Kenny Gillies Of Portnalong jig

Scottish tune.

sounds like the Tannahill weavers, but you might know better…

The source of this tune is a book.
“Ceol Na Fidhle - Highlands Tunes for the Fiddle” - Volume 4.

That book reprorts P.MacFarquhar as the composer of the jig.

This tune is very popular in the Western Isles of Scotland.

this tune is a true classic, features in all my strip the willows!

Uses the Major pentatonic mode (no 4th no 7th). Just what a trump player needs!

First tune in the set :

http://youtu.be/grDo-Ljs9tw

play video

Can someone add the accordion bass to this tune

Joe, I recently learnt this tune from my accordion teacher, he wrote down chords and basses for me that work well. I’ll try and post it up for you sometime soon…

This is a pipe tune and when played as such all the Gs (the 7th note of the scale) should be played as G naturals. The key signature would be better written as 2 sharps (A mixolydian).

On the other hand the overall feel of the tune is very much A major so it could be written with 3 sharps but with accidentals indicating the two high G naturals in the last part.

It’s pretty normal for A majorish pipe tunes to be played with a G sharp where possible/appropriate. I’d certainly play a G sharp on the fiddle there.

This a great pipe tune, written in the key of A (g# used) The first note of each bar is dotted and in a 6 note bar the fourth note is also dotted. This is a rule in Scottish 6/8 music

“The first note of each bar is dotted and in a 6 note bar the fourth note is also dotted. This is a rule in Scottish 6/8 music”

Two points.
For marches I would usually show the pointing (dotted quavers/eighth notes), for jigs I wouldn’t even though they are usually pointed.
Some players, especially pipers, play jigs at such a lick that I don’t hear any pointing whatsoever, so the “rule” is not universally adhered to.

Donald, I appreciate your comments but we are not all playing jigs at such a lick. You need to get the tempo right to give a lift to the music. I hear bands playing tunes so fast that they just lose the rhythm.

I agree, Robert. Jigs at breakneck speed can be impressive but, to me anyway, are rhythmically boring.

I would disagree that dotting is a “rule” for Scottish 6/8. Common, especially in dance band music, but certainly not a rule. Who are these rule-makers?

Thanks Bogeyman. If you want to be recognised as a good band for Scottish music you will put dot these notes

I take it you are this mystery rule-maker then Robert. Scottish music is not one single thing.

Robert -

By using the term “Scottish music”, you are painting with an extremely broad brush. Scottish traditional music comes in many forms, and for many purposes. You appear to be speaking in the context of Scottish Country Dance, and therefore appear to be ignoring Scottish ceili dance, step dancing, sessions, pipe band competitions, fiddle competitions, accordion competitions and countless other ways the music is expressed. I think it best to avoid the word “rule” entirely. If you do insist on using it, I would advise tying the “rule” to the exact context of Scottish traditional music you are talking about.

To Tervs and Tunes. If you are playing in competitions for accordion and fiddle and for celidh dance good players will use dotted notes for jig time

It should perhaps be pointed out, Robert, that “box and fiddle” is a fairly niche part of Scottish Traditional music these days. Within that wee corner, however, there are indeed fairly strict ideas as to what is an acceptable way to play, but those ideas don’t necessarily translate to the many other areas of Scottish trad.

I’m a bit late to the party here but I agree there are several aspects to Scottish music these days whereas Scottish Dance music and, to an extent, pipe bands and fiddle groups used to predominate.

Anyway, it is usually accepted and understood that there is an emphasis on the first notes in each bar etc when playing jigs even although this isn’t always notated.

As others here have stated, styles of playing will vary depending on personal taste and the particular “area” of traditional music in which you perceive yourself to be.

From my listening experience, many accordion players and dance band musicians have a tendency to give less emphasis and feel while playing jigs and the result often sounds like the notes are just “rattling” out of a machine gun. Not in all cases, of course. There are lots of excellent dance bands and players out there too.

> This is a rule in Scottish 6/8 music

And how d’ye play the second bar of the Dundee City Police, Robert? For myself I will stick to the composer’s own way.

With the exception of a competition situation, if anyone is talking about “rules” in the music, you can safely ignore them.