The long and short of it

The problem with long tunes is not just the length: they are also more varied than short tunes. So, to take a few random examples, a short tune might have 16 bars (eight each in the A and B parts) of which nine are unique. That would be Cabot, for example. The Captain has ten unique bars. Flett and Dragon have, I think (the layout of my copies is poor) 12 unique bars. Magersfontein actually only has one repeated bar. But when I say "unique" there might only be a variant of one note.

Then there are the long tunes. Troy has 44 bars, if you count the second time round variations as new bars, which they are. Twenty five of those little blighters are unique. Castle Grant also has around 44 (some of this depends on whether or not you count the lead in notes in bars on their own). I can't face counting unique bars, but there will be many. Longer tunes also have more of those almost repeated bars, and they might have several variants of the almost repetition, so you then have to remember which you need each time. Throw in the fact that you stop repeating straight A parts and B parts but instead have second endings on some parts and the level of complexity ratchets up a notch or two.

I wish there was something in between, but I suppose if I persevere then eventually I will start to learn long tunes by heart.

I've been humming tunes a lot, including, rather oddly, Banks, which I've not played in ages.

While I'm on a run of things I've not done in ages I have actually recorded. I've also gone back to drones. It's too long since I played with them. A mix of worrying abut annoying new neighbours upstairs and learning tunes. The neighbours are away for some weeks and the chanter is back in action for learning on, so I must get back to them. It took the fan ages to tune them up and then they sounded too loud, too droney, and the D (I thought I'd treat myself and play the D today) sounded squeaky, harsh, unfamiliar.

I felt a little short of air, drones wavering. I had half an eye on dots, but the drones distracted me. Still, I think I carry on smoothly after each mistake. It seems a little fast and I think the slower tunes are perhaps better on the A. Oh, and although the fan's fancy new software allowed me to snip off the mangled start I moved straight from mangling into the tune proper so it starts rather abruptly. Still, here it is, MacIntyre's Farewell by Barry W Shears.


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