skye Boat also
Ha!!
Didn't take long for the whiskey to muddle your math... orr mind
What do you mean?
@@MattWillisBagpiper ...12 divided by 2 is 6, and we're doin' a 6, oh and ahhh... it's terrible i'm sorry, let's get back to work here... hmmmm seems like the whiskey was in control, buddy. i'm just messing with you.😁
@@leemason4024 Nah, just a super lame attempt at humor. It was funnier in my head than the delivery. These videos aren't scripted, so...
@@MattWillisBagpiper i'll drink to that! actually i DID think it was funny. thanks for the videos! as they used to say in a SNL skit, everything else, that isn't scottish, "IS SHITTE!"